Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Medication Packaging and Older Patients: A Systematic Review

The global challenges posed by demographic change call for more senior‐friendly medication packaging. This paper presents a comprehensive integrated view and synthesis of the literature on medication packaging and older people. Considering the multidisciplinary nature of the research field, a systematic review was conducted in four databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Medline and Engineering Village), limited to original research studies containing empirical data and English‐language papers, published until January 2015. Manual reference mining was carried out for other relevant papers, and a critical appraisal methodology was applied to judge the quality of the papers. In total, 34 studies are fully reviewed and classified according to the main characteristics of the studies, information about older patients and impact of the packaging on medication use. As a result, the review indicates the literature to be fragmented and diverse yet composed of two major interconnected research streams (physical functionality and user capability; medication management) and orientations (packaging; user). The physical functionality and user capability stream of research with a packaging orientation addresses child‐resistant containers (CRCs), whereas the user‐oriented studies address openability, i.e. the ease of opening the medication. In contrast, the medication management stream of research with a packaging orientation focuses on the adherence outcomes of different package aids, whereas the user‐oriented studies focus on the counselling provided by healthcare professionals and coping strategies for older patients to handle the packages. These original findings provide valuable input to researchers and practitioners and offer guidance for the further development of medication packaging. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of Rolling in Low Temperature Austenite Region on Strength, Ductility and Toughness of Rail Steels

Synopsis : For the purpose of improving the ductility and toughness of pearlitic eutectoid steel, such as rail steel, controlled-rolling was carried out. In this paper, controlled-rolling means the rolling in low temperature austenite ( ƒÁ) region. The effects of rolling conditions and alloy additions on the microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. The results are summarized as follows : (1) ƒÁ grains of the eutectoid steels controlled-rolled are refined or elongated, consequently, pearlite colonys become refined. (2) Also in eutectoid steel, the addition of Nb and V has a retardation effect on recrystallization. Cr addition also has the effect a little. Si addition does not show any such effects. (3) The nucleation rate of ƒÁ• ̈ pearlite transformation in the unrecrystallized ƒÁ grain boundaries is higher than that in the recrystallized ones. (4) As for eutectoid steel, in general, the ductility and the toughness increaseaccompanying with decrease in yield strength accordingly as the controlled-rolling intensifies more.Only the steel to which Nb was added shows an improvement in ductility and toughness without a decrease in strength. (5) Si addition improves the fracture toughness markedly. (6) The combination of the complex addition of Nb, Si and the intensified controlled-rolling is effective for the improvement of ductility and toughness of rail steels.
Influence of the phase separator design on the perfomance of the UASB reactor and on excess sludge production

The efficiency of the phase separator in UASB reactors can be increased by placing additional parallel plates above the conventional device, thus forming a high rate settler. From settling theory it can be deducted the performance of the plates improves when the height of the zone with parallel plates increases or the distance between plates and the angle of the plates decreases. In practice the height is limited by the construction cost of the reactor. The distance between the plates must be sufficient for maintenance and the angle to allow the retained sludge to slide readily back into the digestion zone. The experimental data show that indeed the digested COD fraction is greatly increased by adding parallel plates to a UASB reactor. As a consequence, the improved separator opens the possibility of a considerable increase of the applied load to the UASB reactor: Parallel plates used in a pilot scale (1500 l) UASB reactor led to an increase of the treatment capacity by a factor 2. The experimental data also showed that the fundamental operational variable to describe the behaviour of the UASB reactor is in fact the sludge age: at any particular temperature the effluent quality and the quality and quantity of excess sludge will be equal in two UASB reactors, if the sludge age in these is the same.
Stromal Cell-Derived Factor-1α Alleviates Calcium-Sensing Receptor Activation-Mediated Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Inhibiting Caspase-3/Caspase-9-Induced Cell Apoptosis in Rat Free Flaps

Surgical flaps are frequently affected by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) and stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) are closely associated with myocardial I/R injury. This study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of applying SDF-1α to counteract CaSR activation-mediated I/R injury in ischemic free flaps. Free flaps that underwent ischemia for 3 h were equally randomized into five groups: CaCl2, NPS2143 + CaCl2, SDF-1α + CaCl2, AMD3100 + SDF-1α + CaCl2, and normal saline. The free flaps were harvested to evaluate flap necrosis and neovascularization after 2 h or 7 d of reperfusion. p-CaSR/CaSR was extensively expressed in vascular endothelial cells of free flaps after I/R injury, and activation of the SDF-1α/CXCR4 axis and NPS2143 could reduce the expression of cleaved caspase-3, caspase-9, FAS, Cyt-c, and Bax and increase Bcl-2 expression; the opposite was true after CaSR activation. Interestingly, initiation of the SDF-1α/CXCR4 axis might abrogate CaSR activation-induced I/R injury through enhancement of microvessel density. In conclusion, CaSR might become a novel therapeutic target of free flaps affected by I/R injury. Activation of the SDF-1α/CXCR4 axis and NPS2143 could counteract CaSR activation-mediated I/R injury and promote free flap survival through inhibition of caspase-3/caspase-9-related cell apoptosis and enhancement of neovascularization.
Pre-treatment with Chrysanthemum indicum Linné extract protects pyramidal neurons from transient cerebral ischemia via increasing antioxidants in the gerbil hippocampal CA1 region

Chrysanthemum indicum Linné extract (CIL) is used in herbal medicine in East Asia. In the present study, gerbils were orally pre-treated with CIL, and changes of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD) 1 and SOD2, catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in the hippocampal CA1 region following 5 min of transient cerebral ischemia were investigated and the neuroprotective effect of CIL in the ischemic CA1 region was examined. SOD1, SOD2, CAT and GPX immunoreactivities were observed in the pyramidal cells of the CA1 region and their immunoreactivities were gradually decreased following ischemia-reperfusion and barely detectable at 5 days post-ischemia. CIL pre-treatment significantly increased immunoreactivities of SOD1, CAT and GPX, but not SOD2, in the CA1 pyramidal cells of the sham-operated animals. In addition, SOD1, SOD2, CAT and GPX immunoreactivities in the CA1 pyramidal cells were significantly higher compared with the ischemia-operated animals. Furthermore, it was identified that pre-treatment with CIL protected the CA1 pyramidal cells in the CA1 region using neuronal nuclei immunohistochemistry and Fluoro-Jade B histofluorescence staining; the protected CA1 pyramidal cells were 67.5% compared with the sham-operated animals. In conclusion, oral CIL pre-treatment increased endogenous antioxidant enzymes in CA1 pyramidal cells in the gerbil hippocampus and protected the cells from transient cerebral ischemic insult. This finding suggested that CIL is promising for the prevention of ischemia-induced neuronal damage.
Reduced left atrial myocardial deformation irrespective of cavity size: a potential cause for atrial arrhythmia in hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis

Abstract Background: Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is a myocardial disease and commonly under-diagnosed condition. In CA patients, atrial fibrillation might occur in the absence of left atrial (LA) enlargement. Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess LA size and function, and its relationship with atrial arrhythmia in patients with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR). Methods: Forty-six patients with confirmed ATTR amyloidosis on abdominal biopsy were studied. Assessment with 2D echocardiography and 2D strain showed 31 patients had increased LV wall thickness (LVWT) (septal thickness >12 mm), and 15 had normal LVWT. In addition to conventional measurements, LV and LA global longitudinal strain (GLS%) and strain rate (SR) were obtained. Western blot analysis was done to assess fibril type. ATTR patients with increased LVWT were compared with 23 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and 31 healthy controls. ATTR amyloidosis patients also underwent 24 hour Holter monitoring to determine the presence of atrial arrhythmia. Results: Atrial deformation during atrial systole was reduced in ATTR amyloidosis patients with increased LVWT independent of LA size and in contrast to HCM. Twenty of the ATTR amyloidosis patients (54%) had ECG evidence of significant atrial arrhythmic events. LA strain rate, during atrial systole, was the only independent predictor of atrial arrhythmia (β = 3.28, p = .012). Conclusion: In ATTR cardiomyopathy with increased LVWT, LA myocardial function is abnormal, irrespective of atrial cavity size. Reduced LA myocardial SR during atrial systole, irrespective of cavity volume, E/e′ and LV deformation, is also a strong predictor for atrial arrhythmic events.
Growth History of Crystals in Nature

Nakaya wrote a poem in which he says “Snowflake is a letter to us from the sky”. If expressed similarly, mineral crystals in nature are the letters to us from the depth of the earth. They convey the message telling us what has happened under the earth, what was the conditions when they were grown, and what they have experienced since they born. It is clearly worth doing our best to read these letters. As Nakaya tried to read the message that snowflakes convey by studying their crystal morphology, we can obtain much information through detailed studies of the nature of crystals. Surface microstructure of crystal faces, zonal structures inside a crystal, distribution of foreign crystals and lattice defects, as well as impurity atoms, in addition to crystal morphology, will serve as useful key codes to decode the letters.In this paper, diamond crystals are used as an example how to decode the letter from deep under the earth. Analysis of crystal morphology of diamond suggest that natural diamonds were grown under near-equilibrium conditions, whereas synthetic crystals under the conditions apart from the equilibrium. Universal occurrence of rounded crystals in natural diamonds suggests that they have experienced dissolution process while they were transported to the earth's surface from the depth, and that the speed of transportation was much higher than our general conjecture. It is also conjectured that diamond will occur only in continental shield and not in the orogenic zones. Observations on the surface microstructures of diamond crystals shows that diamonds were grown from solution phase by condensation and neither from melt phase nor by solid state recrystallization. Zonal structures revealed by chemical etching show that the growth of diamonds was carried out by layer spreading mainly on {111} and that the growth history of individual crystals was very complicated. During the whole history of growth, crystals have experienced partial dissolution, changes in growth speed as well as the rate of impurity adsorption. Recent observations on the nitrogen platelets in natural diamond crystals give an idea that diamond crystals have experienced annealing stage after they were formed, and that the possible origin of carbon of diamond would be carbonaceous material deposited on the ocean bed, which was then transported by an active thrust or heat flow to the depth of 5 to 7 hundreds km, where it was crystallized as diamond. These considerations are mainly based on the hypothesis on the origin of diamond which has recently been proposed by F. C. Frank.
Effect of reinforcement on the mechanical and thermal properties of flax/polypropylene interwoven fabric composites

Flax yarn and polypropylene yarn were used as weft and warp, respectively, for producing interwoven fabric. Unidirectional flax fiber-reinforced composites with different fiber orientation such as (0)6, (45)6, (60)6, (90)6, and (0/90)s were fabricated by hot pressing method. The effects of different angle orientation such as parallel, off-axial, and cross lamination on tensile, flexural, and impact energy of unidirectional flax yarn composites were studied. Thermal behavior of fiber and composite was observed by thermo gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Tensile, flexural, and impact value of the composites are showing the decreasing trend for off-axial laminates compared to (0)6 axial-oriented laminates. Tensile and flexural strength values of (0)6 laminates are showing the maximum value such as 71 and 79 MPa, respectively. But, flexural strength value of ((0/90)s cross-ply arrangement is showing the reasonable value compared to off-axial lamination such as (45)6, (60)6, and (90)6 layup combination. Maximum impact energy value is observed around 334.66 J/m for (0)6 axial-oriented laminates. The influence of interwoven fabric on the processability of the composite fabrication is explained in detail. Fractography studies of the damaged surface are also demonstrated.
Physical and Chemical Properties of Water-Retted Fibers Extracted from Different Locations in Corn Husks

ABSTRACT Corn is the most commonly produced crop in the world producing immense agricultural residues, including corn husks. In search for handling corn husks as a fiber source, the quality of fibers extracted from different parts of corn husks by water retting is investigated. The effects of the location of the leaves in the husks and the part of the leaves where the fibers were extracted from on the mechanical, physical, and chemical characteristics of the fibers have been investigated. The coarseness of extracted fibers decreases from outer to the inner leaves in the husk and from the lower to the upper parts of the leaves. Breaking tenacity, breaking force, and elongation at break values of the fibers increase from the upper to the lower parts of the husk leaves. The fibers from the lower parts of the leaves showed greater hemicellulose, pectin, moisture content, and water absorption capacity compared to fibers obtained from the upper part of the corn husk leaves. With superior mechanical properties and lower moisture content and water absorption fibers from the lower parts of corn husk leaves may be considered advantageous for technical use such as in fiberboards. The fibers from the upper portion that are finer and can hold more moisture are more advantageous in terms of comfort aspects. The mechanical properties of the obtained water-retted fibers have been found to be superior to the corn husk fibers of prior studies produced by alkalization.
The effect of fish meal replacement by soyabean products on fish growth: a meta-analysis

Meta-analysis was applied to quantify the effect of replacement of fish meal by soyabean products in diets on fish growth. Measurement of growth in different units among studies required the use of a standardised effect size (Hedges' d). From a total of ninety-nine studies concentrating on fish meal replacement by defatted soyabean meal, 53 % were eliminated due to, among others, absence of a fish meal control diet (n 18), or no statistical differences or measurement of dispersion (n 6) indicated. Replacement of 4 to 40 % fish meal by soyabean meal (inclusion levels of 71–366 g/kg) resulted in a mean effect size of − 0·1142 (95 % CI − 0·4665, 0·2382) obtained in forty-eight comparisons evaluated with seventeen different fish species. However, at higher fish meal replacement levels the 95 % CI calculated for combined effect sizes did not overlap with zero. With soya protein concentrate replacing 25 to 100 % of fish meal in diets for seven fish species, methionine supplementation (mean − 2·4373 (95 % CI − 3·9004, − 0·9742); n 10) did not have a substantial influence on the magnitude of cumulative effect sizes relative to no supplementation (mean − 2·7306 (95 % CI − 3·7991, − 1·6620); n 16). Information on other soyabean products (full-fat soyabeans, soya flour) used as protein sources in fish diets was found as too limited for analysis and definite conclusions. The present study contributes by putting a numerical value to the magnitude of growth differences in fish when replacing dietary fish meal by soyabean products.
Atheroprone flow activates inflammation via endothelial ATP-dependent P2X7-p38 signalling

Abstract Objective Atherosclerosis is a focal disease occurring at arterial sites of disturbed blood flow that generates low oscillating shear stress. Endothelial inflammatory signalling is enhanced at sites of disturbed flow via mechanisms that are incompletely understood. The influence of disturbed flow on endothelial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) receptors and downstream signalling was assessed. Methods and results Cultured human endothelial cells were exposed to atheroprotective (high uniform) or atheroprone (low oscillatory) shear stress for 72 h prior to assessment of ATP responses. Imaging of cells loaded with a calcium-sensitive fluorescent dye revealed that atheroprone flow enhanced extracellular calcium influx in response to 300 µM 2'(3')-O-(4-Benzoylbenzoyl) adenosine-5'-triphosphate. Pre-treatment with pharmacological inhibitors demonstrated that this process required purinergic P2X7 receptors. The mechanism involved altered expression of P2X7, which was induced by atheroprone flow conditions in cultured cells. Similarly, en face staining of the murine aorta revealed enriched P2X7 expression at an atheroprone site. Functional studies in cultured endothelial cells showed that atheroprone flow induced p38 phosphorylation and up-regulation of E-selectin and IL-8 secretion via a P2X7-dependent mechanism. Moreover, genetic deletion of P2X7 significantly reduced E-selectin at atheroprone regions of the murine aorta. Conclusions These findings reveal that P2X7 is regulated by shear forces leading to its accumulation at atheroprone sites that are exposed to disturbed patterns of blood flow. P2X7 promotes endothelial inflammation at atheroprone sites by transducing ATP signals into p38 activation. Thus P2X7 integrates vascular mechanical responses with purinergic signalling to promote endothelial dysfunction and may provide an attractive potential therapeutic target to prevent or reduce atherosclerosis.
Optimizing Primary Response in Preventive Security-Constrained Optimal Power Flow

Preventive security-constrained optimal power flow (PSCOPF) dispatches controllable generators at minimum cost while ensuring that the system adheres to all operating constraints. All the transmission and generation limits are respected during both the pre- and post-contingency states without relying on post-contingency redispatch. Therefore, all credible generation contingencies should be modeled in PSCOPF and the system-wide automatic primary response should be allocated accordingly among synchronized generators by adjusting their droop coefficients. This paper proposes a new PSCOPF model that optimizes the droop coefficients of the synchronized generators. The cost savings attained with the proposed approach and its computational performance are evaluated. Different wind penetration levels and reserve policies are tested using annual simulations on the one- and three-area IEEE Reliability Test System.
Comparative Study of Seasonal Variations on Hematological Profile in Sahiwal Cows (Bos Indicus) and Murrah Buffalo (Bubalus Bubalis)

Six apparently healthy, non-lactating and non-pregnant Sahiwal cows and Murrah buffalo each above two years of age were selected to evaluate the effect of seasonal variations on hematological parameters. Blood samples were collected aseptically by jugular vein puncture during peak winter and peak summer seasons. The present investigation revealed the mean values of Hb, PCV, TEC, neutrophils, MCH, MCHC were significantly higher (P 0.05). The neutrophils/lymphocyte ratio was significantly higher (P<0.05) during summer as against the winter season in case of Murrah buffalo, whereas no significant alternation was registered in case of Sahiwal cows. These findings suggested that Murrah buffalo are more prone to stress due to seasonal variations in comparison to Sahiwal cows.
Calcium‐activated inward current and contraction in rat and guinea‐pig ventricular myocytes.

1. Single ventricular cells from rat and guinea‐pig hearts were voltage clamped, and contraction was monitored with an optical method. 2. In rat cells, short (2‐10 ms) depolarizing pulses to 0 mV from a holding potential of ‐40 mV evoked current carried by calcium, and on repolarization to ‐40 mV there was a slow 'tail' current which decayed much more slowly than the expected deactivation of calcium current at this potential. 3. When rat cells were loaded with EGTA diffusing into the cytosol from an intracellular electrode, contraction and the tail current were both abolished, whereas the peak calcium current was not reduced. 4. Exposure of rat cells to ryanodine (1‐2 microM) suppressed both contraction and the tail current, but not peak calcium current. 5. The tail current was unaffected by tetrodotoxin (10 microM), but was reduced by lowering extracellular sodium to 10% by replacement with lithium or choline. 6. In rat cells, exposure to nifedipine (1‐5 microM) initially caused a marked reduction of calcium current while substantial contraction and tail current remained; longer exposure to nifedipine suppressed both contraction and the tail current. Isoprenaline (50‐100 nM) caused a marked increase in peak calcium current, while under these conditions there was little or no increase in either contraction or tail current. 7. The amplitude of the tail current in rat cells varied with the duration of the depolarization at 0 mV; the tail current evoked by repolarization to ‐40 mV reached a peak just as contraction was beginning to develop and was back to undetectable levels just as relaxation became significant, as might be expected if the tail current were determined by the cytosolic calcium transient which triggered contraction. 8. In guinea‐pig cells, a tail current was also recorded on repolarization to a holding potential of ‐40 mV, and, as in rat cells, the tail was suppressed by cytosolic EGTA and reduced by exposure of the cells to low‐sodium solution. 9. It is concluded that the tail currents recorded in both rat and guinea‐pig cells represent current activated by a rise in cytosolic calcium; in rat cells this is markedly dependent on ryanodine‐sensitive release of calcium from internal stores. The origin of this current, and its possible role during the plateaux of action potentials are discussed.