Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A randomized clinical trial of methadone maintenance for prisoners: findings at 6 months post-release.

AIMS This study examined the effectiveness of methadone maintenance initiated prior to or just after release from prison at 6 months post-release. DESIGN A three-group randomized controlled trial was conducted between September 2003 and June 2005. SETTING A Baltimore pre-release prison. PARTICIPANTS Two hundred and eleven adult pre-release inmates who were heroin-dependent during the year prior to incarceration. INTERVENTION Participants were assigned randomly to the following: counseling only: counseling in prison, with passive referral to treatment upon release (n = 70); counseling + transfer: counseling in prison with transfer to methadone maintenance treatment upon release (n = 70); and counseling + methadone: methadone maintenance and counseling in prison, continued in a community-based methadone maintenance program upon release (n = 71). MEASUREMENTS Addiction Severity Index at study entry and follow-up. Additional assessments at 6 months post-release were treatment record review; urine drug testing for opioids, cocaine and other illicit drugs. FINDINGS Counseling + methadone participants were significantly more likely than both counseling only and counseling + transfer participants to be retained in drug abuse treatment (P = 0.0001) and significantly less likely to have an opioid-positive urine specimen compared to counseling only (P = 0.002). Furthermore, counseling + methadone participants reported significantly fewer days of involvement in self-reported heroin use and criminal activity than counseling only participants. CONCLUSIONS Methadone maintenance, initiated prior to or immediately after release from prison, increases treatment entry and reduces heroin use at 6 months post-release compared to counseling only. This intervention may be able to fill an urgent treatment need for prisoners with heroin addiction histories.
Medición del "Efecto Distrito": una aproximación no paramétrica

En Ias aglomeraciones de pymes industriales de caracter marshalliano se dan Ias precondiciones para la aparicion de extemalidades espaciales que dotan de ventajas competitivas a Ias pymes que se alojan en ellas. La identificacion y cuantificacion de estas externalidades se muestra como un requisito basico para la existencia de los llamados distritos industriales marshallianos (DIM). Resulta necesaria la obtencion de indicadores que contribuyan a evaluarla presencia e intensidad de dichas externalidades. Existe un interes creciente en la literatura acerca de la cuantificacion del llamado «efecto distrito». Cabe destacar una serie de trabajos que se han planteado cuantificarla existencia de externalidades en un distrito potencial a traves de medidas de eficiencia. Se pretende contrastar Ias diferencias en el comportamiento eficiente entre Ias empresas de dentro del distrito y Ias de fuera. Para ello han sido utilizadas metodologias de tipo mayoritariamente no parametrico para calcular indices tanto radiales como no radiales. Especial mencion requieren estos ultimos ya que aportan una informacion muy detallada que permite una caracterizacion exhaustiva del «efecto distrito». Los resultados empiricos alcanzados mediante el uso de estas metodologias de tipo cuantitativo permitiran ayudaren el diseno y aplicacion especifica de Ias estrategias de politica industrial mas idoneas para Ias pymes en los distintos ambitos territoriales.
Superior Jc-B-T Characteristics of 10-μm-Thick MgB2 Film for Tape Application

Superior <italic>Jc</italic>-<italic>B</italic>-<italic>T</italic> characteristics of 10-μm-thick MgB<sub>2</sub> films on copper plates were obtained. The <italic>Jc</italic>-<italic>B</italic>-<italic>T</italic> properties were measured at a temperature range from 5 to 20 K and at an external magnetic field range from 0 to 17 T. At <italic>B </italic> = 6 T, <italic>Jc</italic> were 54 200, 30 840, 9900, and 820 A/mm<sup>2</sup> at <italic>T</italic> = 5, 10, 15, and 20 K, respectively. The high <italic>Jc</italic> suggest that MgB <sub>2</sub> film is a promising candidate for next-generation superconducting tape conductors and coils.
Surface wind speed retrieval using passive microwave polarimetry: the dependence on atmospheric stability

The results of the joint US/Russia Internal Wave Remote Sensing Experiment are presented. The airborne Ka-band radiometer-polarimeter was used for surface wind vector retrieval using the polarizational anisotropy effect. The anisotropy versus wind speed curve was noted to be two times steeper under unstable atmospheric stratification than under stable or neutral stratification. The dependence of anisotropy on both friction velocity and stability parameter z/L was examined. The correlation between anisotropy and stability parameter is significant, especially for slightly stable stratification. The paper concludes that atmospheric stratification should be taken into consideration to improve the wind speed retrieval algorithm.
Microsatellites reveal heterosis in red deer

The fitness consequences of inbreeding and outbreeding are poorly understood in natural populations. We explore two microsatellite–based variables, individual heterozygosity (likely to correlate with recent inbreeding) and a new individual–specific internal distance measure, meand2 (focusing on events deeper in the pedigree), in relation to two measures of fitness expressed early in life, birth weight and neonatal survival, in 670 red deer calves (Cervus elaphus) born on the Isle of Rum between 1982 and 1996. For comparison, we also analyse inbreeding coefficients derived from pedigrees in which paternity was inferred by molecular methods.Only 14 out of 231 calves (6.1%) had non–zero inbreeding coefficients, and neither inbreeding coefficient nor individual heterozygosity was consistently related to birth weight or neonatal survival. However, meand2 was consistently related to both fitness measures. Low meand2 was associated with low birth weight, especially following cold Aprils, in which foetal growth is reduced. Low meand2 was also associated with low neonatal survival, but this effect was probably mediated by birth weight because fitting birth weight to the neonatal survival model displaced meand2 as an explanatory variable. We conclude that in the deer population fitness measures expressed early in life do not show evidence of inbreeding depression, but they do show evidence of heterosis, possibly as a result of population mixing. We also demonstrate the practical problems of estimating inbreeding via pedigrees compared with a direct marker–based estimate of individual heterozygosity. We suggest that, together, individual heterozygosity and meand2, estimated using microsatellites, are useful tools for exploring inbreeding and outbreeding in natural populations.
The INO80 Complex Requires the Arp5-Ies6 Subcomplex for Chromatin Remodeling and Metabolic Regulation

ABSTRACT ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes are essential for transcription regulation, and yet it is unclear how these multisubunit complexes coordinate their activities to facilitate diverse transcriptional responses. In this study, we found that the conserved Arp5 and Ies6 subunits of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae INO80 chromatin-remodeler form an abundant and distinct subcomplex in vivo and stimulate INO80-mediated activity in vitro. Moreover, our genomic studies reveal that the relative occupancy of Arp5-Ies6 correlates with nucleosome positioning at transcriptional start sites and expression levels of >1,000 INO80-regulated genes. Notably, these genes are significantly enriched in energy metabolism pathways. Specifically, arp5Δ, ies6Δ, and ino80Δ mutants demonstrate decreased expression of genes involved in glycolysis and increased expression of genes in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway. Deregulation of these metabolic pathways results in constitutively elevated mitochondrial potential and oxygen consumption. Our results illustrate the dynamic nature of the INO80 complex assembly and demonstrate for the first time that a chromatin remodeler regulates glycolytic and respiratory capacity, thereby maintaining metabolic stability.
The Interactive Effects of pH, L-Malate, and Glucose-6-Phosphate on Guard-Cell Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase

The interactive effects of pH, L-malate, and glucose-6-phosphate (Glc-6-P) on the Vmax and Km of guard-cell (GC) phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase (PEPC) of Vicia faba L. were determined. Leaves of three different physiological states (closed stomata, opening stomata, open stomata) were rapidly frozen and freeze dried. GC pairs dissected from the leaves were individually extracted and individually assayed for the kinetic properties of PEPC. Vmax was 6 to 9 pmol GC pair-1 h-1 and was apparently unaffected to a biologically significant extent by the investigated physiological states of the leaf, pH (7.0 or 8.5), L-malate (0, 5, or 15 mM), and Glc-6-P (0, 0.1, 0.5, 0.7, or 5 mM). As reported earlier, the Km(PEP.Mg) was about 0.2 mM (pH 8.5) or 0.7 mM (pH 7.0), which can be compared with a GC [PEP] of 0.27 mM. In the study reported here, we determined that the in situ GC [Glc-6-P] equals approximately 0.6 to 1.2 mM. When 0.5 mM Glc-6-P was included in the GC PEPC assay mixture, the Km(PEP.Mg) decreased to about 0.1 mM (pH 8.5) or 0.2 mM (pH 7.0). Thus, Glc-6-P at endogenous concentrations would seem both to activate the enzyme and to diminish the dramatic effect of pH on Km(PEP.Mg). Under assay conditions, L-malate is an inhibitor of GC PEPC. In planta, cytoplasmic [L-malate] is approximately 8 mM. Inclusion of 5 mM L-malate increased the Km(PEP.Mg) to about 3.6 mM (pH 7.0) or 0.4 mM (pH 8.5). Glc-6-P (0.5 mM) was sufficient to relieve L-malate inhibition completely at pH 8.5. In contrast, approximately 5 mM Glc-6-P was required to relieve L-malate inhibition at pH 7.0. No biologically significant effect of physiological state of the tissue on GC PEPC Km(PEP.Mg) (regardless of the presence of effectors) was observed. Together, these results are consistent with a model that GC PEPC is regulated by its cytosolic chemical environment and not by posttranslational modification that is detectable at physiological levels of effectors. It is important to note, however, that we did not determine the phosphorylation status of GC PEPC directly or indirectly (by comparison of the concentration of L-malate that causes a 50% inhibition of GC PEPC).
Mutation in the δ‐subunit of the nAChR suppresses the muscle defects caused by lack of Dystrophin

Normal motility of the zebrafish embryo requires a large number of gene loci, many of which have human orthologues implicated in myasthenias and other myopathies. We have identified a mutation in the zebrafish that abolishes body motility. Embryos have narrower myofibrils and lack clusters of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) on the surface of the somitic muscle. We mapped the mutation to the δ‐subunit of the nAChR, showing this mutant to be a new allele of the previously named sofa potato (sop). The mutant allele carries a missense mutation in the extracellular domain altering the cysteine at position 150 to an arginine. The δ‐subunit is expressed in all striated muscles in embryonic and early larval stages together with the α1, β1, ϵ, and γ‐subunits of nAChR. In contrast to mammals that show switching from the γ embryonic to the adult ϵ‐subunit, the two subunits are coexpressed in zebrafish embryos. We, furthermore, demonstrated that the sop/δ‐nAChR mutation is a suppressor of the myopathy caused by lack of Dystrophin. The myofiber detachment phenotype of Dystroglycan‐deficient embryos was not suppressed, suggesting that Dystrophin and Dystroglycan play distinct roles in muscle formation and maintenance of muscle integrity. Developmental Dynamics 234:1016–1025, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
DEVELOPMENT OF EXPLICIT CRITERIA FOR TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT

Objectives: To develop and test an appropriateness of indications tool for total knee replacement (TKR) in patients with osteoarthritis. Methods: Criteria were developed using a modified Delphi panel judgment. Another panel rated the same indications, and the results were compared with the main panel. Test-retest of the main panel was performed. Regression models were used to assess the contribution of each algorithm variable. A classification tree was developed. Results: The procedure was considered appropriate in 167 (26.8%) scenarios, and there was agreement on 112 (67.1%) of them. When the rates of the main panel were compared with those of a second panel, the result was a kappa statistic of 0.75. The test-retest kappa for the main panel was 0.78. Neither in the first case nor in the second was there an instance in which a scenario classified as appropriate shifted to inappropriate or vice versa. The regression models showed that symptomatology and radiology were the variables that explained most of the variability of appropriateness as determined by panelists. In the classification tree performed, the probability of misclassification was 3.8% with 150 scenarios, of the 156 analyzed and classified correctly. Conclusions: The previous parameters tested showed acceptable results for an evaluation tool. These results support the use of this algorithm as an aid in formulating clinical practice guidelines and to promote the appropriateness of TKR.
Primary retroperitoneal sarcomas: a multivariate analysis of surgical factors associated with local control.

PURPOSE To define the optimal initial management and the best extent of surgery that would optimize margins on primary retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPS). PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 382 patients with primary RPS were analyzed. Sixty-five patients had a simple resection of the tumor, 120 patients had a complete compartmental resection (systematic resection of noninvolved contiguous organs), 130 patients had a contiguously involved organ resection, 21 patients had a systematic re-excision, 38 patients had an incomplete gross resection, and eight patients had a biopsy alone. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy were administered to 121 and 145 patients, respectively. RESULTS One, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 86% (95% CI, 0.82 to 0.89), 66% (95% CI, 0.61 to 0.71), and 57% (95% CI, 0.51 to 0.62), respectively. Median overall survival was 6 years. In the multivariate analysis, high grade, tumor rupture, gross residual disease, and positive margins were associated with decreased OS. Low grade, no tumor rupture, negative histologic margins, a high number of patients undergoing operation per center, and compartmental resection compared with standard procedures were associated with decreased abdominal recurrences. Compartmental resection is a significant variable, predicting a 3.29-fold lower rate of abdominal recurrence compared with simple complete resection. CONCLUSION Complete compartmental surgery without tumor rupture should be performed when possible to achieve clear margins. This surgery should be performed in a high-volume center. The role of adjuvant treatments should be evaluated in a randomized trial in association with this optimal surgery.
Sweat pore density on the fingertips of atopic patients

Investigation of 18 patients with atopic eczema and 22 normal controls showed that women in both groups had significantly more sweat pore openings on their fingertips than men and that there were more glands per unit area on fingers 3 and 4 compared with the thumb and the first and second fingers. There was no significant difference in the number of sweat pores between normal and atopic individuals, although fingertip topography in the latter was disturbed.
Online videos to promote sun safety: results of a contest

Seventy-percent of Americans search health information online, half of whom access medical content on social media websites. In spite of this broad usage, the medical community underutilizes social media to distribute preventive health information. This project aimed to highlight the promise of social media for delivering skin cancer prevention messaging by hosting and quantifying the impact of an online video contest. In 2010 and 2011, we solicited video submissions and searched existing YouTube videos. Three finalists were selected and ranked. Winners were announced at national dermatology meetings and publicized via a contest website. Afterwards, YouTube view counts were monitored. No increase in video viewing frequency was observed following the 2010 or 2011 contest. This contest successfully identified exemplary online sun safety videos; however, increased viewership remains to be seen. Social media offers a promising outlet for preventive health messaging. Future efforts must explore strategies for enhancing viewership of online content.
[Imaging manifestations of tumors metastasized in fatty liver].

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the manifestations of tumors metastasized in fatty liver and the value of various imaging modalities, especially CT. METHODS Nine cases of tumors metastasized in fatty liver were proved by clinical follow-up for 3-13 months. The primary neoplasms were breast carcinoma in 6 cases; ovarian carcinoma, malignant melanoma and colon carcinoma, one case for each. All had CT(19 episodes) and ultrasonography (US, 20 episodes). Four cases had MRI and 2 cases had DSA. RESULTS Liver metastatic lesions were missed by US in 2 cases with moderate to marked fatty liver. On CT without contrast administrations, fatty liver was divided into marked, moderate and mild degree according to the density of hepatic parenchyma which was lower than that of the spleen; lower and higher than or equal to that of the intrahepatic blood vessels. Depending on the degree of fat infiltration(FI), the density of the metastatic lesions was high when FI was marked and low when FI was mild. However, when FI was moderate, the density of the metastatic lesions varied, being high, equal or low. On enhanced CT, all of the lesions were enhanced with moderate to marked fatty liver background. Lesions were heterogeneous in 4 cases. On plain CT, metastatic lesions had high-density rim, 2-6 mm in width in 4 cases. In SE sequence of MRI, metastatic lesions were hypointense on T1W and hyperintense on T2W, and moderately hyperintense on opposed-phase. CONCLUSION Tumors metastasized in fatty liver show a broad spectrum of image manifestations. They are related to the degree of fat infiltration. On plain CT, isodense lesions are easily escaped detection when moderate degree of fatty liver is present. Contrast administrations is mandatory. Liver metastases is suggested if a lesion is found with hyperattenuating rim on plain CT, or appears heterogeneous after enhancement. MRI is of diagnostic help.
Voltage-Independent Calcium Channels, Molecular Sources of Supraventricular Arrhythmia

demonstrate that a recognized activator of the voltage-independent Orai channels provokes persistent or at rates of up to 12Hz in rat left atrial or left ventricular papillary This activator also a in intact perfused rat These data lead to the signaling these a wide range of extracellular and intracellular signals may disrupt heart muscle electrical stability through their actions on voltage-independent calcium homeostasis that enhance voltage-independent calcium channel activity. This provides a experimental tests voltage-independent calcium signaling key
The Smooth Signal Redundancy Hypothesis: A Functional Explanation for Relationships between Redundancy, Prosodic Prominence, and Duration in Spontaneous Speech

This paper explores two related factors which influence variation in duration, prosodic structure and redundancy in spontaneous speech. We argue that the constraint of producing robust communication while efficiently expending articulatory effort leads to an inverse relationship between language redundancy and duration. The inverse relationship improves communication robustness by spreading information more evenly across the speech signal, yielding a smoother signal redundancy profile. We argue that prosodic prominence is a linguistic means of achieving smooth signal redundancy. Prosodic prominence increases syllable duration and coincides to a large extent with unpredictable sections of speech, and thus leads to a smoother signal redundancy. The results of linear regressions carried out between measures of redundancy, syllable duration and prosodic structure in a large corpus of spontaneous speech confirm: (1) an inverse relationship between language redundancy and duration, and (2) a strong relationship between prosodic prominence and duration. The fact that a large proportion of the variance predicted by language redundancy and prosodic prominence is nonunique suggests that, in English, prosodic prominence structure is the means with which constraints caused by a robust signal requirement are expressed in spontaneous speech.
Regulation of Glycan Structures in Animal Tissues

Glycan structures covalently attached to proteins and lipids play numerous roles in mammalian cells, including protein folding, targeting, recognition, and adhesion at the molecular or cellular level. Regulating the abundance of glycan structures on cellular glycoproteins and glycolipids is a complex process that depends on numerous factors. Most models for glycan regulation hypothesize that transcriptional control of the enzymes involved in glycan synthesis, modification, and catabolism determines glycan abundance and diversity. However, few broad-based studies have examined correlations between glycan structures and transcripts encoding the relevant biosynthetic and catabolic enzymes. Low transcript abundance for many glycan-related genes has hampered broad-based transcript profiling for comparison with glycan structural data. In an effort to facilitate comparison with glycan structural data and to identify the molecular basis of alterations in glycan structures, we have developed a medium-throughput quantitative real time reverse transcriptase-PCR platform for the analysis of transcripts encoding glycan-related enzymes and proteins in mouse tissues and cells. The method employs a comprehensive list of >700 genes, including enzymes involved in sugar-nucleotide biosynthesis, transporters, glycan extension, modification, recognition, catabolism, and numerous glycosylated core proteins. Comparison with parallel microarray analyses indicates a significantly greater sensitivity and dynamic range for our quantitative real time reverse transcriptase-PCR approach, particularly for the numerous low abundance glycan-related enzymes. Mapping of the genes and transcript levels to their respective biosynthetic pathway steps allowed a comparison with glycan structural data and provides support for a model where many, but not all, changes in glycan abundance result from alterations in transcript expression of corresponding biosynthetic enzymes.
HHITT for concussion evaluation and management

HHITT (Handheld Head Injury Treatment Tool). Sports medicine, Health and Fitness. Requires iOS 6.0 or later or Android 4.1 and later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Free. Concussion stories are now endemic in mainstream media. Multimillion dollar class action lawsuits have been filed against sport governing bodies such as the National Football League and the National Hockey League, to name but two. Young athletes are retiring from sport because of persistent postconcussion symptoms, while some retired athletes are dying prematurely from neurodegenerative diseases or suicide.1 ,2 It is no surprise, therefore, that concussion evaluation and management standards have been raised in recent years. Although concussion protocols have been implemented in some sports, in particular at the elite levels, there is good reason to believe that there is considerable variation in the standard of care of many concussed athletes. Younger athletes and amateur athletes are at risk of receiving suboptimal or inadequate care. It is hoped that new technologies such as smartphone apps will help to improve the standard of …