Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Treadmill Training and Body Weight Support in Pediatric Rehabilitation

Background and Purpose:Given the extensive literature on body weight–supported treadmill training (BWSTT) in adult rehabilitation, a systematic review was undertaken to explore the strength, quality, and conclusiveness of evidence supporting use of treadmill training and body weight support in those with pediatric motor disabilities. A secondary goal was to ascertain whether protocol guidelines for BWSTT are available to guide pediatric physical therapy practice. Methods:The database search included MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL Plus, PEDro, Cochrane Library databases, and ERIC from January 1, 1980 to May 31, 2008 for articles that included treadmill training and body weight support for individuals under 21 years of age, with or at risk for a motor disability. We identified 277 unique articles from which 29 met all inclusion criteria. Results:Efficacy of treadmill training in accelerating walking development in Down syndrome has been well demonstrated. Evidence supporting efficacy or effectiveness of BWSTT in pediatric practice for improving gait impairments and level of activity and participation in those with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, and other central nervous system disorders remains insufficient, although many studies noted positive effects. Discussion and Conclusion:The original evidence demonstrates efficacy of BWSTT in children with Down syndrome, but large-scale controlled trials are needed to support the use of BWSTT in other pediatric subgroups. Increased use of randomized designs, studies with treadmill training–only groups, and dosage studies are needed before practice guidelines can be formulated. Neural changes in response to training warrant exploration, especially given the capacity for change in developing nervous systems.
Chronic-Alcohol-Abuse-Induced Oxidative Stress in the Development of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Chronic alcohol ingestion increases the risk of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a severe form of acute lung injury, characterized by alveolar epithelial and endothelial barrier disruption and intense inflammation. Alcohol abuse is also associated with a higher incidence of sepsis or pneumonia resulting in a higher rate of admittance to intensive care, longer inpatient stays, higher healthcare costs, and a 2–4 times greater mortality rate. Chronic alcohol ingestion induced severe oxidative stress associated with increased ROS generation, depletion of the critical antioxidant glutathione (GSH), and oxidation of the thiol/disulfide redox potential in the alveolar epithelial lining fluid and exhaled breath condensate. Across intracellular and extracellular GSH pools in alveolar type II cells and alveolar macrophages, chronic alcohol ingestion consistently induced a 40–60 mV oxidation of GSH/GSSG suggesting that the redox potentials of different alveolar GSH pools are in equilibrium. Alcohol-induced GSH depletion or oxidation was associated with impaired functions of alveolar type II cells and alveolar macrophages but could be reversed by restoring GSH pools in the alveolar lining fluid. The aims of this paper are to address the mechanisms for alcohol-induced GSH depletion and oxidation and the subsequent effects in alveolar barrier integrity, modulation of the immune response, and apoptosis.
Measuring Adolescent Boys' Physical Activity: Bout Length and the Influence of Accelerometer Epoch Length

Objectives Accurate, objective measurement is important for understanding adolescents' physical activity (PA) behaviour. When using accelerometry to objectively measure PA, a decision must be made regarding how frequently data is recorded (i.e., epoch length). The purpose of this study was to examine i) PA bout length, and ii) the effect of variations in accelerometer epoch length on PA estimates during physical education (PE) and leisure time in adolescent boys. Design Cross-sectional study. Methods Year 9 boys (N = 133; mean age ±SD = 14.36±0.48 years) wore accelerometers during two PE lessons, and for a period of seven consecutive days. Data were reintegrated from 1s into longer periods of 2, 5, 10, 30, and 60 seconds. ANOVAs were used to test for differences in PA estimates between epochs in leisure time and PE. Results The mean length of vigorous PA (VPA) bouts was 3.5±2.0 seconds for PE and 2.5±1.7 seconds for leisure time, and mean length of moderate PA (MPA) bouts was 2.3±0.5 seconds for PE and 2.9±0.5 seconds for leisure time. During PE, estimates of MVPA, MPA, and light PA (LPA) increased as epoch increased from 1 second to 60 seconds, while VPA and sedentary behaviour estimates decreased. During leisure time, estimates of all PA intensities decreased as epoch increased from 1 second to 60 seconds, with the exception of sedentary behaviour, which increased as epoch length increased. Conclusion The context in which PA occurs can influence PA bout length measurement and the effect of variations in epoch length on PA estimates. Researchers measuring PA with accelerometry should be conscious of the possible influence of context on PA estimates.
Privacy-preserving power request and trading by prepayment in smart grid

Demand response has been intensively studied in recent years. It can motivate customers to change their consumption patterns according to the dynamic (time-varying) electricity price, which is considered to be the most cost-effective and reliable solution for smoothing the demand curve. However, many existing schemes, based on users' demand request in each period, require users to consume their requested electricity exactly, which sometimes causes inconvenience and losses to the utility, as customers may send inaccurate demand accidently and will be punished. In this paper, we tackle this problem in a novel approach. Instead of charging after consumption, we adopt a well-designed prepayment mechanism to implement power request. Furthermore, we propose a trading market run by the control center to cope with the dynamics of users' demand. It is worth noting that both users' original demand and trading records are protected against potential adversaries including the control center. Through the numerical simulation, we demonstrate that our scheme is highly efficient in both computation and communication.
Compressive Strength Development of High Strength High Volume Fly Ash Concrete by Using Local Material

This paper presents a research to produce high strength concrete incorporated with fly ash as cement replacement up to 50% (high volume fly ash concrete) by using local material. The research is conducted by testing the strength development of high volume fly ash concrete at the age of 14 days, 28 days and 56 days. As a control mix, the compressive strength of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) concrete without fly ash is used. Both concrete mixtures use low w/c. consequently, they lead to the use of 1 % superplasticizer to reach sufficient workability in the process of casting. The specimens are concrete cubes with the dimension of 15 cm x15 cm x 15 cm. The totals of 24 cubes of HVFA concrete and OPC concrete are used as specimens of testing. The compressive strength design of concrete is 45 MPa and the slump design is ± 10 cm. The result shows that the compressive strengths of OPC concrete at the age of 14 days, 28 days, and 56 days are 38 MPa, 40 MPa, and 42 MPa. Whereas the compressive strength of HVFA concrete in the same age of immersing sequence are 29 MPa, 39 MPa, and 42 MPa. The result indicates that HVFA concrete can reach the similar compressive strength as that of normal concrete especially at the age of 56 days by deploying low water cement ratio.
Mammalian Comparative Genomics Reveals Genetic and Epigenetic Features Associated with Genome Reshuffling in Rodentia

Abstract Understanding how mammalian genomes have been reshuffled through structural changes is fundamental to the dynamics of its composition, evolutionary relationships between species and, in the long run, speciation. In this work, we reveal the evolutionary genomic landscape in Rodentia, the most diverse and speciose mammalian order, by whole-genome comparisons of six rodent species and six representative outgroup mammalian species. The reconstruction of the evolutionary breakpoint regions across rodent phylogeny shows an increased rate of genome reshuffling that is approximately two orders of magnitude greater than in other mammalian species here considered. We identified novel lineage and clade-specific breakpoint regions within Rodentia and analyzed their gene content, recombination rates and their relationship with constitutive lamina genomic associated domains, DNase I hypersensitivity sites and chromatin modifications. We detected an accumulation of protein-coding genes in evolutionary breakpoint regions, especially genes implicated in reproduction and pheromone detection and mating. Moreover, we found an association of the evolutionary breakpoint regions with active chromatin state landscapes, most probably related to gene enrichment. Our results have two important implications for understanding the mechanisms that govern and constrain mammalian genome evolution. The first is that the presence of genes related to species-specific phenotypes in evolutionary breakpoint regions reinforces the adaptive value of genome reshuffling. Second, that chromatin conformation, an aspect that has been often overlooked in comparative genomic studies, might play a role in modeling the genomic distribution of evolutionary breakpoints.
Alternating Renewal Process Models for Behavioral Observation: Simulation Methods, Software, and Validity Illustrations

Direct observation recording procedures produce reductive summary measurements of an underlying stream of behavior. Previous methodological studies of these recording procedures have employed simulation methods for generating random behavior streams, many of which amount to special cases of a statistical model known as the alternating renewal process. This paper describes the alternating renewal process model in its general form, demonstrates how it provides an organizing framework for most past simulation research on direct observation procedures, and introduces a freely available software package that implements the model. The software can be used to simulate behavior streams as well as data from many common recording procedures, including continuous recording, momentary time sampling, event counting, and interval recording procedures. Several examples illustrate how the software can be used to study the validity and reliability of direct observation data and to develop measurement strategies during the planning phases of empirical studies.
The SAM Algorithm for Analogy-Based Story Generation

Analogy-based Story Generation (ASG) is a relatively under-explored approach for story generation and computational narrative. In this paper, we present the SAM (Story Analogies through Mapping) algorithm as our attempt to expand the scope and complexity of stories generated by ASG. Comparing with existing work and our prior work, there are two main contributions of SAM: it employs 1) analogical reasoning both at the specific story content and general domain knowledge levels, and 2) temporal reasoning about the story (phase) structure in order to generate more complex stories. We illustrate SAM through a few example stories.
Clinical, Endocrine and Imaging Characteristics of Patients with Primary Hypophysitis

Abstract Primary hypophysitis (PH) is a rare disease with a poorly-defined natural history. Our aim was to characterise patients with PH at presentation and during prolonged follow-up. Observational retrospective study of 22 patients was conducted from 3 centres. In 14 patients, PH was confirmed histologically and in the remaining 8 clinically, after excluding secondary causes of hypophysitis. All patients had hormonal and imaging investigations before any treatment. Median follow up was 48 months (25–75%: 3–60). There was a female predominance with a female/male ratio: 3.4:1. Eight out of 22 patients had another autoimmune disease. Headaches and gonadal dysfunction were the most common symptoms. Five patients presented with panhypopituitarism; 17 patients had anterior pituitary deficiency, and 7 had diabetes insipidus. At presentation, 9 patients were treated surgically, 5 received replacement hormonal treatment, and 8 high-dose glucocorticoids from whom 5 in association with other immunosuppressive agents. Six patients showed complete recovery of pituitary hormonal deficiencies while 6 showed a partial recovery during a 5-year follow-up period. No difference was found between patients treated with surgery and those treated medically. The overall relapse rate was 18%. PH can be manifested with a broad spectrum of clinical and hormonal disturbances. Long-term follow-up is required to define the natural history of the disease and response to treatment, since pituitary hormonal recovery or relapse may appear many years after initial diagnosis. We suggest that surgery and immunosuppressive therapy be reserved for exceptional cases.
Differential Requirement for irf8 in Formation of Embryonic and Adult Macrophages in Zebrafish

Interferon regulatory factor 8 (Irf8) is critical for mammalian macrophage development and innate immunity, but its role in teleost myelopoiesis remains incompletely understood. In particular, genetic tools to analyze the role of Irf8 in zebrafish macrophage development at larval and adult stages are lacking. We generated irf8 null mutants in zebrafish using TALEN-mediated targeting. Our analysis defines different requirements for irf8 at different stages. irf8 is required for formation of all macrophages during primitive and transient definitive hematopoiesis, but not during adult-phase definitive hematopoiesis starting at 5-6 days postfertilization. At early stages, irf8 mutants have excess neutrophils and excess cell death in pu.1-expressing myeloid cells. Macrophage fates were recovered in irf8 mutants after wildtype irf8 expression in neutrophil and macrophage lineages, suggesting that irf8 regulates macrophage specification and survival. In juvenile irf8 mutant fish, mature macrophages are present, but at numbers significantly reduced compared to wildtype, indicating an ongoing requirement for irf8 after embryogenesis. As development progresses, tissue macrophages become apparent in zebrafish irf8 mutants, with the possible exception of microglia. Our study defines distinct requirement for irf8 in myelopoiesis before and after transition to the adult hematopoietic system.
Feasibility and oncologic safety of low ligation of inferior mesenteric artery with D3 dissection in cT3N0M0 sigmoid colon cancer

Purpose There is no standard consensus for the ligation level of the inferior mesenteric artery during radical resection of sigmoid colon cancer. Especially, there is little research about low ligation combined with D3 dissection. The study was performed to compare feasibility and oncologic safety between low ligation with D3 dissection to high ligation in intermediately advanced sigmoid colon cancer. Methods From January 2008 to December 2013, 134 patients who underwent radical surgery for cT3N0M0 sigmoid colon cancer were evaluated retrospectively. Clinicopathologic factors and oncologic outcomes of high ligation (HL, n = 51) and low ligation (LL, n = 83) groups were compared. Results The mean operative time was significantly shorter in LL, and there was no difference in complications, distal margin or number of retrieved lymph node. The tumor size was significantly larger in HL, but there was no difference in number of metastatic lymph node, pT or pN stage. There was no difference in overall survival, disease-free survival, or local and systemic recurrence. Conclusion In cT3N0M0 sigmoid colon cancers, we suggest that low ligation with D3 dissection can be performed with feasibility and oncological safety.
Reducing false alarms in the ICU by quantifying self-similarity of multimodal biosignals

False arrhythmia alarms pose a major threat to the quality of care in today’s ICU. Thus, the PhysioNet/Computing in Cardiology Challenge 2015 aimed at reducing false alarms by exploiting multimodal cardiac signals recorded by a patient monitor. False alarms for asystole, extreme bradycardia, extreme tachycardia, ventricular flutter/fibrillation as well as ventricular tachycardia were to be reduced using two electrocardiogram channels, up to two cardiac signals of mechanical origin as well as a respiratory signal. In this paper, an approach combining multimodal rhythmicity estimation and machine learning is presented. Using standard short-time autocorrelation and robust beat-to-beat interval estimation, the signal’s self-similarity is analyzed. In particular, beat intervals as well as quality measures are derived which are further quantified using basic mathematical operations (min, mean, max, etc). Moreover, methods from the realm of image processing, 2D Fourier transformation combined with principal component analysis, are employed for dimensionality reduction. Several machine learning approaches are evaluated including linear discriminant analysis and random forest. Using an alarm-independent reduction strategy, an overall false alarm reduction with a score of 65.52 in terms of the real-time scoring system of the challenge is achieved on a hidden dataset. Employing an alarm-specific strategy, an overall real-time score of 78.20 at a true positive rate of 95% and a true negative rate of 78% is achieved. While the results for some categories still need improvement, false alarms for extreme tachycardia are suppressed with 100% sensitivity and specificity.
A progressive approach to discrete trial teaching: Some current guidelines

Discrete trial teaching (DTT) is one of the cornerstones of applied behavior analysis (ABA) based interventions. Conventionally, DTT is commonly implemented within a prescribed, fixed manner in which the therapist is governed by a strict set of rules. In contrast to conventional DTT, a progressive approach to DTT allows the therapist to remain flexible, making in-the-moment analyses and changes based on several variables (e.g., individual responding, current and previous history). The present paper will describe some guidelines to a progressive approach to DTT. The guidelines presented here should not be taken as a set of rules or as an exhaustive list.
Alexithymia in food-allergic versus healthy children and young adults

Alexithymia is a multifaceted personality construct associated with several medical illnesses. However, no studies have focused on food allergy. We investigated alexithymia among food-allergic youths, compared to a matched healthy sample. A total of 220 participants aged 9–25 years were assessed using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children. Food-allergic patients reported higher levels of alexithymia compared to a matched healthy sample. Furthermore, an association between alexithymia and a clinical history of anaphylaxis was found among patients. Some possible hypotheses have been discussed considering physiological, psychological, developmental, and cognitive/behavioral factors.
Supplemental Information: Schooling increases risk exposure for fish navigating past artificial barriers

Schooling increases risk exposure for fish navigating past artificial barriers. Bertrand H. Lemasson 1,2, ∗ , James W. Haefner , Mark D. Bowen 3,4 1 Department of Biology and Ecology Center, Utah State University (USU), Logan, UT, 84321, USA 2 Present address: Environmental Laboratory, U.S. Army Engineer Research & Development Center, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, USA 3 Fisheries and Wildlife Resources Group, US Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box 25007, 6 and Kipling, Building 67, Denver, CO, USA 4 Present address: Turnpenny Horsfield Assoc. , Ashurst Lodge, Ashurst, Southampton, Hampshire, SO40 7AA, UK
Stable Isotope Turnover and Half-Life in Animal Tissues: A Literature Synthesis

Stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur are used as ecological tracers for a variety of applications, such as studies of animal migrations, energy sources, and food web pathways. Yet uncertainty relating to the time period integrated by isotopic measurement of animal tissues can confound the interpretation of isotopic data. There have been a large number of experimental isotopic diet shift studies aimed at quantifying animal tissue isotopic turnover rate λ (%·day-1, often expressed as isotopic half-life, ln(2)/λ, days). Yet no studies have evaluated or summarized the many individual half-life estimates in an effort to both seek broad-scale patterns and characterize the degree of variability. Here, we collect previously published half-life estimates, examine how half-life is related to body size, and test for tissue- and taxa-varying allometric relationships. Half-life generally increases with animal body mass, and is longer in muscle and blood compared to plasma and internal organs. Half-life was longest in ecotherms, followed by mammals, and finally birds. For ectotherms, different taxa-tissue combinations had similar allometric slopes that generally matched predictions of metabolic theory. Half-life for ectotherms can be approximated as: ln (half-life) = 0.22*ln (body mass) + group-specific intercept; n = 261, p<0.0001, r2 = 0.63. For endothermic groups, relationships with body mass were weak and model slopes and intercepts were heterogeneous. While isotopic half-life can be approximated using simple allometric relationships for some taxa and tissue types, there is also a high degree of unexplained variation in our models. Our study highlights several strong and general patterns, though accurate prediction of isotopic half-life from readily available variables such as animal body mass remains elusive.
Modification of Epigenetic Patterns in Low Birth Weight Children: Importance of Hypomethylation of the ACE Gene Promoter

There is a growing body of evidence that epigenetic alterations are involved in the pathological mechanisms of many chronic disorders linked to fetal programming. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) appears as one candidate gene that brings new insights into the epigenetic control and later development of diseases. In this view, we have postulated that epigenetic modifications in the ACE gene might show different interactions between birth weight (BW), blood pressure levels, plasma ACE activity and ACE I/D polymorphism. To explore this hypothesis, we performed a cross-sectional study to evaluate the DNA methylation of 3 CpG sites using pyrosequencing within the ACE gene promoter of peripheral blood leukocytes from 45 LBW children compared with 70 NBW children. Our results have revealed that LBW children have lower methylation levels (P<0.001) in parallel with a higher ACE activity (P = 0.001). Adjusting for prematurity, gender, age, body mass index, and family history of cardiovascular disease did not alter these findings. We have also performed analyses of individual CpG sites. The frequency of DNA methylation was significantly different at two CpG sites (site 1: nucleotide position +555; and site 3: nucleotide position +563). In addition, we have found a significant inverse correlation between degree of DNA methylation and both ACE activity (P<0.001) and systolic blood pressure levels (P<0.001). We also observed that the methylation level was significantly lower in LBW children who are carriers of the DD genotype compared to NBW children with DD genotype (P<0.024). In conclusion, we are able to demonstrate that the hypomethylation in the 3 CpG sites of ACE gene promoter is associated with LBW in 6 to 12 year-old children. The magnitude of these epigenetic changes appears to be clinically important, which is supported by the observation that discrete changes in DNA methylation can affect systolic blood pressure and ACE protein activity levels.