LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Antifibrotic effect of aloe vera in viral infection-induced hepatic periportal fibrosis.

AIM
To investigate the anti-oxidative and anti-fibrotic effects of aloe vera in patients with liver fibrosis.


METHODS
Aloe vera high molecular weight fractions (AHM) were processed by patented hyper-dry system in combination of freeze-dry technique with microwave and far infrared-ray radiation. Fifteen healthy volunteers as the control group and 40 patients were included. The patients were randomly subdivided into two equal groups: the conventional group was treated with placebo (starch), and AHM group was treated with 0.15 gm/d AHM, both for 12 consecutive weeks. The patients were investigated before and after treatment. Serum activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), hyaluronic acid (HA), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and matrixmetalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) were determined. The reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in liver were assayed and the expression of hepatic α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was identified by immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
At the start of the study, the hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed fibro-proliferated bile ductules, thick fibrous septa and dense inflammatory cellular infiltration in the patients before treatment. The use of AHM for 12 wk significantly ameliorated the fibrosis, inhibited the inflammation, and resulted in minimal infiltration and minimal fibrosis compared to the conventional group. The enzyme activities of the liver (ALT, AST and ALP) were attenuated after treatment in both groups, and the decrease in the AHM group was more significant as compared with the conventional group. Similar to the AST, the MDA levels were significantly higher before treatment, and were attenuated after treatment in both groups. In contrast, the hepatic glutathione content in the patients were decreased significantly in the AHM group compared to the controls. The serum levels of the fibrosis markers (HA, TGF-β and MMP-2) were also reduced significantly after treatment. The expression of α-SMA was modified in patients before and after treatment as compared with the normal controls. In the conventional group, there was only thin and incomplete parenchymal α-SMA positive septum joining the thickened centrilobular veins, while in the AHM group, few α-SMA positive cells were present in sinusoid and lobule after treatment.


CONCLUSION
Oral supplementation with AHM could be helpful in alleviating the fibrosis and inflammation of hepatic fibrosis patients.
Evidence that ATP or a related purine is an excitatory neurotransmitter in the longitudinal muscle of mouse distal colon.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
This study analysed the contribution of the purinergic system to enteric neurotransmission in the longitudinal muscle of mouse distal colon.


EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH
Motor responses to exogenous ATP and to nerve stimulation in vitro were assessed as changes in isometric tension.


KEY RESULTS
ATP induced a concentration-dependent contraction, reduced by 4-[[4-formyl-5-hydroxy-6-methyl-3-[(phosphonooxy)methyl]-2-pyridinyl]azo]-1,3-benzene disulphonic acid (PPADS), suramin, P2Y purinoreceptor desensitisation with adenosine 5'-O-2-thiodiphosphate (ADPbetaS), and atropine, but unaffected by P2X purinoceptor desensitisation with alpha,beta-methylene ATP (alpha,beta-meATP) and by 2,2-dimethyl-propionic acid 3-(2-chloro-6-methylaminopurin-9-yl)-2-(2,2-dimethyl-propionyloxymethyl)-propyl ester (MRS 2395), a P2Y(12) selective antagonist. The response to ATP was increased by 2'-deoxy-N(6)-methyl adenosine 3',5'-diphosphate (MRS 2179), a P2Y(1) selective antagonist, tetrodotoxin (TTX) or N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). ADPbetaS, a P2Y-purinergic agonist, induced muscular contraction, with the same pharmacological profile as the ATP-induced contraction. ADP, a natural ligand for P2Y(1) receptors, induced muscular relaxation, antagonized by MRS 2179 and by TTX or L-NAME. Nerve stimulation elicited a transient nitrergic relaxation, followed by contraction. Contractile responses was reduced by atropine, PPADS, suramin, P2Y purinoceptor desensitisation, but not by P2X purinoceptor desensitisation, MRS 2179 or MRS 2395. None of the purinergic antagonists modified the nerve-evoked relaxation.


CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS
In the longitudinal muscle of mouse distal colon, ATP, through ADPbetaS-sensitive P2Y purinoceptors, contributed to the excitatory neurotransmission acting directly on smooth muscle and indirectly via activation of cholinergic neurons. Moreover, P2Y1 purinoceptors appear to be located on nitrergic inhibitory neurons. This study provides new insights into the role of purines in the mechanism inducing intestinal transit in mouse colon.
Keyphrase Extraction in Scientific Publications

We present a keyphrase extraction algorithm for scientific p ublications. Different from previous work, we introduce features that capture the positions of phrases in document with respect to logical section s f und in scientific discourse. We also introduce features that capture salient morphological phenomena found in scientific keyphrases, such as whether a candida te keyphrase is an acronyms or uses specific terminologically productive suffi xes. We have implemented these features on top of a baseline feature set used by Kea [1]. In our evaluation using a corpus of 120 scientific publications mul tiply annotated for keyphrases, our system significantly outperformed Kea at th e p < .05 level. As we know of no other existing multiply annotated keyphrase do cument collections, we have also made our evaluation corpus publicly avai lable. We hope that this contribution will spur future comparative research.
Agenda building, agenda setting, priming, individual voting intentions, and the aggregate results : An analysis of four israeli elections

This article reports the findings of the multistage agenda-setting process of four Israeli elections. In the first stage, agenda building, it is demonstrated that there is a close association between real-world indicators and media agenda. In the second stage, agenda setting, it was found that the level of television coverage of issues influences the proportion of surveys’ respondents naming these issues as the nation’s most important problems. In the third stage, priming, the analysis focused on electoral voting behavior in multiparty parliamentary elections rather than on the usual evaluations of the president’s performance. At the individual level, there is evidence for a priming effect. At the aggregate level, the findings suggest that there may be a priming effect on the actual electoral success of various political parties.
A Comprehensive Study of Drawbacks of Existing Face Recognition Techniques and Suggesting Improved Methods of Face Recognition Prof

Face recognition (image processing) is a process of identification of human face or faces similar to human face in a video or an image. Sometimes it is also referred as the process of identifying images which are similar to each other, for example there is a database of 100 images of 10 individuals, each person can look up, down, sideways, can smile, can frown etc. Thus the designed system should be able to recognize a particular person having all the different expressions and also should be proficient in differentiating other person’s face. The face recognition technology has improved over the years but still there are some drawbacks. This paper studies the three main drawbacks in the present day image processing technology and suggests useful methods to surmount the drawbacks. First half of the paper talks in detail about the present day image processing technology and its drawbacks and the second half gives an experimental study and analysis of the techniques which can be used to improve the quality of image. General Terms: False Acceptance Rate; False Rejection Rate; Eigen faces; Linear Discriminate Analysis; Elastic Bunch Graph Matching using Fisherface Algorithm; the Hidden Markov; Dynamic Link Matching.
Performance evaluation of OPC UA

The widespread use of standard, worldwide and vendor-independent OPC UA specifications in industrial environment introduces many benefits as it allows to keep open the market of the industrial applications. On the other hand, OPC UA adopts a very complex software infrastructure to realise the data exchange between industrial applications and devices (e.g. mainframes, PLC, microcontroller); this complexity may impact on the overall performance of the communication between industrial applications. The aim of this paper is to deal with the performance evaluation of OPC UA, pointing out all the main features which could influence performance in the client/server exchange of information.
Optimum pruning intensity for reducing crop suppression in a Gmelina–maize smallholder agroforestry system in Claveria, Philippines

On-farm trials were conducted to assess the effects of four branch pruning levels on maize grain yield, tree growth and stem shape. The experimental plots consisted of Gmelina (Gmelina arborea R.Br.) trees planted at 1 × 10 m with maize intercropped in the 10 m-wide alleys between lines of trees. Pruning levels consisted of retaining a live crown ratio of 60–70% (T 1), 40–50% (T 2); 30–40% (T 3) and of 20–30% (T 4). At the end of the experiment, the total maize grain yield was highest under the high pruning intensity (T 4) (18.06 t ha−1) and lowest under T 1 (14.48 t ha−1). Maize grain yield under the pruning regime T 2 and T 3 were 16.08 and 17.21 t ha−1, respectively. Mean annual increment (MAI) in tree diameter was greater (5.0 cm year−1) under T 1 than those at T 4 (4.1 cm year−1). Pruning regimes T 2 and T 3 resulted in a MAI of 4.7 and 4.5 cm year−1, respectively. Financial analysis showed that maize-tree systems under T 4 were more profitable than under T 1 as long as the reduction of the average dbh at harvest were not greater than 1 cm. Pruning trees intensively also generated greater returns from labour than moderate pruning, as the greater maize grain yields under T 4 compensated for the cost of pruning and the lower timber yield. In the context of resource-poor farmers, intensive branch pruning was a practice that prolonged the period of profitable intercropping and was compatible with commercial timber production.
Current-mode clock distribution

We propose a new paradigm for clock distribution that uses current, rather than voltage, to distribute a global clock signal with reduced power consumption. While current-mode (CM) signaling has been used in one-to-one signals, this is the first usage in a one-to-many clock distribution network. To accomplish this, we create a new high-performance current-mode pulsed flip-flop (CMPFF) using a representative 45 nm CMOS technology. When the CMPFF is combined with a CM transmitter, the first CM clock distribution network exhibits 45.2% lower average power compared to traditional voltage mode clocks.
Effect of hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, interleukin-6, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in end-stage renal disease.

INTRODUCTION. This study was conducted to determine the effect of statins on the serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HSCPR). MATERIALS AND METHODS. This randomized clinical trial was carried out on 95 hemodialysis patients divided into three groups of atorvastatin, 10 mg; simvastatin, 20 mg; and lovastatin, 40 mg, daily, administered for 2 months. Levels of serum HSCRP, IL-6, and LDLC were all measured before and after the study period. RESULTS. At baseline, 59% of the hemodialysis patients presented with elevated HSCRP, 46.3% them had increased IL-6, and 26.3% had an increased LDLC level. The three drugs were capable to lower the level of HSCRP, among which atorvastatin had the highest effect size (41.8% reduction, P = .001). Lovastatin stood in the next (37.6% reduction, P = .02), while HSCRP reduction was not significant in the simvastatin group (25% reduction, P = .14). Neither of the drugs significantly reduced IL-6 levels. Effects of atorvastatin and simvastatin on the LDLC levels were significant, while lovastatin had a marginal effect. CONCLUSIONS. Use of statins resulted in CRP reduction in patients on hemodialysis. Atorvastatin was much more effective than lovastatin, while CRP reduction was not significant by simvastatin. However, simvastatin had the greatest impact on LDLC. None of these drugs could reduce IL-6 levels within 2 months.
A Linguistic Analysis of Chat Reference Conversations with 18–24 Year-Old College Students

Thirty-one chat reference conversations were linguistically analyzed, compared to twenty-three instant messaging (IM) conversations held between students, and further correlated to students' satisfaction with the reference interaction. Conversations between librarians and students in chat reference are more formal than those solely involving students, and the use of some linguistic patterns is correlated to user satisfaction.
New Asymptotic Results in Principal Component Analysis

Abstract: Let X be a mean zero Gaussian random vector in a separable Hilbert space H with covariance operator Σ := E(X ⊗ X). Let Σ = ∑ r≥1 μrPr be the spectral decomposition of Σ with distinct eigenvalues μ1 > μ2 > . . . and the corresponding spectral projectors P1, P2, . . . . Given a sample X1, . . . , Xn of size n of i.i.d. copies of X, the sample covariance operator is defined as Σ̂n := n−1 ∑n j=1 Xj⊗Xj . The main goal of principal component analysis is to estimate spectral projectors P1, P2, . . . by their empirical counterparts P̂1, P̂2, . . . properly defined in terms of spectral decomposition of the sample covariance operator Σ̂n. The aim of this paper is to study asymptotic distributions of important statistics related to this problem, in particular, of statistic ‖P̂r − Pr‖2, where ‖ · ‖ 2 2 is the squared Hilbert–Schmidt norm. This is done in a “high-complexity” asymptotic framework in which the so called effective rank r(Σ) := tr(Σ) ‖Σ‖∞ (tr(·) being
CXCL13 predicts disease activity in early rheumatoid arthritis and could be an indicator of the therapeutic ‘window of opportunity’

INTRODUCTION
A key phenomenon in rheumatoid arthritis is the formation of lymphoid follicles in the inflamed synovial membrane. C-X-C motif chemokine 13 (CXCL13) is central in this process as it attracts C-X-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CXCR5)-expressing B cells and T follicular helper cells to the follicle. We here examine the role of CXCL13 and its association with disease in patients with treatment-naïve early rheumatoid arthritis.


METHODS
Plasma samples from patients in the OPERA trial were examined for CXCL13 at treatment initiation and after 6 months of treatment with either methotrexate plus placebo (DMARD) (n = 37) or methotrexate plus adalimumab (DMARD + ADA) (n = 39). Treatment outcome was evaluated after 1 and 2 years. CXCL13 plasma levels in healthy volunteers (n = 38) were also examined.


RESULTS
Baseline CXCL13 plasma levels were increased in early rheumatoid arthritis patients in comparison with healthy volunteers. Also, plasma CXCL13 correlated positively with disease activity parameters; swollen joint count 28 (rho = 0.34) and 40 (rho = 0.39), visual analog score (rho = 0.38) and simplified disease activity index (rho = 0.25) (all P <0.05). CXCL13 levels decreased a significantly twofold more in the DMARD + ADA group than in the DMARD group. Baseline CXCL13 plasma levels in the DMARD group correlated inversely with disease activity parameters; disease activity score in 28 joints, four variables, C-reactive protein based (DAS28CRP) (rho = 0.58, P < 0.05) at 12 months. High baseline CXCL13 was associated with remission (DAS28CRP less than 2.6) after 2 years.


CONCLUSIONS
In treatment-naïve early rheumatoid arthritis patients, plasma CXCL13 levels were associated with joint inflammation. Furthermore, patients with high baseline plasma CXCL13 levels had an improved chance of remission after 2 years. We propose that high CXCL13 concentrations indicate recent onset of inflammation that may respond better to early aggressive treatment. Thus, high levels of CXCL13 could reflect the 'the window of opportunity' for optimal treatment effect.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
Clinicaltrial.gov NCT00660647. Registered 10 April 2008.
Real-time Monocular Dense Mapping for Augmented Reality

Monocular simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is a key enabling technique for many augmented reality (AR) applications. However, conventional methods for monocular SLAM can obtain only sparse or semi-dense maps in highly-textured image areas. Poorly-textured regions which widely exist in indoor and man-made urban environments can be hardly reconstructed, impeding interactions between virtual objects and real scenes in AR apps. In this paper,we present a novel method for real-time monocular dense mapping based on the piecewise planarity assumption for poorly textured regions. Specifically, a semi-dense map for highly-textured regions is first calculated by pixel matching and triangulation [6, 7]. Large textureless regions extracted by Maximally Stable Color Regions (MSCR) [11], which is a homogeneous-color region detector, are approximated using piecewise planar models which are estimated by the corresponding semi-dense 3D points and the proposed multi-plane segmentation algorithm. Plane models associated with the same 3D area across multiple overlapping views are linked and fused to ensure a consistent and accurate 3D reconstruction. Experimental results on two public datasets [15, 23] demonstrate that our method is 2.3X~2.9X faster than the state-of-the-art method DPPTAM [2], and meanwhile achieves better reconstruction accuracy and completeness. We also apply our method to a real AR application and live experiments with a hand-held camera demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our method in practical scenario.
Using artificial neural network models in stock market index prediction

Forecasting stock exchange rates is an important financial problem that is receiving increasing attention. During the last few years, a number of neural network models and hybrid models have been proposed for obtaining accurate prediction results, in an attempt to outperform the traditional linear and nonlinear approaches. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of neural network models which are known to be dynamic and effective in stock-market predictions. The models analysed are multi-layer perceptron (MLP), dynamic artificial neural network (DAN2) and the hybrid neural networks which use generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH) to extract new input variables. The comparison for each model is done in two view points: Mean Square Error (MSE) and Mean Absolute Deviate (MAD) using real exchange daily rate values of NASDAQ Stock Exchange index. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A numerical study of crack-tip plasticity in glassy polymers

This paper reports on a finite element analysis of the crack-tip plastic zone and near-tip fields in viscoplastic glassy amorphous polymers. The constitutive model employed in this study accounts for the typical shear yielding behavior of glassy polymers, i.e., the intrinsic softening upon yielding and the subsequent orientational strain hardening. The small scale yielding, boundary layer approach is adopted to model the local finite-strain deformation processes in front of a crack with a blunt notch, Numerical[ results show that the shape of the plastic zone near the tip of a Mode I crack in a glassy polymer depends sensitively on the combined effect of softening and strain hardening. Softening tends to intensify the plastic deformation, while the subsequent hardening tends to depress plastic flow and gives rise to continuous propagation of the current plastic zone. "lhus, the plastic zone in typical amorphous polymers is found to be quite different from the HRR solution for yielding in hardening metals. It is also found that the distribution of hydrostatic stress, which is probably responsible for crazing, is intimately related to the pattern of the plastic deformation in front of the crack tip. PACS: 61.41. + e
369 E-book Scenario in Malaysia Tertiary Education : A Case Study

The advent of internet technology has made digital content widely accessible to everyone. However, previous studies showed that the uptake of e-books has been slow. This study attempts to investigate on the ebook usage of Multimedia University students. An online survey is conducted on 86 students to gauge their perception and acceptance of an e-book . Results showed that e-book usage is still not encouraging, where only 52.3% of the respondents have read an e-book. This paper sheds on some hardware and onscreen design factors that hinder the adoption of e-book s in the institution.
Indistinción e ineficacia: observaciones al entrecruce arte y política en la escena artística del siglo XX

This paper seeks to relate some central issues from Danto and Ranciere’s theoretical developments with some form of avant garde art developed in Argentina in the twentieth century. In a first instance are taken into account both forms of artistic and political denunciation as paradigms of overlapping and indistinctness exemplified by El Siluetazo and Tucuman Arde. Danto will offer the indiscernibility concept to think about art and with Ranciere will be evaluated the degree of impugnation claimed for the critic art facing the examples offered. Keywords: Danto, art, politics, Ranciere, inefficacy.
Palaeolithic diet decreases fasting plasma leptin concentrations more than a diabetes diet in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomised cross-over trial

BACKGROUND
We have previously shown that a Palaeolithic diet consisting of the typical food groups that our ancestors ate during the Palaeolithic era, improves cardiovascular disease risk factors and glucose control compared to the currently recommended diabetes diet in patients with type 2 diabetes. To elucidate the mechanisms behind these effects, we evaluated fasting plasma concentrations of glucagon, insulin, incretins, ghrelin, C-peptide and adipokines from the same study.


METHODS
In a randomised, open-label, cross-over study, 13 patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to eat a Palaeolithic diet based on lean meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, root vegetables, eggs and nuts, or a diabetes diet designed in accordance with current diabetes dietary guidelines during two consecutive 3-month periods. The patients were recruited from primary health-care units and included three women and 10 men [age (mean ± SD) 64 ± 6 years; BMI 30 ± 7 kg/m(2); diabetes duration 8 ± 5 years; glycated haemoglobin 6.6 ± 0.6 % (57.3 ± 6 mmol/mol)] with unaltered diabetes treatment and stable body weight for 3 months prior to the start of the study. Outcome variables included fasting plasma concentrations of leptin, adiponectin, adipsin, visfatin, resistin, glucagon, insulin, C-peptide, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, glucagon-like peptide-1 and ghrelin. Dietary intake was evaluated by use of 4-day weighed food records.


RESULTS
Seven participants started with the Palaeolithic diet and six with the diabetes diet. The Palaeolithic diet resulted in a large effect size (Cohen's d = -1.26) at lowering fasting plasma leptin levels compared to the diabetes diet [mean difference (95 % CI), -2.3 (-5.1 to 0.4) ng/ml, p = 0.023]. No statistically significant differences between the diets for the other variables, analysed in this study, were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Over a 3-month study period, a Palaeolithic diet resulted in reduced fasting plasma leptin levels, but did not change fasting levels of insulin, C-peptide, glucagon, incretins, ghrelin and adipokines compared to the currently recommended diabetes diet.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00435240.