Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modified Yupingfeng formula for the treatment of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is a very common disease of respiratory system. An increasing number of clinical trials on Yupingfeng formula in the management of stable COPD have been performed. However, the evidence base for it remains unknown. This review aims at assessing the efficacy, and safety of modified Yupingfeng formula in the treatment of stable COPD through a systematic review of all available randomized controlled trials. MATERIALS AND METHODS Literature retrieval was conducted using four English databases (CENTRAL, PubMed, EMBASE, and ISI Web of Science), and four Chinese databases (CBM, CNKI, VIP, and WANFANG), from respective inception to January 2013, and supplemented with a manual search. Review authors independently extracted the trial data, and assessed the quality of each trial. Methodological quality was assessed by Cochrane risk of bias and Jadad's scale. The following outcomes were evaluated: (1) lung function; (2) 6-minute walk distance (6MWD); (3) effective rate; (4) serum levels of IgA, IgG and IgE; and (5) adverse events. Data were analyzed using STATA 12.0 software. RESULTS A total of nine studies involving 660, stable COPD patients were identified. Patients from all studies included in this review were randomized to receive Yupingfeng formula combined with Western medications in comparison with Western medications. In general, the methodological quality of the included trials was poor. The results of this systematic review indicates that, compared with Western medications alone, the use of Yupingfeng formula, if combined with Western medications could significantly improve FEV1 (WMD = 0.30L; 95%CI: 0.19, 0.42), FEV1/FVC ratio (SMD = 0.69; 95%CI: 0.48, 0.91), 6MWD (WMD = 31.73m; 95% CI: 19.29, 44.17), and effective rate (RR = 1.24; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.41), and increase the serum levels of IgA (WMD = 0.25; 95%CI: 0.16, 0.34) and IgG (WMD = 1.10; 95%CI: 0.53, 1.68), but no difference was found in the serum IgE levels (WMD = 0.47; 95%CI: -0.32, 1.27) between the two groups. No serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS Within the limitations of this systematic review, we may conclude that compared with Western medications alone, Yupingfeng formula, when combined with Western medications can provide more benefits for patients with stable COPD, without any serious adverse reactions being identified. However, these benefits need to be further confirmed through high-quality prospective placebo-controlled trials that should be strictly conducted in accordance with methodological principles and procedures.
Saskia Sassen and the Sociology of Globalization: A Critical Appraisal

A sociology of globalization has come into existence in recent years as both an umbrella for a number of traditional sub-fields and also as a theoretical enterprise. Social scientists have attempted to theorize worldwide social transformations in recent decades and to conceive of a global system with its own emergent properties. Among the most widely-cited scholars in this emerging field is Saskia Sassen, a Dutch-born sociologist and economist. This article charts and critically assesses Sassen’s particular sociology of globalization. The main focus is on two interrelated topics for which she is best known: global cities and transnational migration. Ongoing and novel reconfigurations of time and space are central to many globalization theories as globalization redefines the relationship between production and territoriality, economic organization, institutions and social processes. Sassen is most concerned with the spatial, or scalar, realities of globalization as a process that restructures space and place, as evinced in her global cities thesis and her work on transnational migration, as well as in her more recent research on the state, global digital networks and emergent global formations.
Responses to A(H1N1)pdm09 Influenza Vaccines in Participants Previously Vaccinated With Seasonal Influenza Vaccine: A Randomized, Observer-Blind, Controlled Study

Abstract Background. Prior receipt of a trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine (TIV) can affect hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody responses to pandemic influenza vaccines. We investigated the effect of TIV priming on humoral responses to AS03-adjuvanted and nonadjuvanted A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccines, the role of AS03 on cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses, and vaccine safety. Methods. Healthy adults (aged 19–40 years) were randomized 1:1:1:1 to receive TIV or saline followed 4 months later by 2 doses, 3 weeks apart, of adjuvanted or nonadjuvanted A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine and followed up to study end (day 507). Pre- and postvaccination responses of HI and neutralizing antibody, CD4+/CD8+ T cells, memory B cells, and plasmablasts were assessed. Results. Ninety-nine of the 133 participants enrolled completed the study. No vaccine-related serious adverse events were recorded. In TIV-primed participants, A(H1N1)pdm09-specific antibody and CD4+ T-cell and memory B-cell responses to the pandemic vaccine tended to be diminished. Vaccine adjuvantation led to increased responses of vaccine-homologous and -heterologous HI and neutralizing antibodies and CD4+ T cells, homologous memory B cells, and plasmablasts. Conclusions. In healthy adults, prior TIV administration decreased humoral and CMI responses to A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine. Adjuvantation of A(H1N1)pdm09 antigen helped to overcome immune interference between the influenza vaccines. No safety concerns were observed. Registration. Clinical Trials.gov identifier NCT00707967.
Field Performance of a Deep Multi-Strutted Excavation in Hangzhou Soft Clays

A case history of a deep multi-strutted soft clay excavation in Hangzhou is presented in this paper. What makes it particular interest is its three characteristics: large scale, deep excavation and very soft clays. The excavated area was about 99750 square meters. The depth of excavation was 12.85 m. 4 m below the ground surface located about 24 m very soft soil clays. Wall deflections and ground settlements were measured and compared with similar case histories worldwide. It was shown that the maximum horizontal deformations of the excavation was very large which this excavation reached to 220 mm. “Creep” deformations occurred apparently during the curing of the bottom slab of the basement. The distributions of the surface settlements seemed to be parabolic, and the settlement influence zone could reach to a distance of more than 2H, where H is the final excavation depth. The ratio between the maximum ground settlement and the maximum horizontal deformation of the wall is about 0.6.
Effects of Moderate Alcohol Intake in the Bladder of the Otsuka Long Evans Tokushima Fatty Diabetic Rats

Diabetes is related with a number of cystopathic complications. However, there have been no studies about the influence of alcohol consumption in the bladder of type 2 diabetes. Thus, we investigated the effect of moderate alcohol intake in the bladder of the Otsuka Long Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) diabetic rat. The non-diabetic Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO, n=14) and the OLETF control group (n=14) were fed an isocaloric diet; the LETO (n=14) and the OLETF ethanol group (n=14) were fed 36% ethanol 7 g/kg/day. After ten weeks, muscarinic receptors, RhoGEFs, myogenic change, and the level of oxidative stress were evaluated. Moderate alcohol intake significantly decreased excessive muscarinic receptor and Rho kinase expressions in the OLETF rats compared with the LETO rats. In addition, iNOS and collagen expression were not changed in the OLETF rats in spite of alcohol consumption. Superoxide dismutase levels, which is involved in antioxidant defense, in the LETO rats were significantly decreased after alcohol consumption, however those in the OLETF rats were similar. Moderate alcohol consumption reduces the oxidative stress, and may prevent molecular and pathologic changes of the bladder of rats with type 2 diabetes.
Tamoxifen-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cell lines

An in vitro study was conducted to determine the apoptosis induced by tamoxifen (TAM) and TAM-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) in breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 cells. The effect of free drug and drug-loaded SLN on the cell lines was characterised by cell morphology and cell cycle distribution using phase contrast microscopy, nuclear morphology and flow cytometry, respectively. The results showed that TAM-loaded SLNs have an equally efficient cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 cells, compared to free TAM, and the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of TAM-loaded SLNs was generally lower than that of free TAM. In the presence of TAM and TAM-loaded SLN, the viability of the both cells diminishes and the cancer cells lose their normal morphological characteristics, detaches, aggregates and later develops apoptotic bodies. Flow cytometry analysis showed that TAM-loaded SLN like the free TAM caused a dose- and time-dependent apoptosis without cell cycle arrest of human breast cancer cells. Therefore, TAM-loaded SLN has great potential in human medicine for the treatment of breast cancers.
Pterygium and Dry Eye- A Clinical Correlation

Authors Dr Ann Tresa Antony, Dr Mini P.A, Dr Dalia.S Department of Ophthalmology, Govt.T. D. Medical College, Alappuzha, Kerala, India Corresponding Author Dr Ann Tresa Antony Puthussery House, Piraroor P.O, Kalady, Ernakulam, 683574 Email: anntresaantony@gmail.com Abstract Purpose: To find the correlation between pterygium and dry eye. Materials & Methods: Hundred patients with unilateral pterygium who attended ophthalmology outpatient department at a tertiary care hospital during a period of 1 and 1⁄2 years were included in the study. Slit lamp examination for marginal tear meniscus height, Tear film break up time, Schirmer’s test with anaesthesia, Schirmer’s test without anaesthesia, Rose Bengal staining were performed in both eyes of the patients. Test results were compared in pterygium eye and contralateral normal eye of the same patient. Data was entered in Microsoft Excel and SPSS 17 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Out of the 100 patients 59 were men, while 41 were women. The median age was 51.5 years. The mean of tear film break up time, Schirmer 1, Schirmer 2, staining score were 7.6 seconds, 12.4 mm, 9.1 mm and 0.5 in pterygium eyes and 11.2 seconds,17.0 mm, 14.6 mm and 0.2 in contralateral eyes respectively.There was a statistically significant difference in the dry eye tests results between the pterygium eyes and the contralateral eyes (p value < 0.05). The relationship of pterygium parameters (thickness, size) between tear film break up time and schirmer tests were evaluvated.Tear film break up time was significantly reduced in thick pterygium. Both tear breakup time and Schirmer's test results had no correlation with the horizontal size of pterygium. On comparison of pterygium eye with contralateral eye, Odd’s Ratio was 10.44 showing increased risk of dry eye in pterygium. Conclusion: There is a significant association between pterygium and dry eye. Pterygium leads to abnormal tear film and development of dry eye.
Are Lifetime Abstainers the Best Control Group in Alcohol Epidemiology? On the Stability and Validity of Reported Lifetime Abstention

Lifetime abstainers have often been recommended as the comparison group in alcohol epidemiology. The objective of this study was to provide insight into the validity and stability of lifetime abstention by using data derived from the National Alcohol Survey, a national probability survey of US households conducted in 1984, and its 2 follow-up surveys conducted in 1990 and 1992. Results indicated that more than half (52.9%; all proportions were weighted to represent the US population) of those who reported never having a drink of any alcoholic beverage in the 1992 survey reported drinking in previous surveys. Depending on assumptions, this difference may result in an underestimation of alcohol-attributable mortality of 2%−15% in men and 2%−22% in women. Sociodemographic factors differentiated those who consistently reported lifetime abstention across surveys from the rest of the study population. Results suggest that using reported lifetime abstainers as a sole comparison group is problematic, especially if reporting is based on 1 measurement only. Establishing multiple measurement points and including irregular lifetime light drinkers with lifetime abstainers as the comparison group are recommended for future epidemiologic studies.
Modulation of the Host Lipid Landscape to Promote RNA Virus Replication: The Picornavirus Encephalomyocarditis Virus Converges on the Pathway Used by Hepatitis C Virus

Cardioviruses, including encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) and the human Saffold virus, are small non-enveloped viruses belonging to the Picornaviridae, a large family of positive-sense RNA [(+)RNA] viruses. All (+)RNA viruses remodel intracellular membranes into unique structures for viral genome replication. Accumulating evidence suggests that picornaviruses from different genera use different strategies to generate viral replication organelles (ROs). For instance, enteroviruses (e.g. poliovirus, coxsackievirus, rhinovirus) rely on the Golgi-localized phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase III beta (PI4KB), while cardioviruses replicate independently of the kinase. By which mechanisms cardioviruses develop their ROs is currently unknown. Here we show that cardioviruses manipulate another PI4K, namely the ER-localized phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase III alpha (PI4KA), to generate PI4P-enriched ROs. By siRNA-mediated knockdown and pharmacological inhibition, we demonstrate that PI4KA is an essential host factor for EMCV genome replication. We reveal that the EMCV nonstructural protein 3A interacts with and is responsible for PI4KA recruitment to viral ROs. The ensuing phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P) proved important for the recruitment of oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP), which delivers cholesterol to EMCV ROs in a PI4P-dependent manner. PI4P lipids and cholesterol are shown to be required for the global organization of the ROs and for viral genome replication. Consistently, inhibition of OSBP expression or function efficiently blocked EMCV RNA replication. In conclusion, we describe for the first time a cellular pathway involved in the biogenesis of cardiovirus ROs. Remarkably, the same pathway was reported to promote formation of the replication sites of hepatitis C virus, a member of the Flaviviridae family, but not other picornaviruses or flaviviruses. Thus, our results highlight the convergent recruitment by distantly related (+)RNA viruses of a host lipid-modifying pathway underlying formation of viral replication sites.
Pharmacogenomic Profiling and Pathway Analyses Identify MAPK-Dependent Migration as an Acute Response to SN38 in p53 Null and p53-Mutant Colorectal Cancer Cells

The topoisomerase I inhibitor irinotecan is used to treat advanced colorectal cancer and has been shown to have p53-independent anticancer activity. The aim of this study was to identify the p53-independent signaling mechanisms activated by irinotecan. Transcriptional profiling of isogenic HCT116 p53 wild-type and p53 null cells was carried out following treatment with the active metabolite of irinotecan, SN38. Unsupervised analysis methods showed that p53 status had a highly significant impact on gene expression changes in response to SN38. Pathway analysis indicated that pathways involved in cell motility [adherens junction, focal adhesion, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and regulation of the actin cytoskeleton] were significantly activated in p53 null cells, but not p53 wild-type cells, following SN38 treatment. In functional assays, SN38 treatment increased the migratory potential of p53 null and p53-mutant colorectal cancer cell lines, but not p53 wild-type lines. Moreover, p53 null SN38-resistant cells were found to migrate at a faster rate than parental drug-sensitive p53 null cells, whereas p53 wild-type SN38-resistant cells failed to migrate. Notably, cotreatment with inhibitors of the MAPK pathway inhibited the increased migration observed following SN38 treatment in p53 null and p53-mutant cells. Thus, in the absence of wild-type p53, SN38 promotes migration of colorectal cancer cells, and inhibiting MAPK blocks this potentially prometastatic adaptive response to this anticancer drug. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(8); 1724–34. ©2012 AACR.
Low-dose intravenous tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischaemic stroke: an alternative or a new standard?

Background With the recent publication of a large clinical trial on the use of a lower dose of intravenous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for acute ischaemic stroke (AIS), the concept of using a different dose has been debated. We intend to review the literature on using a lower dose of IV tPA and gain a better understanding of the impact of different IV doses on the treatment of patients with AIS. Methods A comprehensive literature search of the related topics in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and MEDLINE was carried out. Key words used include low dose IV tPA, thrombolysis, Alteplace and tPA for AIS. Findings were tabulated according to the size of the cohort studied, outcome, adverse event and level of evidence. The results of all studies using lower doses were analysed for efficacy and adverse events. Results From 1992 to 2016, there were 23 trials that included 10 950 patients published on the use of lower doses of IV tPA for AIS. Doses ranged from 0.5, 0.6, 0.75 to 0.85 mg/kg. Most were observational, retrospective and registry studies. One was a prospective open-label randomised controlled trial. 13 trials combined lower doses of IV tPA with a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor or thrombectomy. Patients treated with lower doses of IV tPA showed a trend of lower rate of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage and mortality at 3 months but slightly more disability. Conclusions Lower doses of IV tPA showed less haemorrhagic events but were not more effective compared with the standard dose. The optimal low dose of IV tPA remains unclear. Patients with AIS with a high risk of developing sypmtomatic intracranial haemorrhage might benefit from lower dose IV tPA, such as 0.6 mg/kg.
Colour texture fusion of multiple range images

Texture mapping of manifolds that were reconstructed from different range views requires the fusion of the texture maps acquired from different views. Illumination conditions and camera technology prevents colour continuity in the fusion process leading to observable discontinuities in the colour (and also lightness). We present a simple method for the correction of this discontinuity. First a global correction is applied that largely removes the systematic differences between the individual texture maps. Local corrections refine the small observable variations in colour that may still exist near the fusion boundaries.
Ieee Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics Bilateral Normal Filtering for Mesh Denoising

—Decoupling local geometric features from the spatial location of a mesh is crucial for feature-preserving mesh denoising. This paper focuses on first-order features, i.e., facet normals, and presents a simple yet effective anisotropic mesh denoising framework via normal field denoising. Unlike previous denoising methods based on normal filtering, which process normals defined on the Gauss sphere, our method considers normals as a surface signal defined over the original mesh. This allows the design of a novel bilateral normal filter that depends on both spatial distance and signal distance. Our bilateral filter is a more natural extension of the elegant bilateral filter for image denoising than those used in previous bilateral mesh denoising methods. Besides applying this bilateral normal filter in a local, iterative scheme, as common in most of previous works, we present for the first time a global, non-iterative scheme for anisotropic denoising. We show that the former scheme is faster and more effective for denoising extremely noisy meshes while the latter scheme is more robust to irregular surface sampling. We demonstrate that both our feature-preserving schemes generally produce visually and numerically better denoising results than previous methods, especially at challenging regions with sharp features or irregular sampling.
Adjunctive Therapy with Curcumin for Peptic Ulcer: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract Background: Curcumin, the bioactive ingredient of turmeric, has been shown to improve the treatment of peptic ulcer (PU) in animal studies. However, clinical studies confirming this effect of curcumin have been scant. Objective: To assess the efficacy of adjunctive therapy with curcumin on the eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection and severity of dyspepsia in patients with PU. Methods: In this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled parallel-group trial, patients diagnosed with PU were assigned to standard H. pylori eradication triple therapy with clarithromycin (500 mg b.i.d.), amoxicillin (1 000 mg b.i.d.) and pantoprazole (40 mg b.i.d.), and randomized to receive either curcumin (500 mg/day) or placebo as adjunct to standard treatment. Severity of dyspepsia symptoms was evaluated using the Hong Kong dyspepsia index (HKDI). Eradication of H. pylori infection was assessed using the urea breath test (UBT) at 4 weeks following the end of treatment. Results: Adjunctive therapy with curcumin was associated with a greater improvement of dyspepsia symptoms according to the HKDI score (change score: −12.90±2.81 vs. −9.60±3.39 in the curcumin and control group, respectively; p<0.001). The number of subjects whose dyspepsia was resolved during the course of treatment was significantly higher in the curcumin (27.6%) vs. placebo (6.7%) group (p=0.042). Nevertheless, the results of UBT test showed equal rate (73.3%) of H. pylori eradication in the study groups. Curcumin was safe during the course of trial. Conclusion: Addition of curcumin on top of the standard anti-helicobacter regimen in patients with PU is safe and improves dyspepsia symptoms but has no enhancing effect on the eradication of H. pylori infection.
Interactive Distributed Detection: Architecture and Performance Analysis

This paper studies the impact of interactive fusion on detection performance in tandem fusion networks with conditionally independent observations. Within the Neyman-Pearson framework, two distinct regimes are considered: the fixed sample size test and the large sample test. For the former, it is established that interactive distributed detection may strictly outperform the one-way tandem fusion structure. However, for the large sample regime, it is shown that interactive fusion has no improvement on the asymptotic performance characterized by the Kullback-Leibler distance compared with the simple one-way tandem fusion. The results are then extended to interactive fusion systems where the fusion center and the sensor may undergo multiple steps of memoryless interactions or that involve multiple peripheral sensors, as well as to interactive fusion with soft sensor outputs.