Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[The neuroprotective role of exogenous TERT gene in neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage].

OBJECTIVE To study the effect of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) on cell apoptosis in neonatal rat brains after hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBD). METHODS A total of 72 neonatal rats were divided into sham, vehicle, HIBD and TERT groups. HIBD was induced by Rice method in the later three groups. The neonatal rats in the vehicle and TERT groups were injected with plasmids containing mock or full length TERT by an intracerebroventricular injection 30 minutes after hypoxic-ischemic (HI) injury. Pathological changes of brain tissue were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of TERT, apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and cleaved caspase 3 (CC3). Apoptotic cells were detected by TUNEL staining. RESULTS Western blot showed that TERT protein was dramatically increased in the vehicle, HIBD and TERT groups compared with the sham group. Compared with the vehicle and HIBD groups, TERT protein in the TERT group was significantly upregulated. Compared with the sham group, there was a significant increase in apoptotic index and expression of AIF and CC3 proteins in the vehicle and HIBD groups (p<0.01). The TERT group showed decreased expression of AIF and CC3 proteins and apoptotic index compared with the vehicle and HIBD groups (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS TERT can inhibit cell apoptosis induced by HI and might have a neuroprotective role in developing brain with HIBD.
Relation between visual perceptual impairment and neonatal ultrasound diagnosis of haemorrhagic‐ischaemic brain lesions in 5‐year‐old children

Visual‐perceptual abilities were assessed in 5‐year‐old children with the following neonatal neurological conditions: born preterm with normal ultrasound scan (NL, n=17); born preterm with ultrasound diagnosis of intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH, n=17); born preterm with ultrasound diagnosis of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL, n=12); born term with hypoxic‐ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE, n=11). Visual‐perceptual ability was evaluated with the L94: eight visual‐perceptual tasks designed to evaluate different aspects of visual perception at the preschool level in children with multiple disabilities. Impairment was established in comparison to the performance age obtained on non‐verbal intelligence subtests, instead of chronological age. Frequency of L94 impairment was highest in children with PVL, while children with IVH did not differ from the NL control group. Impairment rates were increased also in children with transient periventricular echodensities, and in children with HIE. Impairments were only moderately related to the delay of visual acuity maturation in infancy.
Development of Abbreviated Nine-Item Forms of the Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices Test

The Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM) is a 60-item test for measuring abstract reasoning, considered a nonverbal estimate of fluid intelligence, and often included in clinical assessment batteries and research on patients with cognitive deficits. The goal was to develop and apply a predictive model approach to reduce the number of items necessary to yield a score equivalent to that derived from the full scale. The approach is based on a Poisson predictive model. A parsimonious subset of items that accurately predicts the total score was sought, as was a second nonoverlapping alternate form for repeated administrations. A split sample was used for model fitting and validation, with cross-validation to verify results. Using nine RSPM items as predictors, correlations of . 9836 and . 9782 were achieved for the reduced forms and . 9063 and . 8978 for the validation data. Thus, a 9-item subset of RSPM predicts the total score for the 60-item scale with good accuracy. A comparison of psychometric properties between 9-item forms, a published 30-item form, and the 60-item set is presented. The two 9-item forms provide a 75% administration time savings compared with the 30-item form, while achieving similar item- and test-level characteristics and equal correlations to 60-item based scores.
Evaluation of pressure ulcer prevalence rates for hospice patients post-implementation of pressure ulcer protocols

Hospice patients may be particularly at risk for pressure ulcer development due to several factors. Identifying populations at risk for pressure ulcer development, such as hospice patients, and providing prevention and risk protocols for these populations can substantially reduce the prevalence and incidence of pressure ulcers. However, are hospice patients prone for skin break-down despite prevention and treatment efforts? This study examines the prevalence of pressure ulcers in hospice patients following the implementation of pressure ulcer prevention and treatment protocols. Levine’s theory of conservation of structural integrity formed the theoretical frame work for this descriptive study. A midwestern hospital-based hospice agency was the site for this study. All patients 18 years of age and older were included in the study. Pressure ulcer prevalence audits were done at four, eight, 12, and 18 months after protocols were outlined by the hospice staff Results of the audits revealed prevalence rates of 14.8 percent, 8.5 percent, 13.6 percent, and 23.8 percent, at each of the aforementioned audits. 10 of15 patients who were pressure ulcer positive were males; the sacral location was most common (seven of 19 ulcers occurred sacrally) with the ischial location being the next common (six of 19 ulcers were ischially located). No ulcers occurred above the waist or in patients below 51 years of age. Recommendations from this study urge that particular prevention attention be given to protocols which address “sitting,” due to the predominance of ulcers located in the sacral and ischial regions. In addition, the author concludes that perhaps, pressure ulcers may occur in this population despite the best of efforts to prevent them.
Beginning regular exercise in early pregnancy: effect on fetoplacental growth.

OBJECTIVE Our purpose was to test the null hypothesis that beginning regular, moderate-intensity exercise in early pregnancy has no effect on fetoplacental growth. STUDY DESIGN Forty-six women who did not exercise regularly were randomly assigned at 8 weeks either to no exercise (n = 24) or to weight-bearing exercise (n = 22) 3 to 5 times a week for the remainder of pregnancy. Outcome variables included antenatal placental growth rate and neonatal and placental morphometric measurements. RESULTS The offspring of the exercising women were significantly heavier (corrected birth weight: 3.75 +/- 0.08 kg vs 3.49 +/- 0.07 kg) and longer (51.8 +/- 0.3 cm vs 50.6 +/- 0.3 cm) than those born to control women. The difference in birth weight was the result of an increase in both lean body mass and fat mass. In addition, midtrimester placental growth rate was faster (26 +/- 2 cm(3)/wk vs 21 +/- 1 cm(3)/wk) and morphometric indexes of placental function were greater in the exercise group. There were no significant differences in neonatal percentage body fat, head circumference, ponderal index, or maternal weight gain. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that beginning a moderate regimen of weight-bearing exercise in early pregnancy enhances fetoplacental growth.
Bridging the gap : reflections on theorizing with managers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reflect on Nenonen et al.’s paper on theorizing with managers. This paper discusses differences between marketing science and marketing practice and gives suggestions to reduce the theory–praxis gap. It gives examples of quantitative studies that have been performed with practioners and use the choices proposed by Nenonen et al. to draw conclusions. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on personal experience of the author, which is supported by a substantial number of empirical studies. Findings Cooperation with marketing managers/decision-makers is most successful when the initiator is the practitioner. Public policy and litigation are the most promising areas for cooperation. It is difficult to publish the outcomes of these “joint” studies in top journals. Originality/value This study extends and continues the results of the study by Nenonen et al.
Modification of smooth pursuit initiation by a nonvisual, afferent feedback signal.

PURPOSE To investigate the role of extraocular muscle afferent signals in the initiation and early maintenance of smooth-pursuit eye movements. METHODS A suction scleral contact lens was used to impede the movements of the right eye while subjects tracked small targets in a step-ramp pursuit paradigm. Movements of the left eye were measured by infrared oculography. Pursuit latency, eye acceleration, and velocity were analyzed trial-by-trial and compared before, while, and after the right eye was impeded. RESULTS When the right eye was impeded, initial acceleration and eye velocity were reduced. Pursuit latency was unchanged. The velocity effect had a rapid onset and offset; there was no evidence that the effects built up over a number of trials. Detailed analysis suggested that the reduction in velocity occurred approximately 40 msec after pursuit was initiated. CONCLUSIONS These results are consistent with the hypothesis that extraocular muscle afferent signals provide a feedback signal of the movements of the eyes that may be used to modify the initiation and early maintenance of smooth pursuit on-line. It appears that for pursuit, as with saccades, the priority in these conditions is to maintain conjugacy.
PmRab7 Is a VP28-Binding Protein Involved in White Spot Syndrome Virus Infection inShrimp

ABSTRACT Our aim was to isolate and characterize white spot syndrome virus (WSSV)-binding proteins from shrimp. After a blot of shrimp hemocyte membrane proteins was overlaid with a recombinant WSSV envelope protein (rVP28), the reactive bands on the blot were detected using anti-VP28 antibody. Among three membrane-associated molecules identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, there was a 25-kDa protein that bound to both rVP28 and WSSV. Since it had a primary structure with high homology to the small GTP-binding protein Rab7, we named it Penaeus monodon Rab7 (PmRab7). The full-length PmRab7 cDNA was obtained, and results from a glutathione S-transferase pull-down assay confirmed specific binding to rVP28. Reverse transcriptase PCR analysis revealed PmRab7 expression in many tissues, and real-time PCR analysis revealed that expression was constitutive. Binding of PmRab7 to rVP28 or WSSV occurred in a dose-dependent manner and was inhibited by anti-Rab7 antibody. In an in vivo neutralization assay, the number of dead shrimp after challenge with WSSV plus PmRab7 (15%) or WSSV plus anti-Rab7 antibody (5%) was significantly lower than after challenge with WSSV alone (95%). In contrast to the WSSV-injected group, shrimp injected with WSSV plus PmRab7 or WSSV plus anti-Rab7 showed no WSSV-type histopathology. We conclude that PmRab7 is involved in WSSV infection in shrimp. This is the first study to identify a shrimp protein that binds directly to a major viral envelope protein of WSSV.
Prevalence, Stability, and Outcomes of Cry-Fuss and Sleep Problems in the First 2 Years of Life: Prospective Community-Based Study

OBJECTIVE. To report the prevalence and stability of cry-fuss problems during the first 4 months of life and sleep problems from 2 to 24 months and relationships between the persistence of cry-fuss and sleep problems and outcomes at 24 months. METHODS. The study was a prospective cohort study in maternal and child health centers in 3 local government areas in Melbourne, Australia. A total of 483 first-born infants were monitored prospectively from 2 weeks through 2, 4, 8, 12, 18, and 24 months. Child behavior, maternal depression, parenting stress, and marital quality were assessed. Predictor variables were parent reports of moderate or greater cry-fuss problems (2 and 4 months) and sleep problems (8, 12, 18, and 24 months) and parent-reported, 24-hour, sleep/cry-fuss diaries (2, 4, and 12 months). RESULTS. The response rate was 68% (483 of 710 infants); the attrition rate was <6%. The prevalence of cry-fuss problems decreased from 19.1% at 2 months to 12.8% at 4 months, with 5.6% of mothers reporting cry-fuss problems at both ages. Prevalence rates of sleep problems were 21.2%, 16.2%, 10.0%, and 12.1% at 8, 12, 18, and 24 months, respectively; 6.4% had a problem at ≥3 of these ages. In multivariate analyses, cry-fuss/sleep problems at ≥3 previous time points (but not 1 or 2 time points) contributed significantly to depression (2.8% of variance), total behavior (1.4% of variance), and total stress (4.6% of variance) scores. Repeated problems had a greater impact than a concurrent sleep problem on depression and stress scores, whereas the reverse was true for behavior scores. CONCLUSIONS. Most cry-fuss and sleep problems in the first 2 years of life are transient. Persistent, rather than transient, problems contribute to maternal depression, parenting stress, and subsequent child behavior problems.
Identification of the [FeFe]-Hydrogenase Responsible for Hydrogen Generation in Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum and Demonstration of Increased Ethanol Yield via Hydrogenase Knockout

ABSTRACT Three putative hydrogenase enzyme systems in Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum were investigated at the genetic, mRNA, enzymatic, and phenotypic levels. A four-gene operon containing two [FeFe]-hydrogenase genes, provisionally termed hfs (hydrogenase-Fe-S), was found to be the main enzymatic catalyst of hydrogen production. hfsB, perhaps the most interesting gene of the operon, contains an [FeFe]-hydrogenase and a PAS sensory domain and has several conserved homologues among clostridial saccharolytic, cellulolytic, and pathogenic bacteria. A second hydrogenase gene cluster, hyd, exhibited methyl viologen-linked hydrogenase enzymatic activity, but hyd gene knockouts did not influence the hydrogen yield of cultures grown in closed-system batch fermentations. This result, combined with the observation that hydB contains NAD(P)+ and FMN binding sites, suggests that the hyd genes are specific to the transfer of electrons from NAD(P)H to hydrogen ions. A third gene cluster, a putative [NiFe]-hydrogenase with homology to the ech genes, did not exhibit hydrogenase activity under any of the conditions tested. Deletion of the hfs and hydA genes resulted in a loss of detectable methyl viologen-linked hydrogenase activity. Strains with a deletion of the hfs genes exhibited a 95% reduction in hydrogen and acetic acid production. A strain with hfs and ldh deletions exhibited an increased ethanol yield from consumed carbohydrates and represents a new strategy for engineering increased ethanol yields in T. saccharolyticum.
Acceptability and availability of pharmacological interventions for substance misuse by British NHS treatment services.

AIMS Despite their potential advantages, many of the pharmacological interventions available to treat substance misuse are controversial and their acceptability within the United Kingdom (and other countries) has only recently begun to be investigated. DESIGN A questionnaire mailed to British National Health Service (NHS) alcohol and drug treatment services asked respondents to rate the acceptability and availability of 11 pharmacological interventions for substance misuse employed to relieve withdrawal, reduce the likelihood of relapse and opiate overdose and substitute pharmaceuticals for illicit drugs. PARTICIPANTS A sample of NHS substance misuse services (n = 265) listed in one or more directories of services in England, Wales and Scotland. FINDINGS Substitute methadone for opiate addiction, substitute benzodiazepines for benzodiazepine-dependent patients, lofexidine for opiate detoxification, naltrexone for opiate relapse prevention and acamprosate for alcohol relapse prevention were widely acceptable and available interventions. Another subset of medications-buprenorphine for opiate detoxification, take-home naloxone for overdose prevention and substitute prescribing of levo-alpha-acetyl-methadol (LAAM), heroin and dexamphetamine-garnered less support, but the majority of participants rated even these therapies as acceptable. Ultra-rapid detoxification under sedation was the intervention rated as least acceptable to, and was one of the two least frequently available from, responding NHS services. CONCLUSIONS Differences among specific medications notwithstanding, a wide range of harm-reduction and abstinence-orientated interventions were acceptable to and available from NHS services. Acceptance and availability are probably limited by a combination of practical, economic, safety, efficacy and theoretical considerations.
SONG RETRIEVAL SYSTEM USING HIDDEN MARKOV MODELS

This project proposes a novel method to retrieve the song corresponding to a recording of a snippet of the same. The method used converts the song into a string of music phonemes, which are MFCC Feature Vectors using Hidden Markov Models. The sequence of these phones are then stored. A similar procedure is performed upon the snippets. The snippet sequence and song sequence are then compared using a sliding window method with the Levenshtein edit distance as the score metric. This effectively reduces the problem to a string search problem. The usage of HMMs adds robustness against noise. The application for these projects include user based content search, song retrieval systems like Shazam® etc.
Perspectives on Dimensional Analysis in Scaling Studies

Scaling, as defined here, refers to the precise identification of those structural and functional aspects of selected systems that are size-independent, over some specified size-range. Small and large instances of such systems are said to be similar in respect to those aspects. Physicists and engineers have developed an elaborate methodology for identifying quantitative similarity criteria applicable to physical systems.These criteria are usually derived by dimensional analysis of physical laws pertinent to a given system. Knowledge of similarity criteria allows one to predict quantitatively the behavior of a large-scale prototype from measurements made on a small-scale model (e.g., in a wind tunnel). Numerous workers have sought to apply this elegant methodology to scale-up in biology. After briefly reviewing dimensional analysis, scaling, and modeling, as deployed in physics and engineering, this article discusses several well-known examples of their application to bioscaling problems (chiefly in mammals) and gives reasons for doubting their validity. It concludes that this methodology is unlikely to provide explanations applicable to scale-up in diverse species.
Inter-channel rate control method for H.264/AVC multi-channel video encoder

This paper describes an inter-channel rate control method for an H.264/AVC multi-channel video encoder. The proposed method makes it possible to encode each video to the same subjective image quality by adaptively changing the encoders' target bit rates in accordance with the characteristics of each video. At BD-bitrate it improves the coding efficiency obtained with constant bit rate coding by about 7.04 %.
The Welfare Cost of Retirement Uncertainty

Uncertainty about the timing of retirement is a major financial risk with implications for decision making and welfare over the life cycle. We estimate that the standard deviation of the difference between retirement expectations and actual retirement dates ranges from 4.28 to 6.92 years. We develop a quantitative model to assess the impact of this risk. Individuals would give up 2.6%-5.7% of total lifetime consumption to fully insure this risk and 1.9%-4.0% of lifetime consumption simply to know their actual retirement date at age 23. While social insurance programs could be designed to hedge this risk, current programs in the U.S. (OASI and SSDI) provide very little timing insurance.
Obstacles to answering doctors' questions about patient care with evidence: qualitative study

Abstract Objective: To describe the obstacles encountered when attempting to answer doctors' questions with evidence. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: General practices in Iowa. Participants: 9 academic generalist doctors, 14 family doctors, and 2 medical librarians. Main outcome measure: A taxonomy of obstacles encountered while searching for evidence based answers to doctors' questions. Results: 59 obstacles were encountered and organised according to the five steps in asking and answering questions: recognise a gap in knowledge, formulate a question, search for relevant information, formulate an answer, and use the answer to direct patient care. Six obstacles were considered particularly salient by the investigators and practising doctors: the excessive time required to find information; difficulty modifying the original question, which was often vague and open to interpretation; difficulty selecting an optimal strategy to search for information; failure of a seemingly appropriate resource to cover the topic; uncertainty about how to know when all the relevant evidence has been found so that the search can stop; and inadequate synthesis of multiple bits of evidence into a clinically useful statement. Conclusions: Many obstacles are encountered when asking and answering questions about how to care for patients. Addressing these obstacles could lead to better patient care by improving clinically oriented information resources. What is already known on this topic Doctors are encouraged to search for evidence based answers to their questions about patient care but most go unanswered Studies have not defined the obstacles to answering questions in a systematic manner A comprehensive description of such obstacles has not been presented What this study adds Fifty nine obstacles were found while attempting to answer clinical questions with evidence; six were particularly salient The obstacles were comprehensively described and organised
Comparison of survival probabilities for dialysis patients vs cadaveric renal transplant recipients.

OBJECTIVE To compare mortality risk among cadaveric renal transplant recipients vs transplant candidates on dialysis in the cyclosporine era. SETTING Patient mortality risk was analyzed by treatment modality for a completed statewide patient population. PATIENTS All Michigan residents younger than age 65 years who started endstage renal disease (ESRD) therapy between January 1, 1984, and December 31, 1989, were included. Patients were followed up from ESRD onset (n = 5020), to wait-listing for renal transplant (n = 1569), to receiving a cadaveric first transplant (n = 799), and to December 31, 1989. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Mortality rates. RESULTS Using a time-dependent variable based on the waiting time from date of wait-listing to transplantation and adjusting for age, sex, race, and primary cause of ESRD, the relative risk (RR) of dying was increased early after transplantation and then decreased to a beneficial long-term effect, given survival to 365 days after transplantation (RR, 0.36; P < .001). This lower long-term risk was most pronounced (RR, 0.25) among diabetic transplant recipients compared with diabetic wait-listed dialysis patients (P < .001) and not observed among patients with glomerulonephritis as cause of ESRD (P > .05). Overall, the estimated times from transplantation to equal mortality risk was 117 +/- 28 days and to equal cumulative mortality was 325 +/- 91 days. CONCLUSIONS The overall mortality risk following renal transplantation was initially increased, but there was a long-term survival benefit compared with similar patients on dialysis. These analyses allow improved description of comparative mortality risks for dialysis and transplant patients and allow advising patients regarding comparative survival outcomes.