Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sentence Comprehension in Patients with Alzheimer′s Disease

Twenty-three early-stage dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) patients and twenty-three control subjects were tested on a sentence-picture matching test containing nine different sentence types representing different levels of syntactic complexity. Subjects chose between drawings depicting a target sentence and a syntactic foil. Results indicated that DAT patients differed from control subjects on four of the nine sentence types. Performance of the patients was not poorer for sentences that were syntactically more complex, but was poorer for sentences that had two propositions as compared to one. Results are discussed in terms of a post-interpretative processing impairment in sentence comprehension in DAT.
LAPAROSCOPIC ANTERIOR 90° FUNDOPLICATION FOR REFLUX OR LARGE HIATUS HERNIA

Anterior 90°partial fundoplication has been proposed as technique to minimize the risk of side‐effects following surgery for gastro‐oesophageal reflux. We have applied this approach for the treatment of gastro‐oesophageal reflux and/or large hiatus hernias. Previous studies have shown that this type of procedure can achieve good control of reflux, with fewer side‐effects. However, only short‐term follow up has been reported. In this study, we determined later clinical outcomes in patients who have undergone this procedure. All patients who underwent a laparoscopic anterior 90°partial fundoplication surgery were identified from a database, which collected prospective clinical data. Patients completed a standardized questionnaire 3 months after surgery and then yearly to assess clinical symptoms of reflux and postoperative side‐effects. Between February 1999 and January 2006, 246 patients underwent surgery – 74 in conjunction with repair of a large hiatus hernia and 172 for reflux. Three patients underwent further surgery within 2 days of the original procedure (one for repair of a perforated oesophagus) and four underwent later surgical revision (reflux 3, dysphagia 1). Clinical follow‐up data were available for 98% at 3–84 months (median 36). Most patients had effective relief of reflux symptoms at up to 3 years follow up. Dysphagia scores improved following surgery. The magnitude of this improvement was greater in patients with large hiatus hernias. More than 80% of the patients were able to belch normally at all time points after surgery and most were highly satisfied with the overall outcome. Satisfaction scores were higher following repair of a large hiatus hernia. The clinical results of laparoscopic anterior 90°fundoplication for either reflux or as part of repair of a large hiatus hernia are encouraging, although longer‐term follow up is required to confirm durability of reflux control.
Short-term hormonal responses to food intake in peripubertal female rats.

These studies focused on the phenomenon of "catch-up" pubertal development. Circulating levels of several hormones were characterized in 8-wk-old female rats whose growth and reproductive development had been blocked before puberty by restricting their food intake. Some of these females were fed ad libitum for 24 h to initiate rapid pubertal development. Blood levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and growth hormone (GH) were suppressed by food restriction and then partially restored to adult diestrus levels by 24 h of ad libitum feeding. Prolactin titers were also suppressed by food restriction but not significantly elevated by 24 h of ad libitum feeding. Circulating levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were unaffected by either treatment. It is concluded that GH could play an active supplementary role to LH in eliciting catch-up pubertal development but that FSH and TSH could play only passive roles at best. The role of prolactin remains uncertain. On a finer time scale, when food-restricted females were examined in relation to the time of day at which they were fed, most showed high-amplitude LH pulses 2-4 h after eating but rarely at any other time. Thus under some conditions LH secretion can be modulated by food intake on an almost hour-by-hour basis. Overall, blood levels of corticosterone were generally but not always inversely correlated with the frequency of LH pulsing in these experiments. Finally, the present results argue against the concept that puberty is dependent on a critical whole body characteristic. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Restoration by barium of action potentials in sodium‐deprived mammalian B and C fibres

It is known that in vertebrate myelinated nerve fibres, belonging to the A group of Erlanger & Gasser (1937), sodium ions cannot be replaced by barium ions for impulse conduction (Feng & Liu, 1949). In the present experiments this blocking action of barium in A fibres was confirmed; however, in B and C fibres large propagated action potentials were obtained when the fibres were bathed in a fluid containing only barium chloride. This effect ofbarium chloride solution resembles that of a solution in which the sodium ions are replaced by certain quaternary ammonium salts, since Lorente de No (1949) found that these salts restore impulse conduction in B and C fibres, but not in A fibres. An effect of barium ions similar to that observed in vertebrate B and C has previously been found in crustacean muscle fibres by Fatt & Ginsborg (1958): they described propagated responses in fibres immersed in solutions containing barium chloride only. Strontium had the same effect as barinm, whereas in calcium chloride solution non-propagated responses only occurred. In the present experiments we have examined in A, B and C fibres the effect of isotonic solutions of magnesium, calcium, strontium and barium chloride on nerve conduction. In addition the effects of cadmium and mercury chloride solutions were examined, because these cations, by their position in the periodic system, are related to barium.
Dynamic decentralised algorithms for cognitive radio relay networks with multiple primary and secondary users utilising matching theory

We propose a distributed spectrum access algorithm for cognitive radio relay networks with multiple primary users (PUs) and multiple secondary users (SUs). The key idea behind the proposed algorithm is that the PUs negotiate with the SUs on both the amount of monetary compensation, and the amount of time the SUs are either (i) allowed spectrum access, or (ii) cooperatively relaying the PU's data, such that both the PUs' and the SUs' minimum rate requirements are satisfied. The proposed algorithm is shown to be flexible in prioritising either the PUs or the SUs. We prove that the proposed algorithm will result in the best possible stable matching and is weak Pareto optimal. Numerical analysis also reveals that the distributed algorithm can achieve a performance comparable to an optimal centralised solution, but with significantly less overhead and complexity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Le régime climatique avant et après Copenhague : sciences, politiques et l'objectif des deux degrés »

Cet article passe en revue les resultats politiques de la conference de Copenhague et les evolutions que l'on decele dans les rapports de force geopolitiques, dans les thematiques et dans la cartographie des principaux acteurs. Partant du constat que le regime climatique est aujourd'hui attaque tant sur sa gouvernance que sur la relation science-politique, il retrace la construction de l'arene climatique et le cadrage particulier du probleme au cours de ces vingt dernieres annees. Nous suggerons qu'il y a eu au cours des annees 2000 une convergence des approches " descendantes " (top-down) dans l'expertise et dans les politiques climatiques, articulee autour d'objectifs de reduction, de seuils de rechauffement et de " budgets carbone ". Ce cadrage a ete mis en echec a Copenhague, ou s'est affirme le caractere " ascendant " (bottom-up) des engagements volontaires. Un chiffre central dans ce contexte est le seuil de " rechauffement dangereux " de deux degres. L'accord de Copenhague - confirme officiellement dans le compromis de Cancun - consacre ce chiffre comme objectif officiel du processus onusien, accentuant ainsi la tension entre une realpolitik desormais assumee et une expertise alarmante. Nous analysons la construction de l'objectif des deux degres et le role qu'il joue dans le regime climatique. Finalement, nous proposons une revue critique des contributions recentes au debat post-Copenhague.
A Web-Based Resource Model for eScience: Object Reuse & Exchange

Despite the high “hype to reality” ratio, Web 2.0 [37] represents a fundamental change in the Web. Originally conceived as a technology for linking together documents [8], the Web has morphed into a rich network of distributed services, data, and semantic relationships, glued together via social participation [35]. Social applications such as blogs and wikis and social sites such as facebook and Flickr demonstrate how the Web has evolved into a socio‐technical network [9], a context where object centered sociality [16] takes place and is subsequently recorded.
Antenatal Hydronephrosis Antenatal

The widespread use of ultrasonography during pregnancy has resulted in a higher detection rate for antenatal hydronephrosis. This is one of the most common birth defects detected (1-3%). The most common causes of antenatal hydronephrosis are transient hydronephrosis, ureteropelvic junction obstruction, and vesicoureteral reflux. It can be detected as early as the 12th to 14th week of gestation and in addition, ultrasonography performed in the third trimester (28 to 34 weeks gestation) has been suggested to be more helpful in predicting postnatal outcome. The Society of Fetal Urology grading and renal pelvic diameter grading systems have been developed to diagnose and grade the severity of antenatal hydronephrosis. If dilatation is detected, ultrasound should focus on: laterality, severity of hydronephrosis, echogenicity of the kidneys, hydronenephrosis or hydro-ureteronephrosis, bladder volume and bladder emptying, sex of the child and amniotic fluid volume. They are helpful in determining the cause of hydronephrosis. To date, the reported long-term outcomes of antenatal intervention for severe obstructive uropathy are mixed. The goal of prenatal management is to detect those cases, which will impact the health of the infant and require antenatal and postnatal evaluation and possible intervention to minimize adverse outcomes. Postnatal evaluation includes physical examination and the use of radiologic studies to determine the cause of hydronephrosis and then treatment should focus on this. The main goal of this review is to evaluate and summarize the antenatal hydronephrosis. (JAREM 2013; 3: 60-5)
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

Introduction A quick literature search in the MEDLINE databases from 1966 to 1998 using the search term disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and related key words yields an impressive 11,921 manuscripts. Most of the published literature concerns the pathophysiology of DIC, which in its main features is now well understood. Other aspects of DIC, however, particularly those related to the definition, the relevance of the syndrome, and clinical management, remain unclear. Taking an evidence-based approach to the appropriate diagnosis and treatment of patients with DIC is difficult, in view of the lack of sound clinical trials. This is probably due to the fact that DIC is a poorly-defined syndrome with a widely variable intensity, often complicating a diversity of severe disorders that are themselves related to extensive morbidity and mortality.1,2 This chapter briefly reviews the clinical setting, incidence, and relevance of DIC and current insights into the pathogenesis of DIC. It also discusses the available knowledge on the clinical management of patients with this syndrome. DIC is not a disease or a symptom but rather a syndrome, which is always secondary to an underlying disorder. The syndrome is characterized by a systemic activation of the blood coagulation system, which results in the generation and deposition of fibrin, leading to microvascular thrombi in various organs and contributing to the development of multiorgan failure. Consumption and subsequent exhaustion of coagulation proteins and platelets, due to the ongoing activation of the coagulation system, may induce severe bleeding complications, although microclot formation may occur in the absence of severe clotting factor depletion and bleeding.3 Derangement of the fibrinolytic system further contributes to intravascular clot formation (discussed later), but in some cases accelerated fibrinolysis (e.g., due to consumption of α2-antiplasmin) may cause severe bleeding. Hence, a patient with DIC can present with simultaneous thrombotic and bleeding problems, which obviously complicates treatment. Although there is no general consensus regarding the definition of DIC, the definition as put forward by Müller-Berghaus and colleagues in 1995 might be most appropriate: “Disseminated intravascular coagulation is an acquired syndrome characterized by the activation of intravascular coagulation up to intravascular fibrin formation. The process may be accompanied by secondary fibrinolysis or inhibited fibrinolysis. ”4
MicroRNA Dysregulations in Gastrointestinal Cancers: Pathophysiological and Clinical Perspectives

cancer and the intestinal type of gastric cancer usually follows stepwise progression with recognizable pre-neoplastic changes (i.e., adenoma and intestinal metaplasia for colorectal and gastric cancers, respectively). Therefore, screening and early diagnosis remain the preferred options to ease the disease burden. Surgical resection is the mainstay treatment for gastrointestinal cancers. Other treatment modalities, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy and novel targeted therapy, have also been devised for the management of gastrointestinal cancers. Nevertheless, the prognosis for advanced stage patients with metastatic lesions is still very poor. Therefore, a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of gastrointestinal cancers and thus the development of next-generation targeted cancer therapeutics are needed. Despite the complex interactions among different etiological factors, the pathogenesis of cancer converges on the dysregulation of intracellular signals. Important dysregulated signaling pathways in gastrointestinal cancers include the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/Ras/Raf/mitogen-activated MicroRNA Dysregulations in Gastrointestinal Cancers: Pathophysiological and Clinical Perspectives
Yellow fever in Swansea, 1865

SUMMARY A cargo of copper ore from Cuba was discharged at Swansea in mid-September 1865, during a spell of exceptionally hot weather. A small number of mosquitoes infected with the yellow fever virus, disembarking at the same time, established an epidemic of yellow fever in the town. In the next 25 days, at least 27 inhabitants were infected and 15 of them died. The quality of contemporary observation and recording has encouraged a re-examination of the events in the light of knowledge unavailable at the time. It cannot be assumed that the episode will not be repeated.
Modifiable Anthropometric Characteristics Are Associated With Unilateral and Bilateral Carry Performance

Abstract Beck, B, Carstairs, GL, Billing, DC, Caldwell, JN, and Middleton, KJ. Modifiable anthropometric characteristics are associated with unilateral and bilateral carry performance. J Strength Cond Res 31(2): 489–494, 2017—A mismatch between physical ability and task requirements can increase the risk of on-the-job injury. Therefore, understanding key anthropometric characteristics associated with job performance is important in developing targeted training programs and selecting employees in physically demanding occupations. The aims of this study were to understand which anthropometric and demographic (age/sex) characteristics were associated with performance in a unilateral stretcher carry and bilateral jerry can and kettle bell carries. Sixty-seven enlisted Australian Army soldiers (46 men and 21 women) participated in this investigation. Body composition was quantified using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Univariate and multivariable regression techniques were used to quantify correlations between anthropometric characteristics and carry performance. Median carry distance was 650 m (interquartile range [IQR] = 425–1,025 m) in the stretcher carry, 300 m (IQR = 215–445 m) in the jerry can carry, and 265 m (IQR = 200–400 m) in the kettle bell carry. Univariate analyses demonstrated that whole body, trunk, upper arm, forearm, and leg lean mass, as well as stature and body mass were associated with performance across the 3 carry tasks. Of these, leg lean mass was shown to be a key characteristic associated with carry performance. Subsequently, it is suggested that training programs focus on whole-body lean mass with specific emphasis on leg lean mass. Additionally, we demonstrated that age and sex were not significantly associated with carry performance when controlling for leg lean mass, indicating that modifiable factors can be targeted in training programs to improve job performance.
Polypharmacy, adverse drug-related events, and potential adverse drug interactions in elderly patients presenting to an emergency department.

STUDY OBJECTIVES We sought to document the degree of polypharmacy, the frequency of adverse drug-related events (ADREs) leading to emergency department presentation that were recognized by emergency physicians, and the frequency of potential adverse drug interactions (PADIs) in medication regimens of elderly patients in the ED. METHODS We conducted a retrospective chart review on 300 randomly selected ED visits made by patients 65 years of age and older between January 1 and December 31, 1998. ADREs were defined according to a standardized algorithm. PADIs were identified by using the drug interaction database PharmVigilance. RESULTS After excluding 17 patient visits with inadequate documentation, 283 were left for review. Of these, 257 (90.8%) patients were taking 1 or more medications (prescribed or over the counter). The number of medications consumed ranged from 0 to 17 and averaged 4.2 (SD+/-3.1) drugs per patient. ADREs accounted for 10.6% of all ED visits in our patient group. The most frequently implicated classes of medications were nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, anticoagulants, diuretics, hypoglycemics, beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers, and chemotherapeutic agents. Thirty-one percent of all patients in our group had at least 1 PADI in their medication list. Among patients who presented because of an ADRE, 50% had at least 1 PADI in their medication list that was unrelated to the ADRE with which they presented. CONCLUSION ADREs are an important cause of ED presentation in the elderly. PADIs are found in a significant proportion of medication lists. Emergency physicians must be vigilant in monitoring elderly patients for medication-related problems.
Part 2 : Role media exposure on MOOC development Story of MOOCs in the Irish Media : Hold the Front Page

This paper reports a study of how the MOOC story has been reported in Irish media. A brief description of previous research on MOOCs in the international media is provided and the Irish story is then described framed around a number research questions: Who is telling the MOOC story and why? What story is being told? How is the story being told? Whose story is not being told? Specifically, in the tradition of critical discourse analysis the study is designed to investigate how MOOCs as a relatively new phenomenon have been portrayed in established Irish newspapers. An outline of the research protocol is given before reporting the main findings, including a number of unique developments in the Irish context. In telling the Irish story set against the wider European context the paper contributes to the debate over whether MOOCs will be harnessed in the service of truly opening up education or rather co-opted by established actors to maintain the status quo. The key message arising from the research is that the MOOC movement is not on an independent trajectory and must be understood as part of social practice.
Free-energy landscape of a hyperstable RNA tetraloop

Significance We report a multistate folding free-energy landscape for a hyperstable RNA tetraloop obtained from high-performance molecular dynamic simulations under multiple temperature and pressure conditions. These studies advance previous successes of de novo folding of RNA tetraloops and our understanding of the folded landscape of basic RNA motifs. In addition to the canonical A-RNA conformation, our analysis describes de novo folding of a left-handed Z-RNA conformation and the formation of a purine Triplet, each showing differential stabilization as a function of temperature and pressure. These results provide important insights into the ability of all-atom RNA force fields to describe the conformational heterogeneity of the most basic RNA secondary structures and represent a significant advancement in the utility of RNA molecular dynamics for describing RNA thermodynamics. We report the characterization of the energy landscape and the folding/unfolding thermodynamics of a hyperstable RNA tetraloop obtained through high-performance molecular dynamics simulations at microsecond timescales. Sampling of the configurational landscape is conducted using temperature replica exchange molecular dynamics over three isochores at high, ambient, and negative pressures to determine the thermodynamic stability and the free-energy landscape of the tetraloop. The simulations reveal reversible folding/unfolding transitions of the tetraloop into the canonical A-RNA conformation and the presence of two alternative configurations, including a left-handed Z-RNA conformation and a compact purine Triplet. Increasing hydrostatic pressure shows a stabilizing effect on the A-RNA conformation and a destabilization of the left-handed Z-RNA. Our results provide a comprehensive description of the folded free-energy landscape of a hyperstable RNA tetraloop and highlight the significant advances of all-atom molecular dynamics in describing the unbiased folding of a simple RNA secondary structure motif.
Coordinate regulation of secretory stress proteins (PSP/reg, PAP I, PAP II, and PAP III) in the rat exocrine pancreas during experimental acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND Pancreatic stone protein (PSP/reg) is a constitutively secreted protein in pancreatic juice. Pancreatitis-associated protein (PAP) belongs to the same family of proteins. PAP is highly increased during acute pancreatitis, while no exact data exist regarding PSP/reg protein synthesis and secretion. Recently, an attempt to determine PSP/reg and PAP levels in sera of rats with acute pancreatitis showed a significant increase in PAP but failed to demonstrate changes in PSP/reg. Others reported that surgical manipulation of the pancreas, including sham controls, affected mRNA levels of PSP/reg. Neither report determined protein levels of PSP/reg. METHODS Rats were treated intraperitoneally with a supramaximal dose of caerulein to induce pancreatitis, a physiological dose of caerulein, or a saline injection. Pancreata were analyzed for PAP and PSP/reg using ELISAs. RNA was extracted for Northern blot analysis of PAP I, II, and III and PSP/reg mRNA. RESULTS Experimental induction of acute pancreatitis caused a coordinate increase in both PSP/reg and PAP. PAP showed an acute response and returned to low levels within 48 h while PSP/reg exhibited a more sustained response. Intraperitoneal application of a physiological dose of caerulein and even a saline injection caused an increase in PSP/reg. CONCLUSION PSP/reg and PAP levels are increased through similar mechanisms by physiological and supramaximal doses of caerulein. However, PSP/reg regulation appears to sustain high levels while PAP levels are more transient. Since the regulation of this protein family is affected even under mild stress, we define them as secretory stress proteins.