Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical Outcome Measures for Lateropulsion Poststroke: An Updated Systematic Review

Background and Purpose: Contraversive Lateropulsion, also referred to as contraversive pushing, pusher behavior, and pusher syndrome, can be associated with increased hospital length of stay, increased health care costs, and delayed outcomes in persons with stroke. The purpose of this updated systematic review was to identify scales used to classify contraversive lateropulsion, investigate literature that addresses their clinimetric properties, and create a resource for clinicians recommending use in clinical practice. Methods: Three databases were searched for articles from inception to March 2017. The search strategy followed Cochrane Collaboration guidelines. The Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist was applied to evaluate methodological quality. Results: Four hundred three records were screened. Seven studies met inclusion criteria. Four scales were identified: the Scale for Contraversive Pushing (SCP), the Modified Scale for Contraversive Pushing (M-SCP), the Burke Lateropulsion Scale (BLS), and the Swedish Scale for Contraversive Pushing (S-SCP). Psychometric property investigation was most robust for the SCP and the BLS. Cross-cultural validity has not been fully investigated in scales used outside of their country of origin. Discussion and Conclusions: The BLS is recommended for identifying contraversive lateropulsion. The scale assesses the presence of contraversive lateropulsion across several functional tasks, from rolling to walking, and is the only scale originally written in English. The BLS is the only tool to receive ratings greater than poor for reliability and responsiveness. The BLS should be implemented as soon as contraversive lateropulsion is suspected to guide frontline clinicians' initial plan of care, allow objective identification of change over time, and facilitate easier investigation of interventional efficacy. Video Abstract available for additional insights from the authors (see Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A177).
Epidemiology of inflammatory bowel diseases in the elderly in the province of Liège.

OBJECTIVE Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are heterogeneous diseases which affect preferentially young adults. The late onset could represent a particular form of expression of these diseases. The aim of our prospective study was to describe the incidence of IBD in patients older than 60 years as well as their clinical pattern in comparison with a population younger than 60. METHODS A standardized questionnaire for each new case diagnosed in the province of Liège between 01/06/1993 and 31/05/1996 was completed. RESULTS During the three years, 270 patients were enrolled. In group IBD > 60 years old, there were 60 new cases, including 23 cases with Crohn's disease (CD) (38%), 30 with ulcerative colitis (UC) (50%), and 7 with undetermined colitis (IC) (12%). The proportion of CD was significantly lower in the group IBD > 60 years old than in the group<60 (114 CD (54%), 81 UC (39%) and 15 IC (7%); P=0.04). The annual incidence tended to be higher for UC than for CD in group IBD > 60 (4.5 and 3.5 per 100,000, respectively) while it was the contrary in younger patients (3.4 and 4.8 per 100,000, respectively). There was no striking difference in the clinical features for both diseases in the two groups, except more frequent diarrhea, weight loss and extraintestinal symptoms in CD patients<60 years old. CONCLUSIONS In the province of Liège, the incidence of IBD in people older than 60 years is high. IBD in the elderly is characterized by a lower proportion of CD than in the younger population. Clinical features tend to be the same whatever the age at diagnosis for each disease.
TSP With Locational Uncertainty: The Adversarial Model

In this paper we study a natural special case of the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) with point-locational-uncertainty which we will call the {\em adversarial TSP} problem (ATSP). Given a metric space $(X, d)$ and a set of subsets $R = \{R_1, R_2, . , R_n\} : R_i \subseteq X$, the goal is to devise an ordering of the regions, $\sigma_R$, that the tour will visit such that when a single point is chosen from each region, the induced tour over those points in the ordering prescribed by $\sigma_R$ is as short as possible. Unlike the classical locational-uncertainty-TSP problem, which focuses on minimizing the expected length of such a tour when the point within each region is chosen according to some probability distribution, here, we focus on the {\em adversarial model} in which once the choice of $\sigma_R$ is announced, an adversary selects a point from each region in order to make the resulting tour as long as possible. In other words, we consider an offline problem in which the goal is to determine an ordering of the regions $R$ that is optimal with respect to the "worst" point possible within each region being chosen by an adversary, who knows the chosen ordering. We give a $3$-approximation when $R$ is a set of arbitrary regions/sets of points in a metric space. We show how geometry leads to improved constant factor approximations when regions are parallel line segments of the same lengths, and a polynomial-time approximation scheme (PTAS) for the important special case in which $R$ is a set of disjoint unit disks in the plane.
Pathways to College: Latino Youth and the Transition to Higher Education

It is predicted that by the year 2050, Latinos will make up approximately 30% of the U.S. population. Although the high school completion rate for Latinos has increased over the years, only 44% of these students transition into college. Latinos are faced with numerous obstacles as they try to navigate the college pipeline such as being more likely to attend high poverty secondary schools and have parents with little experience with college education. Despite these challenges, many Latino students continue to be academically successful. From 2009 to 2010, there was a 24% growth in Hispanic enrollment, a higher increase than any other ethnic group. It is important to note that much of this enrollment growth has been at community colleges with 46% of Latino students matriculating to two-year institutions. Latinos are still the least likely to complete a bachelor’s degree. While nearly 39% of white 25- to 29-year-olds completed a four-year degree in 2010, only 13% of Latinos did the same. Thus, it is important to identify factors that may influence the high school to college transition for Latino youth, as well as factors that impact college completion. This chapter explores these issues as a function of the academic and family culture that support the development of achievement in Latino youth. We highlight the important differences in those that matriculate to community college and those to four-year colleges.
Functional brain networks and cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease

Graph‐theoretical analyses of functional networks obtained with resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have recently proven to be a useful approach for the study of the substrates underlying cognitive deficits in different diseases. We used this technique to investigate whether cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease (PD) are associated with changes in global and local network measures. Thirty‐six healthy controls (HC) and 66 PD patients matched for age, sex, and education were classified as having mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or not based on performance in the three mainly affected cognitive domains in PD: attention/executive, visuospatial/visuoperceptual (VS/VP), and declarative memory. Resting‐state fMRI and graph theory analyses were used to evaluate network measures. We have found that patients with MCI had connectivity reductions predominantly affecting long‐range connections as well as increased local interconnectedness manifested as higher measures of clustering, small‐worldness, and modularity. The latter measures also tended to correlate negatively with cognitive performance in VS/VP and memory functions. Hub structure was also reorganized: normal hubs displayed reduced centrality and degree in MCI PD patients. Our study indicates that the topological properties of brain networks are changed in PD patients with cognitive deficits. Our findings provide novel data regarding the functional substrate of cognitive impairment in PD, which may prove to have value as a prognostic marker. Hum Brain Mapp 35:4620–4634, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Biodegradation of kraft lignin by a newly isolated anaerobic bacterial strain, Acetoanaerobium sp. WJDL‐Y2

An anaerobic kraft lignin (KL)‐degrading bacterial strain was isolated from sludge of a pulp and paper mill. It was characterized as Acetoanaerobium sp. WJDL‐Y2 by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The maximum KL degradation capability of strain Y2 was determined to be 24·9% on a COD basis under an optimal condition with temperature of 31·5°C, initial pH of 6·8 and KL to nitrogen (as NH4Cl) ratio of 6·5 by mass. Growth kinetic studies showed that the KL tolerance of strain Y2 was relatively high (Ki = 8120·45 mg l−1). Analysing KL degradation products by GC‐MS revealed the formation of low‐molecular‐weight aromatic compounds (LMWACs), including benzene‐propanoic acid, syringic acid and ferulic acid. This indicates that strain Y2 can oxidize lignin structure's p‐hydroxyphenyl (H) units, guaiacyl (G) units and syringyl (S). In addition, the inoculated sample also contained low‐molecular acid compounds, such as hexanoic acid, adipic acid and 2‐hydroxybutyric acid, further validating strain Y2's ability to degrade KL.
High education study program model towards employability. On a way to understand Employer's requirements on IL Generic Competences

Better employability is raising concern of most higher education institutions in Croatia. Educational sector and employment sector usually lack of common understanding especially considering generic and information literacy competences. HE programs are focusing on learning outcomes and employers are mostly looking at competences and personal traits. Zagreb University of Applied Sciences in defining new study programs for 2025 timeframe is building a model which can help closing the gap.
Confounding Environmental Colour and Distribution Shape Leads to Underestimation of Population Extinction Risk

The colour of environmental variability influences the size of population fluctuations when filtered through density dependent dynamics, driving extinction risk through dynamical resonance. Slow fluctuations (low frequencies) dominate in red environments, rapid fluctuations (high frequencies) in blue environments and white environments are purely random (no frequencies dominate). Two methods are commonly employed to generate the coloured spatial and/or temporal stochastic (environmental) series used in combination with population (dynamical feedback) models: autoregressive [AR(1)] and sinusoidal (1/f) models. We show that changing environmental colour from white to red with 1/f models, and from white to red or blue with AR(1) models, generates coloured environmental series that are not normally distributed at finite time-scales, potentially confounding comparison with normally distributed white noise models. Increasing variability of sample Skewness and Kurtosis and decreasing mean Kurtosis of these series alter the frequency distribution shape of the realised values of the coloured stochastic processes. These changes in distribution shape alter patterns in the probability of single and series of extreme conditions. We show that the reduced extinction risk for undercompensating (slow growing) populations in red environments previously predicted with traditional 1/f methods is an artefact of changes in the distribution shapes of the environmental series. This is demonstrated by comparison with coloured series controlled to be normally distributed using spectral mimicry. Changes in the distribution shape that arise using traditional methods lead to underestimation of extinction risk in normally distributed, red 1/f environments. AR(1) methods also underestimate extinction risks in traditionally generated red environments. This work synthesises previous results and provides further insight into the processes driving extinction risk in model populations. We must let the characteristics of known natural environmental covariates (e.g., colour and distribution shape) guide us in our choice of how to best model the impact of coloured environmental variation on population dynamics.
Micropapillary pattern and poorly differentiated clusters represent the same biological phenomenon in colorectal cancer: a proposal for a change in terminology.

OBJECTIVES Colorectal carcinomas (CRCs) with a micropapillary pattern and those showing high counts of poorly differentiated clusters (PDCs) are characterized by a higher probability to develop nodal metastases and have a worse prognosis. In light of the morphologic similarity to the micropapillary component, we aimed to verify whether PDCs also display an inverted secretory pattern. METHODS The immunohistochemical expression of MUC1 and E-cadherin was assessed in a cohort of CRCs with PDCs and compared with that observed in CRCs without PDCs. RESULTS PDCs in our cases always displayed an inverted MUC1 pattern. In addition, we found abnormal (lost or cytoplasmic) expression of E-cadherin in PDCs. CONCLUSIONS The altered expression of MUC1 and E-cadherin may account for the aggressive behavior and higher metastatic potential of CRCs with high PDC counts and indicate an epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Our findings suggest that regardless of the morphologic aspect, PDCs and the micropapillary component may reflect the same biological phenomenon in CRCs. Thus, we wonder whether the micropapillary areas should be considered a variant of CRCs or more objectively counted as PDCs to predict prognosis. We also believe that the term PDC better describes the biological phenomena underlying this peculiar morphologic aspect in comparison with the misnomer micropapillary.
Loss of p53-mediated cell-cycle arrest, senescence and apoptosis promotes genomic instability and premature aging

Although p53-mediated cell cycle arrest, senescence and apoptosis are well accepted as major tumor suppression mechanisms, the loss of these functions does not directly lead to tumorigenesis, suggesting that the precise roles of these canonical activities of p53 need to be redefined. Here, we report that the cells derived from the mutant mice expressing p533KR, an acetylation-defective mutant that fails to induce cell-cycle arrest, senescence and apoptosis, exhibit high levels of aneuploidy upon DNA damage. Moreover, the embryonic lethality caused by the deficiency of XRCC4, a key DNA double strand break repair factor, can be fully rescued in the p533KR/3KR background. Notably, despite high levels of genomic instability, p533KR/3KRXRCC4−/− mice, unlike p53−/− XRCC4−/− mice, are not succumbed to pro-B-cell lymphomas. Nevertheless, p533KR/3KR XRCC4−/− mice display aging-like phenotypes including testicular atrophy, kyphosis, and premature death. Further analyses demonstrate that SLC7A11 is downregulated and that p53-mediated ferroptosis is significantly induced in spleens and testis of p533KR/3KRXRCC4−/− mice. These results demonstrate that the direct role of p53-mediated cell cycle arrest, senescence and apoptosis is to control genomic stability in vivo. Our study not only validates the importance of ferroptosis in p53-mediated tumor suppression in vivo but also reveals that the combination of genomic instability and activation of ferroptosis may promote aging-associated phenotypes.
Selective recruitment of CCR6‐expressing cells by increased production of MIP‐3α in rheumatoid arthritis

Infiltration of various types of leucocytes has been shown to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Macrophage inflammatory protein‐3α (MIP‐3α) is a recently identified chemokine which is a selective chemoattractant for leucocytes such as memory T cells, naïve B cells and immature dendritic cells. In this study, we investigated the expression of MIP‐3α and its specific receptor CCR6 in the inflamed joints of patients with RA. Increased amounts of MIP‐3α were found by ELISA in synovial fluids (SF) of patients with RA. MIP‐3α was apparently detected in all synovial tissue specimens of RA patients (n = 6), but it could not be detected in that of osteoarthritis (OA) patients (n = 4). Expression of MIP‐3α was detected especially in the sublining layer, and infiltrating mononuclear cells in RA synovial tissue. Gene expression of MIP‐3α was also found in six out of 11 RA‐synovial fluid cells by RT‐PCR. Cultured synovial fibroblasts derived from either RA or OA patients were capable of producing MIP‐3α in response to IL‐1β and TNFα in vitro. Furthermore, expression of CCR6 was found in infiltrating mononuclear cells in the cellular clusters and around the vessels of RA synovial tissue. These findings indicate that increased production of MIP‐3α may contribute to the selective recruitment of CCR6‐expressing cells in RA.
Quantitative morphology of the caudate nucleus in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

OBJECTIVE Because the caudate nuclei receive inputs from cortical regions implicated in executive functioning and attentional tasks, caudate and total brain volumes were examined in boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and normal comparison subjects. To gain developmental perspective, a wide age range was sampled for both groups. METHOD The brains of 50 male ADHD patients (aged 6-19) and 48 matched comparison subjects were scanned by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Volumetric measures of the head and body of the caudate nucleus were obtained from T1-weighted coronal images. Interrater reliabilities (intraclass correlations) were 0.89 or greater. RESULTS The normal pattern of slight but significantly greater right caudate volume across all ages was not seen in ADHD. Mean right caudate volume was slightly but significantly smaller in the ADHD patients than in the comparison subjects, while there was no significant difference for the left. Together these facts accounted for the highly significant lack of normal asymmetry in caudate volume in the ADHD boys. Total brain volume was 5% smaller in the ADHD boys, and this was not accounted for by age, height, weight, or IQ. Smaller brain volume in ADHD did not account for the caudate volume or symmetry differences. For the normal boys, caudate volume decreased substantially (13%) and significantly with age, while in ADHD there was no age-related change. CONCLUSIONS Along with previous MRI findings of low volumes in corpus callosum regions, these results support developmental abnormalities of frontal-striatal circuits in ADHD.
The spectrum of symptoms and QT intervals in carriers of the gene for the long-QT syndrome.

BACKGROUND The familial long-QT syndrome is characterized by a prolonged QT interval on the electrocardiogram, ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden death. It is not certain, however, that the length of the QT interval is a sensitive or a specific diagnostic criterion. Recently, we identified genetic markers on chromosome 11 that distinguished between carriers and noncarriers of the gene for the long-QT syndrome in three families. In this study, we compared the clinical features of carriers and noncarriers and assessed the diagnostic accuracy of the QT interval. METHODS We obtained medical histories and electrocardiograms from 199 family members. QT intervals corrected for heart rate (QTc) were determined independently by two blinded investigators. Carriers of the long-QT gene (83 subjects) and noncarriers (116 subjects) were distinguished by genetic-linkage analysis. RESULTS Fifty-two of the carriers of the long-QT gene (63 percent) had a history of syncope, whereas four (5 percent) had a history of aborted sudden death. The QTc intervals of the gene carriers ranged from 0.41 to 0.59 second (mean, 0.49). By contrast, the QTc intervals of the noncarriers ranged from 0.38 to 0.47 second (mean, 0.42). On average, carriers of the gene for the long-QT syndrome had longer QTc intervals than noncarriers, but there was substantial overlap (in 126 of the 199 subjects, or 63 percent). The use of a QTc interval above 0.44 second as a diagnostic criterion resulted in 22 misclassifications among the 199 family members (11 percent). QTc intervals of 0.47 second or longer in males and 0.48 second or longer in females were completely predictive but resulted in false negative diagnoses in 40 percent of the males and 20 percent of the females. CONCLUSIONS In families affected by the long-QT syndrome, measurement of the QTc interval may not permit an accurate diagnosis. DNA markers make it possible to make a genetic diagnosis in some families, but not all gene carriers have symptoms.
Fourteen Unit Attributes to Guide Staffing

Given the evolving body of academic literature tying patient outcomes to specific nurse staffing variables (ratios, education, experience, etc), hospitals are increasingly challenged to balance ideal investments in care quality with current nurse labor constraints. The Nursing Executive Center conducted structured interviews with chief nurses from a cross section of the nation's leading hospitals to understand how nursing leaders are incorporating recent academic findings in workforce planning and unit-level staffing. Study findings demonstrate a clear consensus among chief nurses on which staffing enhancements hold the greatest promise for positively impacting each of 14 distinct unit attributes.
EXPLANTED VEIN GRAFTS WITH AN INTACT ENDOTHELIUM DEMONSTRATE REDUCED FOCAL EXPRESSION OF ENDOTHELIAL NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHASE SPECIFIC TO ATHEROSCLEROTIC SITES

The endothelial l‐arginine:nitric oxide (NO) system is fundamental to vascular function. It is becoming evident that this system is compromised in aorto‐coronary vein grafts, although it is not clear how it is affected. It was postulated that the development of intimal lesions in vein grafts may be associated with reduced expression or loss of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS). The immunocytochemical localization and quantitative expression of eNOS were therefore investigated in normal human saphenous veins (n=6) and explanted vein grafts (n=6). The vein grafts demonstrated marked morphological changes evident as fibro‐intimal hyperplasia (FIH) and focal sites of atherosclerosis, often occurring along the same length of graft. Staining for eNOS was abundantly evident in the endothelium of normal veins but revealed a differential reduction in staining intensity in vein grafts. Staining intensity measurements revealed a significant reduction (P<0·001) in the amount of eNOS present in areas of atherosclerosis as compared with normal veins and areas of vein graft with FIH changes alone. This reduction in the relative quantity of antigen was specific to eNOS, since the endothelial markers von Willebrand factor (vWf) and CD31 showed no such variations. These data support the view that vascular activity of NO is impaired in atherosclerosis and indicate that reduced expression of eNOS, and therefore by inference lower NO production, may make an important contribution to this phenomenon.