Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physical activity and health: current issues and research needs.

A substantial body of evidence now demonstrates the burden of ill-health attributable to sedentary living. This is most compelling for coronary heart disease (CHD) and, combined with the high prevalence of inactivity, 1 provides the rationale for Professor Morris’s claim that exercise is ‘today’s best buy in public health’. 2 Besides a reduced risk of CHD, evidence is secure for many other health gains from physical activity; these include a reduced risk of stroke, 3,4 type II diabetes, 5,6 colon cancer, 7,8 and hip fracture. 9,10 There is evidence enough to justify the further development of public health policies to promote physical activity. The difficulty is with the specifics of what to promote and prescribe. This paper is concerned with future contributions by research to an evidence-based rationale for exercise recommendations— both to the public at large and to individuals. It is clear that physically active people have a lower disease risk than sedentary individuals but the components of activity which determine particular health gains are poorly understood. Thus the ‘doseresponse’ relationships for physical activity are the subject of current research interest. Intuitively, these will not be the same for different health outcomes and this is one reason why further study of the associated mechanisms is important. Understanding the underlying mechanisms will clarify the relative importance of intensity, frequency, duration and mode of exercise for specified health gains. It will also help us to distinguish the effects of exercise per se from those of co-existing behaviours and to identify stages of life during which levels of particular types of activity are critical for given health outcomes. This paper presents a personal view of research needs.
Color Doppler imaging in the assessment of uteroplacental blood flow in abnormal first trimester intrauterine pregnancies. An attempt to define etiologic mechanisms

The addition of color Doppler imaging (CDI) to the vaginal probe now enables sonographers to study more accurately the maternal‐fetal circulation at the early stages of the gestation. Doppler studies of normal intrauterine first trimester gestations have been published, and our investigation was an attempt to study uteroplacental blood flow in abnormal intrauterine first trimester gestations. Although the calculated indices did not differ significantly from those found in normal gestations, we did find a higher rate of color detection in gestations defined as anembryonic as compared to those defined as missed abortions. Circulation abnormalities probably play a significant role in early pregnancy failures, and we believe CDI will help define the different etiologic mechanisms causing these early complications.
Use of Multilocus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis for Typing Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis

ABSTRACT The etiology of Crohn's disease in humans is largely unknown. Clinical signs of Crohn's disease partly resemble the clinical picture of Johne's disease in ruminants caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis. Because of the high prevalence of these bacteria in (products of) ruminants and their remarkable thermostability, concern has been raised about the possible role of these bacteria in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease. In an attempt to develop a molecular typing method to facilitate meaningful comparative DNA fingerprinting of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis isolates from the human and animal reservoirs, multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) was explored and compared to IS900 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) typing. MLVA typing subdivided the most predominant RFLP type, R01, into six subtypes and thus provides a promising molecular subtyping approach to study the diversity of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis.
Optimization for the Pole Structure of Slot-Less Tubular Permanent Magnet Synchronous Linear Motor and Segmented Detent Force Compensation

Slot-less tubular permanent magnet synchronous linear motor, usually adopts a cylindrical pole structure. It results in big leakage flux on the axis and serious uneven flux distribution in the secondary iron. The improved convex pole was used and researched in this paper, and a layered orthogonal optimization method was applied to reach the goal of the higher thrust and less permanent magnet dosage combing with the finite-element method. Therefore, the best values of the pole parameters were obtained. Because the detent force resulting from the end effect is hard to suppress under the strict volume constrains, the segmented detent force compensation control was further studied. A prototype was machined and tested, and the results indicated that the combination of the improved convex pole and detent force compensation is a very effective method to improve the thrust performance.
Snow depth, soil freezing, and fluxes of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane in a northern hardwood forest

Soil–atmosphere fluxes of trace gases (especially nitrous oxide (N2O)) can be significant during winter and at snowmelt. We investigated the effects of decreases in snow cover on soil freezing and trace gas fluxes at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, a northern hardwood forest in New Hampshire, USA. We manipulated snow depth by shoveling to induce soil freezing, and measured fluxes of N2O, methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in field chambers monthly (bi‐weekly at snowmelt) in stands dominated by sugar maple or yellow birch. The snow manipulation and measurements were carried out in two winters (1997/1998 and 1998/1999) and measurements continued through 2000. Fluxes of CO2 and CH4 showed a strong seasonal pattern, with low rates in winter, but N2O fluxes did not show strong seasonal variation. The snow manipulation induced soil freezing, increased N2O flux and decreased CH4 uptake in both treatment years, especially during winter. Annual N2O fluxes in sugar maple treatment plots were 207 and 99 mg N m−2 yr−1 in 1998 and 1999 vs. 105 and 42 in reference plots. Tree species had no effect on N2O or CO2 fluxes, but CH4 uptake was higher in plots dominated by yellow birch than in plots dominated by sugar maple. Our results suggest that winter fluxes of N2O are important and that winter climate change that decreases snow cover will increase soil:atmosphere N2O fluxes from northern hardwood forests.
Genetic and molecular mechanisms of neurogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster.

Cells of the neurogenic ectoderm of insects have to decide between a neural and an epidermal fate. In Drosophila, this decision id mediated by cellular interactions. The products of two different groups of genes, i.e., the neurogenic genes and the genes of the achaete-scute complex and daughterless, seem to provide the molecular basis for the elements of a signal chain that permits the commitment of the cells to a given fate.
A 10 Gb/s eye opening monitor IC for decision-guided optimization of the frequency response of an optical receiver

The use of high bit rates for TDM transmissions on long haul fiber links is not only limited by the speed of electronic components but also by problems like fiber dispersion, polarization mode dispersion and fiber nonlinearities, especially if an installed standard fiber is used. An approach to alleviate these problems is the use of electronic signal-processing functions and advanced modulation schemes. This single chip eye opening monitor (EOM) is for use as part of such a signal processing unit. Apart from the data signal, a regenerated clock of arbitrary phase is needed to generate a dc output voltage proportional to the horizontal eye opening with a response time of <1 ms. The IC, in 50 GHz-f/sub T/ SiGe bipolar technology, covers bit rates from 2 to 12.5 Gb/s and dissipates 4.95 W from -5 V.
Mechanisms Underlying the Ameliorative Property of Lisinopril in Progressive Mesangioproliferative Nephritis

The present study was performed to clarify the mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of lisinopril on chronic glomerulonephritis. Chronic glomerulonephritis was induced by a single injection of E30 monoclonal antibody (E30) recognizing Thy-1.1 antigen to unilaterally nephrectomized rats. E30 injection resulted in persistent massive proteinuria with a decrease in anionic charge sites on the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) at 8 weeks. Also, renal tissue from rats treated with E30 showed typical glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Lisinopril exerted a potent antiproteinuric effect and suppressed the progression of both glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Lisinopril recovered the reduced number of anionic charge sites on GBM, accounting for the positive action against massive proteinuria. Immunostaining for desmin revealed that lisinopril treatment prevented the injury of glomerular epithelial cells (GECs) occurring in the chronic nephritic stage. Also, the level of gene expression of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in the renal cortex were reduced, suggesting that lisinopril improved extracellular matrix (ECM) metabolism. These results indicated that proteinuria in Thy-1.1 antibody-induced chronic nephritis is associated with a decrease in anionic charge sites on GBM, and that the antiproteinuric effect of lisinopril is attributable to protection against GEC damage. Suppression of TGF-β and PAI-1 expression contributed to the preventive effect of lisinopril on ECM deposition in renal tissue.
Amino acids and related compounds in the lens.

Bacon, J. S. D. (1961). Biochem. J. 79, 20P. Bieleski, R. L. (1960). Aust. J. biol. Sci. 13, 203. Bieleski, R. L. & Young, R. E. (1963). Analyt. Biochem. 6, 54. Bligh, F. G. & Dyer, W. J. (1958). Canad. J. Biochem. Physiol. 33, 365. Cardini, C. E. , Leloir, L. F. & Chiriboga, J. (1955). J. biol. Chem. 214, 149. Edelman, J. & Hall, M. A. (1963). Biochem. J. 88, 36r. Frydman, R. B. & Hassid, W. Z. (1963). Nature, Lond. , 199, 382. Fuente, G. & Sols, A. (1962). Biochim. biophys. Acta, 56,49. Glasziou, K. T. (1960). Plant Physiol. 35, 895. Hanes, C. S. & Isherwood, F. A. (1949). Nature, Lond. , 164, 1107. Hassid, W. Z. (1958). In Encyclopedia of Plant Phy8iology, vol. 6, p. 125. Ed. by Ruhland, W. Berlin: SpringerVerlag. Hatch, M. D. (1963). Biochem. J. 88, 423. Hatch, M. D. , Pearson, J. A. , Millerd, A. & Robertson, R. N. (1959). Au8t. J. biol. Sci. 12, 167. Hatch, M. D. , Sacher, J. A. & Glasziou, K. T. (1963). Plant Phy8iol. 38, 338. Hellebust, J. A. & Forward, D. F. (1962). Canad. J. Bot. 40, 113. James, W. 0. (1953). Annu. Rev. Plant Phy8iol. 4, 59. Leloir, L. F. & Cardini, C. E. (1955). J. biol. Chem. 214, 157. Mendicino, J. (1960). J. biol. Chem. 235, 3347. Metzenberg, R. L. (1962). Arch. Biochem. Biophy8. 96, 468. Porter, H. K. & May, L. H. (1955). J. exp. Bot. 6, 43. Putman, E. W. & Hassid, W. Z. (1954). J. biol. Chem. 207, 885. Robinson, E. & Brown, R. (1952). J. exp. Bot. 3, 356. Sacher, J. A. , Hatch, M. D. & Glasziou, K. T. (1963). Plant Phy8iol. 38, 348. Spencer, D. (1954). Au8t. J. biol. Sci. 7, 151.
Effects of ochratoxin A on tissue glycogen levels in rats.

Abstract A single oral dose (15 mg/kg body wt.) of Ochratoxin A caused a depletion of hepatic glycogen level and an elevation in the cardiac glycogen level in both intact and adrenalectomized rats. When tested in adrenalectomized rats under pre-treatment of hydrocortisone, Ochratoxin A showed similar effects on hepatic glycogen level as was seen in intact rats. These changes in hepatic glycogen levels of Ochratoxin A treated rats may be attributed to interference with endocrine balance.
Knowledge of signs, treatment and need for urgent management in patients presenting with an acute ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack: a prospective study

Objective: To assess stroke awareness among patients presenting to the emergency department with an acute ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA). Methods: A consecutive cohort of patients presenting with a cerebrovascular event was prospectively enrolled over a 15-month period and questionnaires were administered. If the patient was unable to respond to the questions or answer the questionnaire, it was administered to the primary caregiver. Comprehension of having a cerebrovascular event, reason for delay in presentation, mode of arrival and knowledge of treatment modalities were determined. Results: Only 42% of 400 patients thought they were having a stroke or TIA. The median time to presentation was 3.4 h. Delayed presentation was almost equal in men and women. When asked about onset, 19.4% thought that a stroke came on gradually and only 51.9% thought immediate presentation was crucial. 20.8% of patients had heard of thrombolysis. Conclusion: Community knowledge of ischaemic stroke needs to be enhanced so that individuals present earlier, leading to timely management.
Restructuring the Vietnamese Rice Sector: Towards Increasing Sustainability

Although Vietnam is one of the biggest rice exporters today, there is an urgent need to restructure the sector. To guide the transition from being a quantity-focused producer to a credible supplier of quality rice, this study explores the sector’s opportunities for sustainable value chain upgrading. Data was collected through focus group discussions with farmers, stacked surveys with rice value chain stakeholders, and a participatory workshop bringing several value chain actors together. Stakeholders perceive the sector’s capability to grasp opportunities (including growing export and domestic markets) to be higher than its resilience to potential threats (including more stringent food safety regulations and climate change). Three strategies are discussed for making rice value chains more sustainable; embodying sustainability in the product through certified sustainable production labels; internalizing sustainable production standards through vertical coordination (e.g., contract farming); and disembodying sustainability through book and claim certificate trading.
EXPERIMENTAL HYDROCEPHALUS

Seven-day-old Wistar rats were used and subdivided into three subgroups: treated hydrocephalic (n = 24), untreated hydrocephalic (n = 17), and controls (n = 5). The hydrocephalic groups underwent cisternal injection of 15% kaolin for induction of hydrocephalus at 7 days of age. The treated group was submitted to a ventricular-subcutaneous shunt (VSCS) 1 week after induction. All animals were euthanized at 21 days of age. They underwent motor function and memory testing as well as brain MRI scans. Histopathological analysis for glial fibrillary acidic protein and Ki-67 was done, and CSF was collected for measurement of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α.
Improving the efficiency of a Doubly-Fed Induction Generator in variable speed wind turbines under different modes of operation considering core loss

This paper investigates improving the efficiency and the performance of Wind Energy Conversion Systems (WECS) equipped with Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG). The main objective is to maximize the output power while minimizing the total copper loss simultaneously. This can be achieved using an analytical approach to determine the proper rotor current commands which give maximum mechanical power and minimum loss based on the measured generator speed. A hardware setup was constructed for validation of simulation results of maximum power point tracking and for further investigation of the change in the wind speed on the ability of the control system to respond to these changes with the proper control commands to obtain the maximum output power of the DFIG.
Perceived Intimacy, Physical Distance and Eye Contact

30 male Ss rated photographic slides on the degree of intimacy of 2 males shown seated at a cafeteria table. Another 10 Ss rated the slides on both intimacy and eye contact. 54 different seating arrangements were used. Side and corner arrangements were varied by body and head position through 5 angles (0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 90°) and 3 distances (3, 4.5, 6 ft.). Results supported the main hypotheses that intimacy varies inversely with distance, that intimacy ratings are directly related to ratings of eye contact. Corner seating was judged more intimate than side seating. Findings were interpreted in the light of prior research. Implications of the data were discussed in relation to applied situations.
Survival of outpatients with Alzheimer-type dementia.

OBJECTIVE To study the clinical course of Alzheimer-type dementia and those factors that might predict or influence the length of survival. DESIGN A prospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS One hundred and twenty-six patients diagnosed with Alzheimer-type dementia were selected from among 200 consecutive outpatients evaluated for suspected dementia from 1980 to 1982. All 126 patients had at least 6 years of follow-up. SETTING All patients were initially seen as outpatients at a university hospital. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Survival analysis was done using Kaplan-Meier estimates and the Cox proportional hazards model. The mean age at symptom onset was 73.9 years and at enrollment in the study, 77.6 years. The median survival from time of enrollment in the study was 5.3 years (range, 0.2 to 7.2+ years) and from symptom onset, 9.3 years (range, 1.8 to 16+ years). Dementia severity, as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), was strongly associated with survival (P less than 0.001); the median survival of patients with scores of 18 or below was 3 years less than that of patients with scores above 18 (relative risk, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.6 to 4.4). Comorbid conditions and symptom duration were not related to survival. A multivariate analysis of age at symptom onset and of historical features showed that the combination of wandering and falling (relative risk, 2.1; 95% CI, 0.9 to 5.2) and the presence of behavioral problems (relative risk, 1.4; 95% CI, 0.7 to 2.9) at the time of evaluation appeared to adversely affect survival. CONCLUSIONS Length of survival in patients with Alzheimer-type dementia is highly variable; severity of disease (not duration), the combination of wandering and falling, and behavioral problems are associated with shorter survival. Our findings, if confirmed, may provide prognostic information for families and professionals and suggest areas in which interventions to improve survival might be focused.
Seroprevalence of Antibodies That React with Anaplasma phagocytophila, the Agent of Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis, in Different Populations in Westchester County, New York

ABSTRACT We determined the frequencies of antibodies to Anaplasma phagocytophila, the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE), in different groups of adults and children from Westchester County, New York. The groups included 159 adult blood donors and 215 children who were seronegative for Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies, 118 adult patients and 57 children who were seropositive for B. burgdorferi antibodies, and 42 adult patients with culture-confirmed erythema migrans. Eighteen (11.3%) of the blood donors and 11 (5.1%) of the B. burgdorferi-seronegative children were found to have A. phagocytophila antibodies by indirect immunofluorescent-antibody assay (IFA). Nine of 42 (21.4%) patients with culture-confirmed erythema migrans tested at the baseline visit, 42 of 118 (35.6%) adults, and 3 of 57 (5.3%) children whose sera were reactive for B. burgdorferi antibodies also tested positive for A. phagocytophila antibodies. The geometric mean titer ranged from 219 to 315 for all groups, and the differences in titers among the groups were not statistically significant. Only one-third of the healthy blood donors reactive by IFA were confirmed to be positive by immunoblotting. We conclude that a significant proportion of adults and children without clinical evidence of HGE will test positive for A. phagocytophila antibodies when the conventional cutoff titer of 80 is used in the IFA. This information must be considered in interpretation of test results.
The other path to the web: the forgotten role of videotex and other early online services

Accounts about the origins of the web generally start with a US Department of Defense project that began in the late 1960s, which subsequently expanded to include universities and research laboratories, then later evolved into a service for the public in the mid-1990s: ARPANET, NSFNET, the internet—world wide web. However, the content that eventually populated the web as well as how the public learned to interact with online content had a long history of development via videotex and other online services.These are largely forgotten, except by a few scholars who have kept the history alive. What was learned in the extensive research about these services is very relevant to the current new media environment. Also, it can inform us at a theoretical level about the diffusion of innovations and at a policy level about the role of government in developing new media services.
SERUM THYROGLOBULIN IN ACUTE AND CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE

In view of the widespread use of serum thyroglobulin determination in the follow‐up of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma, the influence of acute and chronic liver disease on serum thyroglobulin concentration was investigated in thirty‐seven consecutive patients with histologically proven alcoholic liver cirrhosis and twenty‐three patients with acute non‐alcoholic hepatitis. Seventy‐four healthy volunteers served as controls.
A novel tumor suppressor gene RhoBTB2 (DBC2): Frequent loss of expression in sporadic breast cancer

RhoBTB2 was isolated recently as a tumor suppressor gene from human chromosome 8p21.3. Although RhoBTB2 was found to be frequently lost in breast cancer lines, expression status of RhoBTB2 in sporadic breast cancer tissues and its clinical and prognostic value, however, remain unclear. Tissue samples from breast cancer patients and normal controls and cell samples from cell lines were collected and reverse transcription (RT)‐PCR was used to monitor the presence of RhoBTB2 mRNA. The protein expression of RhoBTB2 was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Cumulative survival time was assessed by the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression model. We discovered that RhoBTB2 expression was lacking in a breast ductal epithelial carcinoma cell line T‐47D but was expressed in other types of tumor cell lines and normal tissues we tested. The results from tissue samples showed that RhoBTB2 was absent in 60% of breast cancers on both the mRNA and protein level. The results from RT‐PCR were completely uniform with those from immunohistochemistry. We demonstrated that loss of RhoBTB2 more frequently occurred in postmenopausal patients of age ≥50 yr old and in patients with infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast. The prognostic value of RhoBTB2 in breast cancers also be assessed by a long‐term follow‐up investigation and we found that patients with RhoBTB2‐negative breast cancer were linked to poor clinical prognosis. Therefore, the loss of RhoBTB2 expression is a common occurrence in breast cancers and it is an important factor in the development and prognosis of sporadic breast cancer. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.