Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of manual wheelchair skills: is objective testing necessary or would subjective estimates suffice?

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that subjective estimates of the ability to perform manual wheelchair skills, by wheelchair users and the therapists working with them, accurately reflect the results of objective testing. DESIGN Within-subject comparisons. SETTING Kinesiologic laboratory in a rehabilitation center. PARTICIPANTS Twenty-one wheelchair users and their therapists. INTERVENTIONS The wheelchair users and their therapists subjectively estimated how the wheelchair users would perform manual wheelchair skills, followed by an objective assessment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Wheelchair Skills Test (WST, version 2.4), a set of 50 standardized skills. RESULTS The Spearman correlation coefficients between the total objective and subjective scores were.95 for the wheelchair users and.75 for the therapists. The mean difference between the total objective and subjective scores was statistically significant (P=.0002) for the wheelchair users (who overestimated their abilities by an average of 17.9%). The percentage concordance between subjective and objective scores for individual skills ranged from 57.1% to 100% for the wheelchair users and 50% to 100% for the therapists, with 25% and 35% of skills, respectively, for which there were no statistically significant associations (at a Bonferroni-adjusted alpha level of.001) between the objective and subjective scores. The skills that were misestimated by both were moving the armrests away, reaching a high object, transferring out of and into the wheelchair, folding the wheelchair, incline ascent, negotiation of gravel and irregular surfaces, and small curb ascent. CONCLUSION Although subjective ratings by wheelchair users and their therapists provide excellent and good estimates respectively of overall manual wheelchair abilities, objective testing should be performed when accurate assessments of many specific manual wheelchair skills are required.
Efflux in bacteria: what do we really know about it?

Efflux is the process in which bacteria transport compounds outside the cell which are potentially toxic, such as drugs or chemicals or compounds. Efflux pumps can be identified not only by biochemical, microbiological, or molecular means but with the availability of microbial genomic sequences, by the application of bioinformatics analysis of DNA sequences for key conserved structure motifs. Efflux has been identified as a relevant contributor to bacterial resistance in the clinic and is now recognised as one of the most important causes of intrinsic antibiotic resistance in bacteria, especially in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. With the recognition of efflux as a major factor in bacterial resistance, several companies have invested in the identification and development of bacterial efflux pump inhibitors. Among those, Microcide, Pfizer, Paratek and several academic laboratories are in the process of exploring efflux pump inhibitors from synthetic, natural products and peptidomimetics. Inhibiting bacterial efflux with a non-antibiotic inhibitor would restore activity of an antibiotic subject to efflux (similar to the use of β-lactamase inhibitors to combat β-lactamase production by bacteria). The feasibility of such an approach has been experimentally demonstrated in vitro and in vivo for efflux reversal of levofloxacin.
Adult neural stem cell dysfunction in the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle leads to diabetic olfactory defects

Sensitive smell discrimination is based on structural plasticity of the olfactory bulb, which depends on migration and integration of newborn neurons from the subventricular zone. In this study, we examined the relationship between neural stem cell status in the subventricular zone and olfactory function in rats with diabetes mellitus. Streptozotocin was injected through the femoral vein to induce type 1 diabetes mellitus in Sprague-Dawley rats. Two months after injection, olfactory sensitivity was decreased in diabetic rats. Meanwhile, the number of BrdU-positive and BrdU+/DCX+ double-labeled cells was lower in the subventricular zone of diabetic rats compared with age-matched normal rats. Western blot results revealed downregulated expression of insulin receptor β, phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase 3β, and β-catenin in the subventricular zone of diabetic rats. Altogether, these results indicate that diabetes mellitus causes insulin deficiency, which negatively regulates glycogen synthase kinase 3β and enhances β-catenin degradation, with these changes inhibiting neural stem cell proliferation. Further, these signaling pathways affect proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells in the subventricular zone. Dysfunction of subventricular zone neural stem cells causes a decline in olfactory bulb structural plasticity and impairs olfactory sensitivity in diabetic rats.
Content marketing - the fundamental tool of digital marketing

In the era of digitalization, the importance of digital marketing has increased from one year to another as part of the marketing strategy practiced by organizations of any type and any size. Given that digital marketing requires the existence of a content marketing, the success or the failure of the company’s online communication depends to a significant extent on the quality of its content marketing. In this context, besides promoting a high quality of the content marketing, the digital marketers must undertake an analysis of the target in order to adapt their content and to choose the right way of promoting it. This article defines the concept of content marketing and the importance that it has within the marketing policies, as well as the proper means of developing a correct content marketing strategy. Key-words: Content marketing, content marketing strategy, digital marketing, copywriting
Recommendations for surveillance of transmitted HIV drug resistance in countries scaling up antiretroviral treatment

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) threshold survey method was developed for surveillance of transmitted HIVDR in resource-limited countries. The method is being implemented with minimal resources as a routine public health activity to produce comparable results in multiple countries and areas within countries. Transmitted drug resistant HIV strains will be seen first in cities or health districts where antiretroviral treatment (ART) has been widely available for years. WHO recommends countries begin surveillance in these areas. Methods Each survey requires ≤47 specimens from individuals consecutively diagnosed with HIV to categorize resistance to each relevant drug class as <5%, 5–15% or >15%. Use of routinely collected information and remnant specimens is recommended to minimize costs. Site and individual eligibility criteria are designed to minimize inclusion of ARV-experienced individuals and individuals infected before ART was available. Results Surveys have been implemented in 21 countries. In this supplement, seven countries report results of <5% transmitted HIVDR in areas where ART has been available for the longest time period. The main challenges in implementation are acquiring sufficient numbers of eligible specimens and optimizing specimen handling. Conclusion The WHO HIVDR threshold survey method is feasible in resource-limited countries and produces information relevant to ART and drug resistance prevention planning.
Rubisco Activase Is Required for Optimal Photosynthesis in the Green Alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in a Low-CO2 Atmosphere1

This report describes a Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutant that lacks Rubisco activase (Rca). Using the BleR (bleomycin resistance) gene as a positive selectable marker for nuclear transformation, an insertional mutagenesis screen was performed to select for cells that required a high-CO2 atmosphere for optimal growth. The DNA flanking the BleR insert of one of the high-CO2-requiring strains was cloned using thermal asymmetric interlaced-polymerase chain reaction and inverse polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. The flanking sequence matched the C. reinhardtii Rca cDNA sequence previously deposited in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database. The loss of a functional Rca in the strain was confirmed by the absence of Rca mRNA and protein. The open reading frame for Rca was cloned and expressed in pSL18, a C. reinhardtii expression vector conferring paromomycin resistance. This construct partially complemented the mutant phenotype, supporting the hypothesis that the loss of Rca was the reason the mutant grew poorly in a low-CO2 atmosphere. Sequencing of the C. reinhardtii Rca gene revealed that it contains 10 exons ranging in size from 18 to 470 bp. Low-CO2-grown rca1 cultures had a growth rate and maximum rate of photosynthesis 60% of wild-type cells. Results obtained from experiments on a cia5 rca1 double mutant also suggest that the CO2-concentrating mechanism partially compensates for the absence of an active Rca in the green alga C. reinhardtii.
Addressing Probationary Period within a Competing Risks Survival Model for Retail Mortgage Loss Given Default

This paper builds on the established two-stage modeling framework for retail mortgages in which loss given default is computed as the product of property possession given default probability and loss given possession. In deriving the former, previous studies have suffered from a lack of clarity in their definitions of the post default outcomes of “cure” (no loss) and “possession” (some loss). The present study remedies this through the use of competing risks survival analysis, where to cure requires completion of a probationary period in which accounts return to nondefault status only when the ability to make repayments is demonstrated for a certain number of consecutive months (a recent regulatory requirement of the European Banking Authority). For loss given possession the distribution of survival time until this event can be conveniently used to appreciate the discounting of future receivables from property sale.
Reliability of water supplies in low and middle-income countries: a structured review of definitions and assessment criteria

The unreliability of water supplies in developing countries is a widely recognised concern. However, unreliability means different things in the variety of literature on water supplies, and no unified definition or assessment criteria exists. We review definitions of water supply reliability used in existing literature, as well as the various ways in which it is assessed. Thirty-three papers were selected for review that reported on reliability of domestic water supply and were based on empirical research in developing countries. Explicit definitions of reliability are given in four out of the 33 papers reviewed. These definitions vary, but features common are the functionality of the water supply system itself, and the extent to which it meets the needs of water users. Assessment criteria also vary greatly, with the most common criterion in urban settings being the duration/continuity of supply in hours per day, while in rural settings, the proportion of functional water systems is commonly used. The heterogeneity in the definitions and assessment criteria found in the review is perhaps indicative of a multi-attribute nature of the concept of reliability and any unifying definition and assessment criteria might do well to take this into account.
Reduced Decrease of Peripheral Vascular Resistance During Exercise in Young Type I Diabetic Patients

OBJECTIVE In normal subjects, peripheral vascular resistance decreases during dynamic exercise. We studied blood pressure and peripheral vascular resistance responses to dynamic exercise in young normotensive type I diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Thirty adolescent diabetic patients (9–19 years of age) underwent a maximal exercise test on a cycle ergometer. In a subset of 14 patients, cardiac output was measured by a CO2 rebreathing method and peripheral vascular resistance was calculated. Twenty-four normal individuals, age and sex matched, served as control subjects. RESULTS Diastolic blood pressure was significantly higher in diabetic patients at intermediate workload (77 ± 2 vs. 71 ± 1 mmHg) and peak exercise (86 ± 2 vs. 73 ± 2 mmHg). Peripheral vascular resistance was significantly higher in diabetic patients at intermediate workload (17.0 ± 1.1 vs. 12.6 ± 0.5 mmHg·l−1 · min−1 · m−2) and peak exercise (16.3 ± 1.3 vs. 11.4 ± 0.5 mmHg ·l−1 · min−1 · m−2). There were no significant correlations with the patient's age, diabetes duration, or diabetes control. CONCLUSIONS We observed the decrease of vasodilator response during dynamic exercise in normotensive young type I diabetic patients.
Optimal waveform design for range-Doppler processing in colored noise

The problem of radar waveform design for moving target detection in the presence of radio frequency interference (RFI) is considered. The transmit waveform is assumed to be a coherent train of uniform pulses, and the RFI is modeled as a wide-sense stationary random process with a known power spectral density. Both pulse-Doppler processing and matched filter bank processing are considered. For each case, it is shown that a constant modulus pulse can be found that locally maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio while respecting user-specified ambiguity function constraints. It is also shown that under certain conditions approximations can be made that result in identical waveform design problems for both processing schemes. The modulus and ambiguity function constraints render the waveform design problem analytically intractable, but numeric techniques can be employed. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the approach.
Benefit in phase 1 oncology trials: therapeutic misconception or reasonable treatment option?

Novel treatments for cancer are tested initially in phase 1 trials enrolling patients with advanced disease who have exhausted standard treatment options. Although these trials are designed to evaluate safety and to define dosing for future efficacy trials, most patients volunteer with the hope of obtaining medical benefit. Do phase 1 oncology trials promote a `therapeutic misconception' among eligible patients about the personal meaning of trial participation, or do they offer them a reasonable prospect of direct medical benefit as compared with available alternatives? Recent evidence on outcomes of phase 1 oncology trials is examined systematically, with the aim of accurately assessing the prospect of direct medical benefit for participants and drawing implications for informed consent. We argue that, in view of important uncertainties, aggregate data from phase 1 trials relating to the surrogate outcomes of tumor shrinkage and stable disease do not permit any definitive estimate of a `clinical benefit rate. ' Nevertheless, these trials do offer participants a prospect of direct medical benefit. As a result, accurately informed patients may reasonably decide to enroll in phase 1 oncology trials in hopes of obtaining benefit, after considering the anticipated risks and available clinical alternatives. Motivation to enroll in these studies to receive personal benefit does not, in itself, compromise informed consent.
Empirical Research of Chinese Residents’ Consumption Behaviors Based on Consumption Functions

This paper simply expands two famous consume functions referring to macro-economics: Keynesian consumption function and Life-cycle consumption function; attempting to introduce the empirical proxy variance of irrational facts: money illusion and over-reaction, we rebuild a new Keynesian consumption model and Life-cycle consumption model, both of which are based on the hypothesis of resident’s irrational behavior. Then we use the new model to empirically test the macroeconomic years’ data of China’s urban residents from 1978 to 2013 and China’s rural residents from 1985 to 2013. The empirical results show that all residents of China are irrational, however, the reasons of cause irrational consumption are different, and the urban residents may be for money illusion, but the rural residents may show over-reaction to price volatility. Finally, we give theory analysis about the differences of the two irrational consumption behaviors and the results of the paper.
Myricerone caffeoyl ester (50–235) is a non‐peptide antagonist selective for human ETA receptors

Objective To assess the pharmacological profile of a novel non-peptide endothelin antagonist (50–235) at endothelin receptors in human vascular smooth muscle preparations using radiolabelled binding techniques and in vitro pharmacological assays. Methods The antagonist was investigated for its ability to inhibit specific [125l]-endothelin-1 binding to ETA and ETB receptors using cryostat sections of media of human coronary artery. Antagonism by 50–235 (1–30 μmol/l) of endothelin-1-induced vasoconstriction in isolated preparations of human coronary artery, saphenous vein and left internal mammary artery was also determined. Results In coronary artery 50–235 (10-11 to 10-4mol/l) inhibited specifically bound [125l]-endothelin-1 (0.1 nmol/l) in a biphasic manner. The ratio of ETA: ETB receptor was 79:21. Increasing concentrations of 50–235 produced progressive rightwards displacements of the endothelin-1 dose-response curve in each of the three types of blood vessel. The dose-response curves were parallel and no attenuation of the maximum endothelin-1 response was observed suggesting that 50–235 was antagonizing endothelin-1 vasoconstriction in a competitive manner. The pA2 values determined by analysis of the Schild regression lines were 6.05 in coronary artery, 6.12 in saphenous vein and 6.18 in left internal mammary artery, and the slopes were not significantly different from unity. Conclusions The antagonist 50–235 exhibits nanomolar affinity for human ETA receptors and 500-fold selectivity for ETA compared with ETB receptors. Its novel non-peptide structure demonstrates that the carbon-nitrogen bond is not crucial for endothelin antagonist activity, and might provide important information for the development of therapeutic agents for conditions in which endothelins may be pathophysiologically relevant.
Microglial activation‐mediated delayed and progressive degeneration of rat nigral dopaminergic neurons: relevance to Parkinson's disease

The etiology of sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD) remains unknown. Increasing evidence has suggested a role for inflammation in the brain in the pathogenesis of PD. However, it has not been clearly demonstrated whether microglial activation, the most integral part of the brain inflammatory process, will result in a delayed and progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra, a hallmark of PD. We report here that chronic infusion of an inflammagen lipopolysaccharide at 5 ng/h for 2 weeks into rat brain triggered a rapid activation of microglia that reached a plateau in 2 weeks, followed by a delayed and gradual loss of nigral dopaminergic neurons that began at between 4 and 6 weeks and reached 70% by 10 weeks. Further investigation of the underlying mechanism of action of microglia‐mediated neurotoxicity using rat mesencephalic neuron‐glia cultures demonstrated that low concentrations of lipopolysaccharide (0.1–10 ng/mL)‐induced microglial activation and production of neurotoxic factors preceded the progressive and selective degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. Among the factors produced by activated microglia, the NADPH oxidase‐mediated release of superoxide appeared to be a predominant effector of neurodegeneration, consistent with the notion that dopaminergic neurons are particularly vulnerable to oxidative insults. This is the first report that microglial activation induced by chronic exposure to inflammagen was capable of inducing a delayed and selective degeneration of nigral dopaminergic neurons and that microglia‐originated free radicals play a pivotal role in dopaminergic neurotoxicity in this inflammation‐mediated model of PD.
Evaluation of a comprehensive home‐based midwifery programme in South Kalimantan, Indonesia

We report the findings of an evaluation of a programme in three districts in South Kalimantan, Indonesia, which consisted of the training, deployment and supervision of a large number of professional midwives in villages, an information, education and communication (IEC) strategy to increase use of village midwives for birth, and a district‐based maternal and perinatal audit (MPA). Before the programme, the midwives had limited ability to manage obstetric complications, and 90% of births took place at home. Only 37% were attended by a skilled attendant. By 1998–99, 510 midwives were posted in the districts and skilled attendance at delivery had increased to 59%. Through in‐service training, continuous supervision and participation in the audit system midwives also gained confidence and skills in the management of obstetric complications. Despite this, the proportion admitted to hospital for a caesarean section declined from 1.7 to 1.4% and the proportion admitted to hospital with a complication requiring a life‐saving intervention declined from 1.1% to 0.7%. The strategy of a midwife in every village has dramatically increased skilled birth attendance, but does not yet provide specialized obstetric care for all women needing it. The high cost of emergency obstetric interventions may well be the most important obstacle to the use of hospital care.