Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Uptake of Antioxidants by Natural Nutrition and Supplementation: Pros and Cons from the Dermatological Point of View

The pros and cons of the systemic and topical application of antioxidant substances are a subject of intense discussion among experts, with resulting confusion for consumers and producers. The objective of the present article is to clarify the various uncertainties relating to the use of antioxidant substances in dermatology. Whereas inappropriate application of antioxidant substances (concerning their concentration and composition) might induce harmful effects, the consumer will definitively benefit from physiological concentrations and compositions of antioxidants. The most suitable method is the consumption of natural antioxidants in the form of fruit and vegetables, for example. In addition, the skin, which also accumulates antioxidant substances, may profit from a sufficient antioxidative level, as damage induced by sun radiation in addition to skin aging is reduced.
Cue integration vs. exemplar-based reasoning in multi-attribute decisions from memory: A matter of cue representation

Inferences about target variables can be achieved by deliberate integration of probabilistic cues or by retrieving similar cue-patterns (exemplars) from memory. In tasks with cue information presented in on-screen displays, rule-based strategies tend to dominate unless the abstraction of cue-target relations is unfeasible. This dominance has also been demonstrated — surprisingly — in experiments that demanded the retrieval of cue values from memory (M. Persson & J. Rieskamp, 2009). In three modified replications involving a fictitious disease, binary cue values were represented either by alternative symptoms (e.g., fever vs. hypothermia) or by symptom presence vs. absence (e.g., fever vs. no fever). The former representation might hinder cue abstraction. The cues were predictive of the severity of the disease, and participants had to infer in each trial who of two patients was sicker. Both experiments replicated the rule-dominance with present-absent cues but yielded higher percentages of exemplar-based strategies with alternative cues. The experiments demonstrate that a change in cue representation may induce a dramatic shift from rule-based to exemplar-based reasoning in formally identical tasks.
Can vaginal misoprostol effectively increase rate of a satisfactory colposcopy? A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of vaginal misoprostol in overcoming an unsatisfactory colposcopy in the patients who had abnormal cervical cytology and to evaluate side effects of vaginal misoprostol. METHODS Sixty patients with an unsatisfactory colposcopy during the period of September 2007-November 2008 were recruited and randomly allocated to receive either two tablets of 200 microg misoprostol (400 microg) or two tablets of similar-looking placebo vaginally. Colposcopic re-examination was performed approximately 6 h later. The results and side effects before and 2 weeks after the colposcopic re-examination were recorded. RESULTS Six out of 30 patients in the misoprostol group (20.0%) had a satisfactory colposcopic re-examination compared with 2 out of 27 patients (7.4%) in the placebo group without statistically significant difference (P = 0.172). Three patients in the placebo group dropped out due to not present at the appointment time. Six out of 30 patients (20.0%) and 1 out of 30 patients (3.3%) in the misoprostol group had side effects before and 2 weeks after the colposcopic re-examination orderly. Twenty-seven patients in the placebo group did not have any side effects before and 2 weeks after the colposcopic re-examination. All side effects occurred were minimal and well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS Four hundred micrograms of vaginal misoprostol were not proved to be effective in converting an unsatisfactory to a satisfactory colposcopy.
MicroReview: The role of Plasmodium falciparum var genes in malaria in pregnancy

Sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum‐infected erythrocytes in the placenta is responsible for many of the harmful effects of malaria during pregnancy. Sequestration occurs as a result of parasite adhesion molecules expressed on the surface of infected erythrocytes binding to host receptors in the placenta such as chondroitin sulphate A (CSA). Identification of the parasite ligand(s) responsible for placental adhesion could lead to the development of a vaccine to induce antibodies to prevent placental sequestration. Such a vaccine would reduce the maternal anaemia and infant deaths that are associated with malaria in pregnancy. Current research indicates that the parasite ligands mediating placental adhesion may be members of the P. falciparum variant surface antigen family PfEMP1, encoded by var genes. Two relatively well‐conserved subfamilies of var genes have been implicated in placental adhesion, however, their role remains controversial. This review examines the evidence for and against the involvement of var genes in placental adhesion, and considers whether the most appropriate vaccine candidates have yet been identified.
Vascular Function and Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis: the Role of Physical Activity

Inflammation disturbs biochemical pathways involved in homeostasis of the endothelium. Research has established clear links between inflammatory mediators, particularly C-reactive protein and tumour necrosis factor alpha, endothelial dysfunction, and atherosclerosis. Endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis may be subclinical at early stages, and thus the ability to detect them with non-invasive techniques is crucially important, particularly in populations at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, such as those with rheumatoid arthritis. This may allow the identification of interventions that may reverse these processes early on. One of the best non-pharmacological interventions that may achieve this is physical activity. This review explores the associations between inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and atherosclerosis and discusses the role of exercise in blocking specific pathways in the inflammation, endothelial dysfunction - atherosclerosis network.
Prognostic significance of intragastric pressure for the occurrence of aspiration pneumonia in the patients with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG).

BACKGROUND/AIMS Patients who have undergone a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy have been increasing. However, complications in serious patients are encountered more frequently. We attempted to examine the simple and new technique for the purpose of preventing complications in percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy patients. By using our method of measuring of the intragastric pressure during the fasting period, the aspiration pneumonia of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy patient could be estimated. METHODOLOGY From January 2003 to December 2005, one hundred and thirty-two consecutive patients were examined. The intragastric pressure is measured by using a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube. This method is referenced as the technique for measuring the intra-abdominal pressure which is measured in the case of the abdominal compartment syndrome and the central venous pressure. RESULTS The mean intragastric pressure of patients with complicated pneumonia was 10.4 +/- 7.1 cm H2O, and 4.7 +/- 4.5 cm H2O with non-complicated pneumonia (p=0.0001). In cases of the patients in whom the tube immediately becomes dirty, the mean intragastric pressure was higher than in clean cases (p=0.0005). CONCLUSIONS There is a relationship between the intragastric pressure and the incidence of complications such as aspiration pneumonia. Our simple and easy technique can estimate the aspiration pneumonia.
Social Media: How to Engage, Share, and Connect

Foreword, Ryan Schram Introduction Part I: The Advancement of an Industry Chapter 1: The Four Quadrants of Public Relations Chapter 2: The Evolution of Social Media Chapter 3: Status: "It's Complicated" Part II - Formulating a Strategy: Social Media Tools used by PR Practitioners Chapter 4: Social Press Chapter 5: Sharing Expertise Chapter 6: Social Networks Chapter 7: Photo Sharing Chapter 8: Video Chapter 9: Crisis Management on the Social Sphere Chapter 10: Rules of Engagement: Developing an Effective Social Media Policy for Your Company & Employees Chapter 11: Online Media Centers in a Connected World Chapter 12: Measuring Social Media's Impact and Value Part III -The Social Media Plan Chapter 13: The Roadmap to Success: Developing a Social Media Plan Index About the Author
Optical coherence tomography for blood glucose monitoring in vitro through spatial and temporal approaches

Abstract. As diabetes causes millions of deaths worldwide every year, new methods for blood glucose monitoring are in demand. Noninvasive approaches may increase patient adherence to treatment while reducing costs, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) may be a feasible alternative to current invasive diagnostics. This study presents two methods for blood sugar monitoring with OCT in vitro. The first, based on spatial statistics, exploits changes in the light total attenuation coefficient caused by different concentrations of glucose in the sample using a 930-nm commercial OCT system. The second, based on temporal analysis, calculates differences in the decorrelation time of the speckle pattern in the OCT signal due to blood viscosity variations with the addition of glucose with data acquired by a custom built Swept Source 1325-nm OCT system. Samples consisted of heparinized mouse blood, phosphate buffer saline, and glucose. Additionally, further samples were prepared by diluting mouse blood with isotonic saline solution to verify the effect of higher multiple scattering components on the ability of the methods to differentiate glucose levels. Our results suggest a direct relationship between glucose concentration and both decorrelation rate and attenuation coefficient, with our systems being able to detect changes of 65 mg/dL in glucose concentration.
Soil moisture and rainfall retrieval from AMSR2 data in Italy

In this paper, the soil moisture content (SMC) estimated from Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) through the ANN-based “HydroAlgo” algorithm is firstly compared with the outputs of the Soil Water Balance hydrological model (SWBM). The comparison is performed over Italy, by considering all the available overpasses of AMSR2, since July 2012. The SMC generated by Hydroalgo is then considered as input for generating a rainfall product through the SM2RAIN algorithm. The comparison between observed and estimated rainfall in central Italy provided satisfactory results with a substantial room for improvement. The aim of this work is to exploit the potential of AMSR2 for hydrological applications on a regional scale and in heterogeneous environments characterised by different surface covers at subpixel resolution.
Changing Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles among Neisseria gonorrhoeae Isolates in Italy, 2003 to 2012

ABSTRACT The emergence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates displaying resistance to antimicrobial agents is a major public health concern and a serious issue related to the occurrence of further untreatable gonorrhea infections. A retrospective analysis on 1,430 N. gonorrhoeae isolates, collected from 2003 through 2012, for antimicrobial susceptibility by Etest and molecular characterization by Neisseria gonorrhoeae multiantigen sequence typing (NG-MAST) was carried out in Italy. Azithromycin-resistant gonococci decreased from 14% in 2007 to 2.2% in 2012. Similarly, isolates with high MICs to cefixime (>0.125 mg/liter) decreased from 11% in 2008 to 3.3% in 2012. The ciprofloxacin resistance rate remains quite stable, following an increasing trend up to 64% in 2012. The percentage of penicillinase-producing N. gonorrhoeae (PPNG) significantly declined from 77% in 2003 to 7% in 2012. A total of 81 multidrug-resistant (MDR) gonococci were identified, showing 11 different antimicrobial resistance patterns. These were isolated from men who have sex with men (MSM) and from heterosexual patients. Two sequence types (STs), ST661 and ST1407, were the most common. Genogroup 1407, which included cefixime-, ciprofloxacin-, and azithromycin-resistant isolates, was found. In conclusion, a change in the antimicrobial resistance profiles among gonococci was identified in Italy together with a percentage of MDR isolates.
Consequence-Based Reasoning beyond Horn Ontologies

Consequence-based ontology reasoning procedures have so far been known only for Horn ontology languages. A difficulty in extending such procedures is that non-Horn axioms seem to require reasoning by case, which causes non-determinism in tableau-based procedures. In this paper we present a consequence-based procedure for ALCH that overcomes this difficulty by using rules similar to ordered resolution to deal with disjunctive axioms in a deterministic way; it retains all the favourable attributes of existing consequence-based procedures, such as goal-directed "one pass" classification, optimal worst-case complexity, and "pay-as-you-go" behaviour. Our preliminary empirical evaluation suggests that the procedure scales well to non-Horn ontologies.
Prevalence and clinical profile of insulin resistance in young women of poly cystic ovary syndrome: A study from Pakistan

Objective: The aim was to estimate the prevalence of Insulin Resistance (IR) in Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and analyze its clinical parameters. Methodology: This observational study was conducted at Dow University Hospital during June 2011 till May 2012. Patients of PCOS were selected, an anthropometric measurement, examination and fasting blood test for sugar (FBS) and insulin was performed. Data was collected on pre designed questionnaire, was analyzed by SPSS version 16. Results: Forty-six cases of PCOS were included in the study. Prevalence of IR was 34.78%. Mean age of patients was 23.72 ± 4.37 years. Waist Hip Ratio (WHR) was raised in 42 (91.30%), acanthosis was found in 26(56.50%), impaired FBS was seen in 9 (19.6%) and raised fasting insulin in 16 (34.8%) patients. There was significant association between acanthosis and WHR (0.044) and between acanthosis and FBS (0.008). Correlation studies between parameters showed a significant correlation between Waist & Hips (0.93), similarly Waist & WHR showed positive correlation (0.59), at p< 0.01. Significant positive correlation was also found between waist and FBS (0.32) and FBS & WHR (0.378). Conclusion: Acanthosis nigrican, raised WHR and FBS are significant parameters for insulin resistance in cases of Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
Proliferation and Morphogenesis of the Endoplasmic Reticulum Driven by the Membrane Domain of 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase in Plant Cells1[OPEN]

The membrane domain of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase contributes to the morphogenesis of the endoplasmic reticulum. The enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) has a key regulatory role in the mevalonate pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis and is composed of an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-anchoring membrane domain with low sequence similarity among eukaryotic kingdoms and a conserved cytosolic catalytic domain. Organized smooth endoplasmic reticulum (OSER) structures are common formations of hypertrophied tightly packed ER membranes devoted to specific biosynthetic and secretory functions, the biogenesis of which remains largely unexplored. We show that the membrane domain of plant HMGR suffices to trigger ER proliferation and OSER biogenesis. The proliferating membranes become highly enriched in HMGR protein, but they do not accumulate sterols, indicating a morphogenetic rather than a metabolic role for HMGR. The N-terminal MDVRRRPP motif present in most plant HMGR isoforms is not required for retention in the ER, which was previously proposed, but functions as an ER morphogenic signal. Plant OSER structures are morphologically similar to those of animal cells, emerge from tripartite ER junctions, and mainly build up beside the nuclear envelope, indicating conserved OSER biogenesis in high eukaryotes. Factors other than the OSER-inducing HMGR construct mediate the tight apposition of the proliferating membranes, implying separate ER proliferation and membrane association steps. Overexpression of the membrane domain of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) HMGR leads to ER hypertrophy in every tested cell type and plant species, whereas the knockout of the HMG1 gene from Arabidopsis, encoding its major HMGR isoform, causes ER aggregation at the nuclear envelope. Our results show that the membrane domain of HMGR contributes to ER morphogenesis in plant cells.
Compensation for In-Phase/Quadrature Imbalance in Coherent-Receiver Front End for Optical Quadrature Amplitude Modulation

We propose a novel method of compensation for imbalance between in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) channels in the front-end circuit of digital coherent optical receivers. Adaptive finite-impulse-response (FIR) filters in the butterfly configuration, which are commonly used for signal equalization and polarization demultiplexing, are modified so as to allow for adjustment of any imbalance between the IQ channels. IQ imbalances under consideration include the gain mismatch, the phase mismatch, and the timing-delay skew. Computer simulations for the dual-polarization quadrature-amplitude-modulation (QAM) format up to an order of 256 show that such IQ imbalances can severely degrade the system performance, especially for higher order QAM; however, using the proposed scheme, we can compensate for them without any significant penalty over a wide range of imbalances.
Cobalt-manganese-based spinels as multifunctional materials that unify catalytic water oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions.

Recently, there has been much interest in the design and development of affordable and highly efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts that can resolve the pivotal issues that concern solar fuels, fuel cells, and rechargeable metal-air batteries. Here we present the synthesis and application of porous CoMn2 O4 and MnCo2 O4 spinel microspheres as highly efficient multifunctional catalysts that unify the electrochemical OER with oxidant-driven and photocatalytic water oxidation as well as the ORR. The porous materials were prepared by the thermal degradation of the respective carbonate precursors at 400 °C. The as-prepared spinels display excellent performances in electrochemical OER for the cubic MnCo2 O4 phase in comparison to the tetragonal CoMn2 O4 material in an alkaline medium. Moreover, the oxidant-driven and photocatalytic water oxidations were performed and they exhibited a similar trend in activity to that of the electrochemical OER. Remarkably, the situation is reversed in ORR catalysis, that is, the oxygen reduction activity and stability of the tetragonal CoMn2 O4 catalyst outperformed that of cubic MnCo2 O4 and rivals that of benchmark Pt catalysts. The superior catalytic performance and the remarkable stability of the unifying materials are attributed to their unique porous and robust microspherical morphology and the intrinsic structural features of the spinels. Moreover, the facile access to these high-performance materials enables a reliable and cost-effective production on a large scale for industrial applications.
Abstraction and Concreteness in Customary Practices in Malaysia: A Preliminary Understanding

This paper attempts to discuss the concept of abstraction and concreteness using two ‘adats’ (customary practices) in Malaysia namely Adat Perpatih and Adat Temenggung. Nonetheless, focus will be more on Adat Perpatih because the smaller number of practitioners of the ‘adat. ’ As this is a preliminary paper, content analysis of previous research was used to facilitate discussion. Findings of this paper suggest that no one culture is solely based on abstraction nor concreteness. This is especially exemplified by the norms and values of Adat Perpatih, which can be categorised as a more concrete society.
Parental Postoperative Pain Management: Attitudes, Assessment, and Management

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies suggested that parents frequently do not adequately treat postoperative pain that is experienced at home. Reasons for these parental practices have not been extensively studied. Aims of this study were to examine parental postoperative pain assessment and management practices at home as well potential attitudinal barriers to such pain practices. METHODS: This was a longitudinal study involving 132 parents of children who were aged 2 to 12 years and undergoing elective outpatient surgery. Parental attitudes about pain assessment and management were assessed preoperatively, and children's pain severity and analgesic administration were assessed postoperatively for the first 48 hours after discharge. RESULTS: Although postoperative parental ratings indicated significant pain, parents provided a median of only 1 dose of analgesics (range: 0–3) during the first 48 hours after surgery. In the attitudinal survey, parents' responses have indicated significant barriers. For example, 52% of parents indicated that analgesics are addictive, and 73% reported worries concerning adverse effects. Also, 37% of parents thought that “the less often children receive analgesics, the better they work. ” Regression analysis demonstrated that, overall, more preoperative attitudinal barriers to pain management were significantly associated with provision of fewer doses of analgesics by parents (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Parents detected pain in their children yet provided few doses of analgesics. Parents may benefit from interventions that provide them with information that addresses individual barriers regarding assessing and treating pain.
Is Adult Height of Patients With Celiac Disease Influenced by Delayed Diagnosis?

OBJECTIVES:Short stature is one of the presenting symptoms of celiac disease (CD), and growth acceleration can be achieved with gluten-free diet (GFD). However, the data regarding final adult height of CD patients are scarce and inconclusive. Our aim was to evaluate the adult height of CD patients in relation to the age at diagnosis: ≤18 yr or >18 yr.METHODS:Questionnaires were sent to CD patients ≥18 yr of age, who were either members of the Israeli Celiac Association or patients followed by the pediatric gastroenterology unit, including questions about height, weight, gender, age at diagnosis, and GFD adherence. The height Z scores were calculated for each patient.RESULTS:In total, 290 patients (M/F = 83/207), age 38.9 ± 15.5 yr (range 18–76), were included: 113 were diagnosed before and 177 after 18 yr of age (groups 1 and 2, respectively). The mean adult height was: 178.4 ± 6.6 cm and 176.2 ± 8.6 cm for men (P= 0.22), and 163.0 ± 6.6 cm and 162.6 ± 6.5 cm for women (P= 0.68) in groups 1 and 2, respectively. The height Z scores were 0.230 ± 0.931 and −0.07 ± 1.19 for men (P= 0.22), and −0.05 ± 1.02 and −0.101 ± 0.990 for women (P= 0.68) in groups 1 and 2, respectively. The final height inversely correlated with age at diagnosis in men (R =− 0.275, P= 0.012) but not in women (R =− 1.0, P= not significant [NS]). CONCLUSIONS:The final height of patients with CD is similar to the general population. The adult height of male patients with CD is inversely related to the age at diagnosis. Delayed diagnosis of CD may lead to a shorter adult height in men but not in women.