Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of high-frequency oral airway and chest wall oscillation and conventional chest physical therapy on expectoration in patients with stable cystic fibrosis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To compare the effect of high-frequency oral airway oscillation, high-frequency chest wall oscillation, and conventional chest physical therapy (CPT) on weight of expectorated sputum, pulmonary function, and oxygen saturation in outpatients with stable cystic fibrosis (CF). DESIGN Prospective randomized trial. SETTING Pediatric pulmonary division of a tertiary care center. PATIENTS Fourteen outpatients with stable CF recruited from the CF center. INTERVENTIONS Two modes of oral airway oscillation (1: frequency 8 Hz; inspiratory to expiratory [I:E] ratio 9:1; 2: frequency 14 Hz; I:E ratio 8:1), two modes of chest wall oscillation (1: frequency 3 Hz; I:E ratio 4:1; 2: frequency 16 Hz; I:E ratio 1:1, alternating with frequency 1.5 Hz, I:E ratio 6:1), and CPT (clapping, vibration, postural drainage, and encouraged coughing) were applied during the first 20 min of 4 consecutive hours. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Sputum was collected on an hourly basis for a total of 6 consecutive hours. During the first and the last hour, patients collected sputum without having any treatment and underwent pulmonary function tests (PFTs). Oxygen saturation was measured at 30-min intervals during hours 1 to 6. For the first 20 min of the second to the fifth hour, patients received one of the treatments. To assess the effect of the intervention, the weight of expectorated sputum during hours 2 to 6 was averaged and expressed as percentage of the weight expectorated during the first hour (baseline). For the five treatment modalities, mean sputum dry and wet weights ranged between 122% and 185% of baseline. There was no statistically significant difference among the treatment modalities. As measured by sputum wet weight, all oscillatory devices tended to be less effective than CPT (p=0.15). As measured by dry weight, oral airway oscillation at 8 Hz with an I:E ratio of 9:1 and CPT tended to be more effective than the other treatment modalities (p=0.57). None of the treatment modalities had an effect on PFTs and oxygen saturation and all were well tolerated. CONCLUSION In outpatients with stable CF, high-frequency oscillation applied via the airway opening or via the chest wall and CPT have comparable augmenting effects on expectorated sputum weight without changing PFTs or oxygen saturation. In contrast to CPT, high-frequency oral airway and chest wall oscillations are self-administered, thereby containing health-care expenses.
Metronidazole for bacterial vaginosis. A comparison of vaginal gel vs. oral therapy.

OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy and safety of 0.75% metronidazole vaginal gel with oral metronidazole for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis (BV). STUDY DESIGN Nonpregnant women with BV were enrolled in a multicenter, randomized, investigator-blind treatment trial. Patients were randomly assigned to either 0.75% metronidazole vaginal gel (5 g twice daily for five days) or oral metronidazole (500 mg twice daily for seven days). Follow-up visits occurred approximately two and five weeks after initiation of therapy. RESULTS BV was clinically eliminated at the first follow-up visit in 83.7% (36/43, 95% CI 72.3-95.1%) of the intravaginal group and 85.1% (40/47, 95% CI 74.6-95.6%) of the oral group. At the final visit, BV was eliminated in 70.7% (29/41, 95% CI 56.3-85.1%) of the intravaginal group and 71.1% (32/45, 95% CI 57.4-84.8%) of the oral group. Significantly more patients in the oral treatment group (51.8%) reported gastrointestinal complaints as compared to the intravaginal treatment group (32.7%, P = .04). CONCLUSION The efficacy of 0.75% metronidazole vaginal gel twice daily for five days in treating BV was similar to that of standard oral metronidazole treatment and was associated with fewer gastrointestinal complaints.
A murine stage-specific embryonic antigen (SSEA-2) is expressed on some murine SV40-transformed cells.

A stage-specific embryonic antigen-2 (SSEA-2) found on murine preimplantation embryos is maximally expressed on 4- to 8-cell stage embryos and is present in decreasing amounts of morulae and blastocysts. This antigenic determinant is also expressed on murine teratocarcinoma cells, sperm, and some, but not all, SV40-transformed mouse cell lines. Analysis of solubilized immunoprecipitates by SDS-gel electrophoresis indicates that this cell surface molecule is not the 54,000 m.w. protein shared by teratocarcinoma and SV40-transformed cell lines.
Attribution of projected changes in summertime US ozone and PM 2.5 concentrations to global changes

The impact that changes in future climate, an- thropogenic US emissions, background tropospheric com- position, and land-use have on summertime regional US ozone and PM2.5 concentrations is examined through a ma- trix of downscaled regional air quality simulations, where each set of simulations was conducted for five months of July climatology, using the Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. Projected regional scale changes in mete- orology due to climate change under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) A2 scenario are derived through the downscaling of Parallel Climate Model (PCM) output with the MM5 meteorological model. Future chemi- cal boundary conditions are obtained through downscaling of MOZART-2 (Model for Ozone and Related Chemical Trac- ers, version 2.4) global chemical model simulations based on the IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A2 emissions scenario. Projected changes in US anthropogenic emissions are estimated using the EPA Economic Growth Analysis System (EGAS), and changes in land-use are pro- jected using data from the Community Land Model (CLM) and the Spatially Explicit Regional Growth Model (SER- GOM). For July conditions, changes in chemical boundary conditions are found to have the largest impact (+5 ppbv) on average daily maximum 8-h (DM8H) ozone. Changes in US anthropogenic emissions are projected to increase average DM8H ozone by +3 ppbv. Land-use changes are projected to have a significant influence on regional air quality due to the impact these changes have on biogenic hydrocarbon emis- sions. When climate changes and land-use changes are con-
COMBINATION OF CYTOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR METHODS FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN CERVICAL CANCER PREVENTION

To date, there is strong evidence that cytology-based screening programs have resulted in a significant decrease of the incidence of and mortality from cervical cancer, however, substantial over-treatment of non-invasive intraepithelial lesions results from the low specificity of traditional cytological screening. To address these issues, we have developed a risk-adapted multimodal cervical screening and management protocol at the Institute of Pathology in Bonn-Duisdorf including a combination of liquid-based cytology, PCR-based dynamic HPV genotyping and DNA cytometry, and introduced it in the routine clinical practice for the first time in Germany. By using this protocol, the major aims of the present project were: 1) to characterise cytomorphological and molecular basic features of HPV infection, (2) to define association between non-classical HPV-related cytomorphological signs and molecular markers of HPV infection from the DNA to protein level, (3) to determine the prevalence of rare and new HPV genotypes as well as HPV types with undefined oncogenic potential in cervical pre-cancer and cancer, (4) to define prognostic markers for early CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia) behaviour and for post-treatment surveillance and (5) to evaluate the effect of our risk-adapted multimodal cervical cancer screening and management strategy (the Bonn-protocol) in a routine screening population of about 30.000 women from the Bonn-region in West-Germany. Our results are expected to increase our understanding of the molecular biology and associated functional-morphological signs of HPV infection during cervical carcinogenesis and tumour progression. More importantly, we attempt to investigate how this knowledge could be transferred into the daily diagnostic practice to improve early detection and prognostication of HPV-related cervical (pre)-cancer.
Clinical and cytogenetic characterisation of a patient with Down syndrome resulting from a 21q22.1→qter duplication

Editor—Trisomy of human chromosome 21 is one of the most frequent aneuploidies in humans and results in Down syndrome (DS), affecting approximately 1 in 700 live births.1 DS is a major cause of mental retardation and congenital heart disease in humans, but is also associated with other major features, such as characteristic facies, skeletal abnormalities, and an increased risk of leukaemia and Alzheimer's disease. In most cases (95%), the trisomy of chromosome 21 involves the whole chromosome through maternal (most frequent) or paternal non-disjunction, whereas in some cases (4%) Down syndrome is the result of an unbalanced translocation. Among the latter, a very small proportion of cases are the result of partial trisomy of chromosome 21 arising either from non-Robertsonian translocations or from intrachromosomal duplications.2 The DS phenotype is also found in cases (1%) of mosaicism of trisomy 21.3 During the last decade, considerable progress has been made towards discovering the gene content of chromosome 21, but the functions of most of these genes and their specific contributions to the final DS phenotype still remain unknown. The identification and characterisation of cases of partial trisomy of chromosome 21 has allowed a phenotypic map of this chromosome and DS to be constructed. Clinical and molecular studies of these cases have suggested that most of the phenotypic features of DS are the result of the triple dose of the genes contained in the region around marker D21S55. This region is called the Down syndrome critical region (DSCR). 4-6 However, recent evidence suggests that genes outside this region may also contribute to the DS phenotype.7 To evaluate DS patients clinically, a checklist of 25 clinical traits was first reported by Jackson et al 8 and later revised by Epstein et al . 9 The accurate and exhaustive …
Understanding bandwidth limitations in robot force control

This paper provides an analytical overview of the dynamics involved in force control. Models are developed which demonstrate, for the one-axis explicit force control case, the effects on system closed-loop bandwidth of a) robot system dynamics that are not usually considered in the controller design; b) drive-train and task nonlinearities; and c) actuator and controller dynamics. The merits and limitations of conventional solutions are weighed, and some new solutions are proposed. Conclusions are drawn which give insights into the relative importance of the effects discussed.
Deprivation-induced synaptic depression by distinct mechanisms in different layers of mouse visual cortex

Long-term depression (LTD) induced by low-frequency synaptic stimulation (LFS) was originally introduced as a model to probe potential mechanisms of deprivation-induced synaptic depression in visual cortex. In hippocampus, LTD requires activation of postsynaptic NMDA receptors, PKA, and the clathrin-dependent endocytosis of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors. It has long been assumed that LTD induced in visual cortical layer 2/3 by LFS of layer 4 uses similar mechanisms. Here we show in mouse visual cortex that this conclusion requires revision. We find that LTD induced in layer 2/3 by LFS is unaffected by inhibitors of PKA or α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor endocytosis but is reliably blocked by an endocannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist. Conversely, LFS applied to synapses on layer 4 neurons produces LTD that appears mechanistically identical to that in CA1 and is insensitive to CB1 blockers. Occlusion experiments suggest that both mechanisms contribute to the loss of visual responsiveness after monocular deprivation.
Sympathetically-maintained Causalgiform Disorders in a Model for Neuropathic Pain: A Review

Partial nerve injury is the main cause of sympathetically maintained causalgiform pain disorders in humans. We present here an animal model of this condition, produced in rats by a unilateral ligation of about half of the sciatic nerve. Starting hours after the operation and for several months thereafter, the rats developed signs of spontaneous pain, touch-evoked allodynia and hyperesthesia, and mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia in the partially denervated as well as the intact contralateral foot. These disorders were maintained by the sympathetic outflow and disappeared following postoperative sympathectomy. In neonatally capsaicinated rats we found that touch-evoked allodynia and hyperesthesia were mediated by A-fibers whereas thermal hyperalgesia was mediated by C-fibers. These disorders were not due to receptor sensitization of remaining afferent fibers by prostaglandins. We found strain differences and genetic inheritance of these causalgiform disorders which were correlated with the expression of autotomy to hind-paw denervation.
SOSYAL GÜVENLİK HİZMETLERİNİN FİNANSMAN YÖNTEMLERİ: TÜRKİYE’DE VE DÜNYADA SOSYAL GÜVENLİĞİN FİNANSMANINA KISA BİR BAKIŞ - FINANCING METHODS OF SOCIAL SECURITY SERVICES: SOCIAL SECURITY FINANCING IN THE WORLD AND TURKEY A BRIEF OVERVIEW

Evrensel ve insani bir hak olan sosyal guvenlik yillardir dunyanin her yerinde farkli sekillerde uygulana gelmis bir politikalar butunudur. Uygulanan ulkelerde sosyal koruma ve refahin temel belirleyicisi konumunda olan sosyal guvenlik sistemi, uzun yillardir farkli kaynakli sorunlarla karsi karsiyadir. Bu noktada sosyal sigortanin finansmani bahsedilen sorunlarin en onemlileri arasinda yer almaktadir. Sosyal sigorta kurumunun toplamis oldugu primlerle beraber hizmetlerdeki devamliligin saglanabilmesi adina sigortalilara saglamis oldugu risk faktorlerine gore finansman yontemlerinin kullaniliyor olmasi gereklidir. Sosyal sigortanin finansman yontemlerini saymak gerekirse; fon biriktirme yaklasimina dayandirilan “Kapitalizasyon” yontemi ve katki yarar yaklasimina gore “Dagitim” yontemidir. Turkiye’de sosyal guvenlik kurumlari uc farkli bicimde bulunmakta ve ayrica da farkli risk faktorlerine karsi sosyal guvenlik hizmetleri vermektedir. Gerceklestirilen calismada sosyal guvenlik sisteminin finansmanina iliskin Turkiye ve dunyada genel bir degerlendirme yapilmis ve ulkemizdeki sistemin finansman ozellikleri ve kurumun finansman durumu incelenerek genel bir degerlendirme ortaya konulmaya calisilmistir. Calisma kapsaminda SGK’nin finansman aciginin surekli arttigi gorulmus ve sosyal guvenlik sistemine iliskin guncel erken emeklilik tartismalarinin bu acigi daha da arttiracagi kanisina ulasilmistir.
XULRunner: A New Approach for Developing Rich Internet Applications

The Web 2.0 world abounds with solutions for developing Web-based rich Internet applications (RIAs). Desktop application developers have seen a similar maturation of full-featured frameworks to help simplify development. Mozilla's XULRunner application runtime engine offers a compromise between Web-based RIAs and a desktop application's power
Single-incision retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy and single-incision laparoscopic adrenalectomy.

OBJECTIVE Single-incision surgery is by now practicable in many fields of surgery, including surgery of the adrenal gland. We report on first experience with laparoscopic transperitoneal and retroperitoneoscopic single-incision adrenalectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between September 2009 and February 2010, eight patients underwent single-incision adrenalectomy. Four patients received single-incision retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy, and four patients transperitoneal single-incision laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Technical feasibility and perioperative data are presented. RESULTS All patients had benign adrenal tumors (Conn's adenoma, n = 7; pheochromocytoma, n = 1). Tumor size ranged between 1.2 and 2.4 cm. Mean operation time was 76 minutes for single-incision retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy and 82 minutes for single-incision laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Blood loss was irrelevant in both groups. CONCLUSIONS Single-incision adrenalectomy is safe and feasible in appropriate operation time, both by the retroperitoneoscopic technique and by the laparoscopic technique. It is also associated with good cosmetic outcome.
Hepatic expression of miR‐122, miR‐126, miR‐136 and miR‐181a and their correlation to histopathological and clinical characteristics of patients with hepatitis C

It has been shown for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection that host miRNAs contribute to the replication of the viral RNA genome. However, the clinical impact of these and many other cellular miRNAs on HCV in humans is still largely unclear. We therefore analysed the expression of miR‐122, miR‐126, miR‐181a and miR‐136 in HCV‐infected patients. The study included liver biopsies of 65 patients infected with HCV of different genotypes (gt 1, gt 1a, gt 1b, gt 3 and gt 4) and nine noninfected individuals. Expression analysis of miRNAs was performed by qPCR, and they were analysed for differences between patient gender and age, genotypes, stage of fibrosis, grade of inflammation, serum level of liver enzymes, serum viral load, the presence of steatosis and mode of transmission. Different target prediction algorithms were used to search for targets of analyzed miRNAs. Statistical analysis revealed significant up‐regulation of miR‐136 and down‐regulation of miR‐126 and miR‐181a in patients infected with HCV of different genotypes compared with noninfected individuals. The same expression pattern was observed in different stages and grades of liver disease. miR‐122 was up‐regulated in women relative to men and associated to portal inflammation, miR‐122 and miR‐126 correlated with serum HCV load and miR‐136 and miR‐122 correlated with the presence of steatosis. miR‐126 and miR‐136 were differentially expressed between different modes of HCV transmission. There were approximately 2000 different targets predicted for all four miRNAs and each of the analyzed miRNAs could be involved in more than a 100 different biochemical pathways. miR‐122, miR‐126, miR‐136 and miR‐181a have been shown to be involved in HCV infection with different genotypes. Their expression has been associated with the gender, stage and grade of liver disease, mode of transmission, serum HCV load and the presence of steatosis. Numerous target genes and biochemical pathways are predicted for each of the analyzed miRNAs. All these results suggest their role in HCV‐infected liver disease.
Program Provider and Observer Ratings of School-Based Preventive Intervention Implementation: Agreement and Relation to Youth Outcomes

Few prevention studies have examined the degree to which different measures of program implementation adherence predict youth outcomes. The current study was conducted with rural middle school youth participating in a longitudinal school-based preventive intervention program. Study participants’ average age at the pretest assessment was 12.3 years. The association between program implementation ratings supplied by provider self-reports and trained independent observer reports were evaluated. In addition, the relationship between measures of implementation and youth outcomes were examined. Results indicated that although program providers tended to report higher implementation than independent observers, most ratings were correlated significantly across raters. Observer-reported implementation ratings significantly predicted several youth substance-related outcomes, while provider-reported self-ratings did not.Program provider characteristics predicted several youth outcomes. Findings suggest that there might be a social desirability bias in provider self-reported ratings of implementation and that caution must be used when interpreting self-reported ratings of implementation.
N -methyl- D -aspartate (NMDA) induced apoptosis in adult rabbit retinas.

Previously we showed that apoptosis is involved in N -methyl- D -aspartate (NMDA) induced excitotoxicity in adult rat retinas. Since rabbits have a higher endogenous level of glutamate in the retina and very different retinal structures, it is not clear if apoptosis is similarly involved in adult rabbit retinas after intravitreal injection of NMDA. In this study, we used ultrastructural features, TdT-mediated biotin-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and two caspase inhibitors to examine whether apoptosis is involved in NMDA-induced excitotoxicity in adult rabbit retinas. At 18 hr after an intravitreal injection of 400 nmoles NMDA, typical apoptotic features in degenerative cells in the retinal ganglion cell layer (RGCL) and the inner nuclear layer (INL) were noted by electron microscopy. TUNEL positive nuclei were detected in these layers as early as 4 hr showing maximal numbers at 18 hr. At 7 days, significant loss of nuclei from the RGCL was noted at the visual streak, the superior and the inferior retinas. These losses were abolished by simultaneous administration of MK-801 and ameliorated by YVAD, a caspase-1 inhibitor, but not by IETD, a caspase-8 inhibitor. These results indicated that, similar to adult rat retinas, apoptosis is involved in NMDA receptor-mediated excitotoxicity in rabbit retinas and that specific caspases may play important roles.
Muscarinic receptor antagonists for overactive bladder

From time to time we publish a full review of drugs that are available for the treatment of common conditions. In this issue, the review is written by two of the leading authorities in the world, Paul Abrams and Karl‐Erik Andersson, on the topic of overactive bladder and antimuscarinic agents. This in‐depth review covers the entire range of questions that might be asked about this common area of interest.
A PHYLOGENETIC PERSPECTIVE ON THE EVOLUTION OF SEXUAL DICHROMATISM IN TANAGERS (THRAUPIDAE): THE ROLE OF FEMALE VERSUS MALE PLUMAGE

The evolution of sexual dichromatism in tanagers (family Thraupidae) was studied from a phylogenetic perspective using a molecular‐based phylogeny. Mapping patterns of sexual dimorphism in plumage onto the phylogeny reveals that changes in female plumage occur more frequently than changes in male plumage. Possible explanations for this pattern include sexual selection acting on female plumage and natural selection for background matching. The results of this study and other recent phylogenetic and comparative studies suggest that factors affecting female plumage are important in shaping patterns of sexual dimorphism.
Resource management in the next-generation DS-CDMA cellular networks

Direct sequence code-division multiple access has been shown as the predominant access technology to provide high-speed multimedia services in next-generation wireless cellular networks. The DS-CDMA cellular network significantly differentiates itself from the traditional narrowband TDMA/FDMA system, in which great capacity gain can be explored by taking advantage of its unique characteristics. This article addresses resource management in DS-CDMA cellular networks. We first provide an overview of the DS-CDMA network and discuss the main challenges in the design of resource management schemes. We then examine several critical issues within the scope of resource management, including congestion control, rate and power control, and cell planning, with the emphasis on call admission control. Finally, we offer some insights and discussions on the performance aspects, strengths, and weaknesses of existing proposals.
Deposited in DRO :

Publisher's copyright statement: NOTICE: this is the author's version of a work that was accepted for publication in Biological Psychology. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be re ected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A de nitive version was subsequently published in Biological Psychology, 77, 1, January 2008, 10.1016/j.biopsycho. 2007.09. 001.