Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Homelessness, severe mental illness, and the institutional circuit.

OBJECTIVE Research on homelessness among persons with severe mental illness tends to focus on aspects of demand, such as risk factors or structural and economic forces. The authors address the complementary role of supply factors, arguing that "solutions" to residential instability-typically, a series of institutional placements alternating with shelter stays-effectively perpetuate homelessness among some persons with severe mental illness. METHODS Thirty-six consecutive applicants for shelter in Westchester County, New York, in the first half of 1995 who were judged to be severely mentally ill by intake workers were interviewed using a modified life chart format. Detailed narrative histories were constructed and reviewed with the subjects. RESULTS Twenty of the 36 subjects had spent a mean of 59 percent of the last five years in institutions and shelters. Analysis of the residential histories of the 36 subjects revealed that shelters functioned in four distinctive ways in their lives: as part of a more extended institutional circuit, as a temporary source of transitional housing, as a surrogate for exhausted support from kin, and as a haphazard resource in essentially nomadic lives. The first pattern dominated in this group. CONCLUSIONS Shelters and other custodial institutions have acquired hybrid functions that effectively substitute for more stable and appropriate housing for some persons with severe mental illness.
Cretaceous-Paleocene Terrestrial Faunas of India: Lack of Endemism During Drifting of the Indian Plate

Recent paleontological investigations of six sections fringing the Deccan volcanic outcrops of the Indian peninsula indicate that terrestrial faunas during the Cretaceous-Paleocene transition lacked the endemism predicted by geophysical models of an oceanically isolated Indian subcontinent. At the generic and familial level there is a close correspondence between the Cretaceous vertebrates of peninsular India, Africa, and Madagascar. This suggests that a dispersal corridor, consisting of presently submerged aseismic elements (the Mascarene Plateau and the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge), existed between these landmasses about 80 million years ago as India drifted close to eastern Africa.
Performance validation of the 19-element multibeam feed for the five-hundred-metre aperture spherical radio telescope

The performance of an L-band 19-element multibeam feed for the five-hundred-metre aperture spherical radio telescope is verified here. Radiation patterns have been measured in an anechoic chamber in the radiating near field of the array and compared with simulated radiation patterns from HFSS for the same conditions. Very good agreement is observed between the measurements and simulations.
Patellar taping affects vastus medialis obliquus activation in subjects with patellofemoral pain before and after quadriceps muscle fatigue

Objective: To investigate the effects of patellar taping on the electromyographic onset of vastus medialis obliquus and vastus lateralis, and their magnitudes of reflex contraction before and after quadriceps muscle fatigue in subjects with patellofemoral pain. Methods: Sixteen adults (5 males) diagnosed with patellofemoral pain were studied. The timing of surface electromyography onset and magnitude of vastus medialis obliquus and vastus lateralis contractions were measured during a postero-anterior knee perturbation test. The tests were conducted in random order under three conditions of real taping, placebo taping and no taping. Afterwards, the subjects performed knee extension exercises until fatigue and the above tests were repeated, so as to examine the effects of patellar taping in a muscle fatigued condition. Results: There was no significant difference in electromyographic onset timing of vastus medialis obliquus and vastus lateralis or in the amplitude of vastus lateralis contraction among the different testing conditions. For vastus medialis obliquus amplitude, however, it was significantly higher in the no taping than the real taping condition regardless of the state of fatigue (P = 0.013). Conclusions: The present study suggests that patellar taping might not enhance the temporal activation of vastus medialis obliquus in subjects with patellofemoral pain before and after muscle fatigue. Furthermore, vastus medialis obliquus contraction might be inhibited by patellar taping.
Calculation of Thermodynamic Stabilities of Polymer / Carbon Nanotube Composites

It is has been demonstrated that the addition of small quantities of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can dramatically improve thermal and mechanical properties of polymers [1-6]. In many cases, however, this enhancement of properties is limited by the degree to which the CNTs can be uniformly dispersed within the polymer matrix. This appears to be particularly true for flame retarding applications. In a recent work [7], Kashiwagi and co-workers demonstrated that the heat release rates from burning well-dispersed nanocomposites, consisting of single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) in poly(methyl methacrylate), were significantly lower than those from poorly dispersed samples. Unfortunately, CNTs do not spontaneously mix with most polymers. Instead, they tend to form aggregates consisting of tens or even hundreds of discrete tubes that can become entangled in long rope-like structures [6].
Left Ventricular Doppler Characteristics in First-Degree Relatives of Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Left ventricular (LV) diastolic function may be affected early in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), regardless of the phenotypic expression of the disease. The aim of the present study was to detect whether LV diastolic performance, evaluated by conventional Doppler echocardiography, is impaired in first-degree relatives of patients with phenotypically expressed HCM, who had no clinical, electrocardiographic, or echocardiographic signs of the disease. Twenty-two young adults having the previously described characteristics comprised the study population and 22 sex- and age-matched healthy individuals served as controls. The 2 groups were compared according to several echocardiographic parameters and the following diastolic function indices: peak velocity of E wave, representing early filling; peak velocity of A wave, representing late filling; ratio of peak early to peak late velocity (E/A); deceleration time of E wave; and LV isovolumic relaxation time. Slower deceleration time of transmitral early filling in first-degree relatives of patients with HCM (192 ±31 vs 149 ±31 msec, p<0.001) was the only variable that significantly differentiated the 2 groups. This study shows that in healthy persons with a family history of HCM, Doppler-derived mitral filling pattern shifted toward that observed in HCM and the slower deceleration time may serve as an early sign of disease development.
Deficiency of Oncostatin M Receptor β (OSMRβ) Exacerbates High-fat Diet-induced Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders in Mice*

Background: Obesity is associated with adipose tissue inflammation, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis. Results: OSM receptor β (OSMRβ)-deficient mice fed a high-fat diet exhibited severe obesity, adipose tissue inflammation, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis. Conclusion: OSM signaling has suppressive effects on the deterioration of obesity-induced metabolic disorders. Significance: These results indicate that OSM signaling may be a promising therapeutic target of obesity-induced metabolic disorders. Oncostatin M (OSM) belongs to the IL-6 family of cytokines and has diverse biological effects, including the modulation of inflammatory responses. In the present study we analyzed the roles of OSM signaling in obesity and related metabolic disorders. Under a high-fat diet condition, OSM receptor β subunit-deficient (OSMRβ−/−) mice exhibited increases in body weight and food intake compared with those observed in WT mice. In addition, adipose tissue inflammation, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis were more severe in OSMRβ−/− mice than in wild-type (WT) mice. These metabolic phenotypes did not improve when OSMRβ−/− mice were pair-fed with WT mice, suggesting that the effects of OSM signaling on these phenotypes are independent of the increases in the body weight and food intake. In the liver of OSMRβ−/− mice, the insulin-induced phosphorylation of p70 S6 kinase remained intact, whereas insulin-induced FOXO1 phosphorylation was impaired. In addition, OSMRβ−/− mice displayed a higher expression of genes related to de novo lipogenesis in the liver than WT mice. Furthermore, treatment of genetically obese ob/ob mice with OSM improved insulin resistance, adipose tissue inflammation, and hepatic steatosis. Intraportal administration of OSM into ob/ob mice activated STAT3 and increased the expression of long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase (ACSL) 3 and ACSL5 with decreased expression of fatty acid synthase in the liver, suggesting that OSM directly induces lipolysis and suppresses lipogenesis in the liver of obese mice. These findings suggest that defects in OSM signaling promote the deterioration of high-fat diet-induced obesity and related metabolic disorders.
Breeding dairy cows for the future in New Zealand

Abstract A brief history of the breeding of dairy cattle in New Zealand is provided. Dairy farming in New Zealand is unique compared with the majority of dairy systems in the developed world. New Zealand has a dependence on grass-based diets and a strict requirement for a 365-day calving interval. Four main areas are discussed: future traits to evaluate, advances in genetic evaluation technologies, impacts of crossbreeding, and future progeny testing schemes. These areas are not independent, e.g. the trend of increasing numbers of crossbred cattle in the national herd will have major impacts on the design of breeding schemes. It is foreseeable that in the future there will be improvements in the national breeding goal to better reflect on-farm profitability, and in the definition of traits and methods of data capture within the national breeding goal. Methods of selection and genetic evaluation that are currently feasible for a small population will become feasible for large populations as computing power improves. Genetic improvement of cows in New Zealand will continue to be a critical component of the increased economic efficiency achieved on dairy farms in this country.
Role of Modifier Genes in Idiopathic Cardiomyopathies

Cardiomyopathies are chronic diseases of heart muscle, in which the muscle is abnormally enlarged, thickened, and/or stiffened (1). According to American Heart Association, “Cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of diseases of the myocardium associated with mechanical and/or electrical dysfunction that usually (but not invariably) exhibit inappropriate ventricular hypertrophy or dilatation and are due to a variety of causes that frequently are genetic. Cardiomyopathies either are confined to the heart or are part of generalized systemic disorders, often leading to cardiovascular death or progressive heart failure related disability” (1). Within this broad definition, WHO (1995) and International Society & Federation of Cardiology has classified cardiomyopathies into four types:  Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)  Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)  Restricted cardiomyopathy (RCM)  Arrhythmogenic right Ventricular cardiomyopathy
Lower specific micronutrient intake in colorectal cancer patients with tumors presenting promoter hypermethylation in p16(INK4a), p4(ARF) and hMLH1.

BACKGROUND The diversity of the Mediterranean diet and the heterogeneity of acquired epigenetic alterations in colorectal cancer (CRC) led us to examine the possible association between dietary factors and promoter hypermethylation in genes implicated in the pathogenesis of these neoplasms (p16(INK4a), p14(ARF), hMLH1) and the interaction with methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism. PATIENTS AND METHODS For the molecular study, 120 CRC patients were analyzed for hMLH1 promoter methylation status and MTHFR genotyping. Dietary patterns and molecular data on p16(INK4a) and p14(ARF) methylation were obtained from previous studies with this populations. RESULTS Patients with methylation in p16(INK4a) consumed significantly less folate (p = 0.01), vitamin A (p = 0.01), vitamin B1 (p = 0.007), potassium (p = 0.03) and iron (p = 0.02) than controls. Patients with methylation in p14(ARF) or hMLH1 consumed significantly less vitamin A (p = 0.001 and p = 0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION These results support that certain micronutrients protect against colorectal neoplasia and emphasize the importance of considering the different molecular forms of CRC as etiologically distinct diseases.
Effect of preinfection and preimmunization on the serum antibody response to subsequent immunization with heterotypic influenza vaccines.

The serum hemagglutination-inhibiting and neuraminidase-inhibiting antibody response of hamsters, ferrets, and mice to inactivated influenza virus vaccination was enhanced by the prior infection of these animals with live, heterotypic influenza viruses. This priming effect was also elicited by prior immunization with inactivated, heterotypic influenza virus vaccines in adjuvant. Enhancement of the serum antibody response to inactivated influenza vaccines was not observed if the priming infection was given 20 weeks before immunization. No priming effect was demonstrated for type B influenza viruses.
Effects of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor on the inflammatory response in in vivo and in vitro models*

Objective:Sepsis remains a major health threat in intensive care medicine. The renin-angiotensin system (ACE) affects inflammatory responses. In addition, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors act to ameliorate lung injury. To investigate whether the widely used ACE inhibitor enalapril, used to treat hypertension, could inhibit secretion of cytokines and high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein, thus reducing lung damage in a rat model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis. Design:Randomized, prospective animal study. Setting:University medical center research laboratory. Subjects:Male Wistar rats. Interventions:LPS was administered intravenously to rats, with or without intraperitoneal pretreatment with enalapril. In addition, mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells were stimulated with LPS, with and without simultaneous enalapril treatment. Measurements and Main Results:Histologic examination showed marked reduction of interstitial congestion, edema, inflammation, and hemorrhage in lung tissue harvested 12 hours after treatment with both agents compared with LPS administration alone. Plasma concentration of angiotensin II was strongly induced by LPS; this induction was inhibited by the enalapril pretreatment. Likewise, LPS-induced secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and HMGB1 protein was inhibited by enalapril. The presence of HMGB1 protein in the lung was examined directly by immunohistochemistry; the number of stained cells was significantly lower in LPS-treated animals that also received enalapril. In the in vitro studies, enalapril administration inhibited the phosphorylation of IkappaB. Conclusions:The ACE inhibitor enalapril blocked the LPS-induced inflammatory response and protected against the acute lung injury normally associated with endotoxemia in this rat sepsis model. Given these results, enalapril is a strong candidate as a therapeutic agent for sepsis.
Adaptación de RUP para PSP: modelo de proceso y casos de estudio

Resumen. Este articulo presenta un modelo de procesos que tiene como base al proceso MUM y al Personal Software Process (PSP). MUM es un modelo de procesos simil RUP. De esta manera se fusiona un proceso a nivel grupal (MUM) con un proceso de desarrollo individual (PSP). Tambien se presenta la ejecucion y resultados primarios de 3 casos de estudio en el marco de un Programa de pruebas de procesos que se realizo durante 2007 y 2008, utilizando el modelo de procesos propuesto. Los resultados de estos casos de estudio muestran una diversidad de opiniones de los participantes que depende fuertemente de la experiencia previa de los mismos, y permite intuir algunas fortalezas y debilidades del modelo integrado, que se espera confirmar en futuros experimentos.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition in which the upper airway becomes constricted or occluded during sleep, leading to decreased or absent airflow, hypoxia, and sympathetic activation. This chain of events, occurring dozens of times an hour, can contribute to the development of hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and stroke. This article discusses the epidemiology of comorbid OSA and cardiovascular disease, the pathophysiology of OSA, how it acts as a risk factor for cardiovascular problems, and how appropriate treatment of OSA ameliorates the consequences. The importance of having a high suspicion for OSA in people with risk factors (including obesity, middle age, male or postmenopausal female) or symptoms (snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating) is pointed out. The article concludes with clinical and research implications.
DNA Ligase III Is Recruited to DNA Strand Breaks by a Zinc Finger Motif Homologous to That of Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase

Mammalian DNA ligases are composed of a conserved catalytic domain flanked by unrelated sequences. At the C-terminal end of the catalytic domain, there is a 16-amino acid sequence, known as the conserved peptide, whose role in the ligation reaction is unknown. Here we show that conserved positively charged residues at the C-terminal end of this motif are required for enzyme-AMP formation. These residues probably interact with the triphosphate tail of ATP, positioning it for nucleophilic attack by the active site lysine. Amino acid residues within the sequence RFPR, which is invariant in the conserved peptide of mammalian DNA ligases, play critical roles in the subsequent nucleotidyl transfer reaction that produces the DNA-adenylate intermediate. DNA binding by the N-terminal zinc finger of DNA ligase III, which is homologous with the two zinc fingers of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, is not required for DNA ligase activityin vitro or in vivo. However, this zinc finger enables DNA ligase III to interact with and ligate nicked DNA at physiological salt concentrations. We suggest that in vivothe DNA ligase III zinc finger may displace poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase from DNA strand breaks, allowing repair to occur.
Interprofessional education for faculty and staff – A review of the Changing Worlds: Diversity and Health Care Project

The medical community is giving increasing attention to issues of social class, gender, race, ethnicity, culture and other areas of difference in interprofessional education and patient care. The Changing Worlds: Diversity and Health Care Project, an interprofessional diversity education initiative, was designed with the aim of exploring social issues in the medical professions. This project brought together the Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Professions at Dalhousie University in an effort to address issues of difference related to multiplicities of races, ethnicities, cultures, languages, sexualities and religions. The findings of this paper include methods for the project implementation and future direction for education initiatives aimed at issues of social justice and equity in health care.
Effect of rocker shoes on pain, disability and activity limitation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory joint disease which affects the joints and soft tissues of the foot and ankle. Rocker shoes may be prescribed for the symptomatic foot in rheumatoid arthritis; however, there is a limited evidence base to support the use of rocker shoes in these patients. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of heel-to-toe rocker shoes on pain, disability, and activity limitation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Study design: Clinical trial. Methods: Seventeen female patients with rheumatoid arthritis of 1 year or more duration, disease activity score of less than 2.6, and foot and ankle pain were recruited. Heel-to-toe rocker shoe was made according to each patient’s foot size. All the patients were evaluated immediately, 7 and 30 days after their first visit. Foot Function Index values were recorded at each appointment. Results: With the use of rocker shoes, Foot Function Index values decreased in all subscales. This reduction was noted in the first visit and was maintained throughout the trials. Conclusion: Rocker shoe can improve pain, disability, and activity limitation in patients with rheumatoid foot pain. All the subjects reported improved comfort levels. Clinical relevance The results of this study showed that high-top, heel-to-toe rocker shoe with wide toe box was effective at reducing foot and ankle pain. It was also regarded as comfortable and acceptable footwear by the patients with rheumatoid foot problems.
Pathogenesis of early cardiac myocyte damage after severe burns.

BACKGROUND The importance of early cardiac myocyte damage during postburn trauma has been emphasized in recent years. However, its pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment have not been fully clarified. The aim of this study is to define its pathogenesis. METHODS Rats with 30% third-degree burns were used. Cardiac biochemical markers reflecting cardiac myocyte damage including troponin T, cardiac myosin light chain 1, creatinine kinase and its cardiac-specific isoenzyme compound, as well as inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor, endothelin/nitric oxide ratio, malondialdehyde, and superoxide dismutase, were determined. RESULTS Cardiac biochemical markers reflecting cardiac myocyte damage, including troponin T, cardiac myosin light chain 1, cardiac-specific isoenzyme compound, were all significantly elevated between 3 hours and 24 hours after burn. Changes in tumor necrosis factor, endothelin/nitric oxide ratio, and malondialdehyde were similar to those of cardiac biochemical markers. In contrast, levels of superoxide dismutase declined markedly after burn. CONCLUSION The findings of this study showed that considerable amounts of myocardial constructive protein degradation and release due to destruction of cardiac myocytes occurred early after severe burns. The inflammatory mediators released after burn injury may be involved in the pathogenesis of myocardial destruction.
Effect of Nucleus Ambiguus Lesion on the Development of Neurogenic Hypertension

These studies evaluated the role of the nucleus ambiguus in regulating heart rate and cardiovascular activity. Three days after lesion of the nucleus ambiguus, arterial pressure and heart rate were unchanged; however, subsequent sinoaortic deafferentation produced a significantly greater increase of pressure (156 ± 4 vs 124 ± 6 mm Hg) compared to sham lesion. In both groups the heart rate was increased after deafferentation and the intrinsic heart rate (rate seen after autonomic blockade with atropine and propranolol) was significantly reduced. When the sequence was reversed (deafferentation before lesion), pressure (126 ± 6 vs 126 ± 7 mm Hg) and heart rate (334 ± 17 and 340 ± 16 beats/min) were not altered; however, intrinsic rate fell more. When the nucleus ambiguus was stimulated electrically, two responses emerged: increased pressure without rate changes and increased pressure with bradycardia. These data indicate that 1) lesion of the nucleus ambiguus facilitates hypertension produced by sinoaortic deafferentation unless lesioning follows deafferentation; and 2) stimulation of the nucleus ambiguus produces a pressor effect that is independent of the bradycardic response. We conclude that the nucleus ambiguus may be related to autonomic control of both heart rate and arterial pressure.