Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neuroprotective Role of Quercetin against Arsenic Induced Oxidative Stress in Rat Brain

Arsenic, a poisonous metalloid, is ubiquitous in the environment, and affects nearly all organ systems of animals including humans. The present study was conducted to understand the protective role of quercetin, a natural flavonoid on arsenic-induced oxidative damage in rat brain. Forty male Sprague Dawley rats, aged between 7 to 8 weeks and weighing 150-200 g were divided into four groups viz. normal control, arsenic treated, quercetin treated and arsenic + quercetin treated. Rats in normal control group were given normal food and drinking water. Rats in arsenic treated group were given arsenic daily in the form of sodium arsenite (NaAsO2) in drinking water at a dose of 100 mg/l. Rats in the quercetin treated group were given quercetin, dissolved in distilled water, orally everyday through intubation gavage at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight. Rats in the combined arsenic + quercetin treated group were given arsenic and quercetin in a similar manner as was given to rats belonging to arsenic and quercetin treated group. After 2 months of treatment, antioxidant defense status and changes in the brain histo-architecture were assessed. A significant increase in the levels of lipid peroxidation and a decrease in reduced glutathione levels were observed in the brain of arsenic treated rats, when compared to the normal controls. Further, decrease in the activities of antioxidant defense enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-s-transferase and glutathione reductase, as well as the activity of enzyme nitric oxide synthase were detected in arsenic treated group, which however were restored to normal levels upon simultaneous treatment with quercetin. Brain tissue of arsenic treated rats, also showed changes at the histo-architectural level which were normalized on simultaneous treatment with quercetin. The study, therefore, reveals that quercetin shall prove to be beneficial in containing the neuro-toxic effects of arsenic.
Development and Evaluation of a Preoperative Risk Calculator for Periprosthetic Joint Infection Following Total Joint Arthroplasty

Background: Preoperative identification of patients at risk for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is important for patient optimization and targeted prevention. The purpose of this study was to create a preoperative PJI risk calculator for assessing a patient’s individual risk of developing (1) any PJI, (2) PJI caused by Staphylococcus aureus, and (3) PJI caused by antibiotic-resistant organisms. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of 27,717 patients (12,086 TKAs and 31,167 THAs), including 1,035 with confirmed PJI, who were treated at a single institution from 2000 to 2014. A total of 42 risk factors, including patient characteristics and surgical variables, were evaluated with a multivariate analysis in which coefficients were scaled to produce integer scores. External validation was performed with use of data on 29,252 patients who had undergone total joint arthroplasty (TJA) at an independent institution. Results: Of the 42 risk factors studied, 25 were found not to be significant risk factors for PJI. The most influential of the remaining 17 included a previous open surgical procedure, drug abuse, a revision procedure, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The areas under the curves were 0.83 and 0.84 for any PJI, 0.86 and 0.83 for antibiotic-resistant PJI, and 0.86 and 0.73 for S. aureus PJI in the internal and external validation models, respectively. The rates of PJI were 0.56% and 0.61% in the lowest decile of risk scores and 15.85% and 20.63% in the highest decile. Conclusions: In this large-cohort study, we were able to identify and validate risk factors and their relative weights for predicting PJI. Factors such as prior surgical procedures and high-risk comorbidities should be considered when determining whether TJA is indicated and when counseling patients. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
RADIATION RISK TO PATIENTS FROM NUCLEAR MEDICINE PROCEDURES IN CUBA

Man-made radiation exposure to the Cuban population predominantly results from the medical use of ionizing radiation. It was therefore the aim of the present study, to provide public health information concerning diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures carried out in Camagüey and Ciego de Ávila provinces between 2000 and 2005. Population radiation dose estimation due to administration of radiopharmaceuticals in Camagüey and Ciego de Ávila provinces was carried out using Medical Internal Radiation Dose scheme (MIRD). Data were gathered on the type of radiopharmaceuticals used, the administered activity, the numbers of each kind of examination, and the age and sex of the patients involved during the period 2000 – 2005. The average annual frequency of examinations was estimated to be 3.34 per 1000 population. The results show that imaging nuclear medicine techniques of thyroid and bone explorations with 13.3 and 12.9%, respectively and iodide uptake with 50% are the main techniques implicated in the relative contribution to the total annual effective collective dose which averaged 95 man⋅Sv for the studied period. Radiation risks for the Camagüey-Ciego de Avila population caused by nuclear medicine examinations in the period studied were calculated: the total number of fatal and non-fatal cancers was 34.2 and the number of serious hereditary disturbance was 7.4 as a result of 24139 nuclear medicine procedures, corresponding a total detriment of 1.72 per 1000 examination.
Gender Bias in Coreference Resolution

We present an empirical study of gender bias in coreference resolution systems. We first introduce a novel, Winograd schema-style set of minimal pair sentences that differ only by pronoun gender. With these “Winogender schemas,” we evaluate and confirm systematic gender bias in three publicly-available coreference resolution systems, and correlate this bias with real-world and textual gender statistics.
Decoupled Parallel Backpropagation with Convergence Guarantee

Backpropagation algorithm is indispensable for the training of feedforward neural networks. It requires propagating error gradients sequentially from the output layer all the way back to the input layer. The backward locking in backpropagation algorithm constrains us from updating network layers in parallel and fully leveraging the computing resources. Recently, several algorithms have been proposed for breaking the backward locking. However, their performances degrade seriously when networks are deep. In this paper, we propose decoupled parallel backpropagation algorithm for deep learning optimization with convergence guarantee. Firstly, we decouple the backpropagation algorithm using delayed gradients, and show that the backward locking is removed when we split the networks into multiple modules. Then, we utilize decoupled parallel backpropagation in two stochastic methods and prove that our method guarantees convergence to critical points for the non-convex problem. Finally, we perform experiments for training deep convolutional neural networks on benchmark datasets. The experimental results not only confirm our theoretical analysis, but also demonstrate that the proposed method can achieve significant speedup without loss of accuracy.
Diagnostic Aspects and Haematobiochemical Changes Associated with Canine Parvoviral Enteritis in Dogs

Since its emergence in 1978, canine parvoviral enteritis was and remains a common and important cause of morbidity and mortality in young dogs. The continued incidence of parvoviral enteritis is partly due to the virus’s capability to ―reinvent‖ itself and evolve into new more virulent and resistant subspecies (Goddard and Leisweitz, 2010). Today CPV-2a and CPV-2b are still the most common parvovirus species causing disease in canines globally. Within the past decade a new strain called as CPV-2c was emerged (Goddard and Leisewitz, 2010) and occurrence of CPV-2c was first reported in India in 2010 (Nandi et al., 2010) based on the sequence analysis of CPV-2b positive samples (Nandi and Kumar, 2010). Enteritis and myocarditis are the two disease entities associated with CPV-2 infection. This disease occurs at any age group but severe acute enteritis is most common in puppies between 6 weeks and 6 months. The disease may be tentatively diagnosed based on clinical signs and confirmation was achieved by various diagnostic tests. However, a rapid diagnosis of CPV infection is much important in dog’s population to confirm the disease, to isolate the infected dogs and to prevent secondary International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 6 Number 11 (2017) pp. 3357-3364 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
Nonepileptic seizures: an updated review

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are a functional neurological disorder/conversion disorder subtype, which are neurobehavioral conditions at the interface of neurology and psychiatry. Significant advancements over the past decade have been made in the diagnosis, management, and neurobiological understanding of PNES. This article reviews published PNES research focusing on semiologic features that distinguish PNES from epileptic seizures, consensus diagnostic criteria, the intersection of PNES and other comorbidities, neurobiological studies, evidence-based treatment interventions, and outcome studies. Epidemiology and healthcare utilization studies highlight a continued unmet medical need in the comprehensive care of PNES. Consensus guidelines for diagnostic certainty are based on clinical history, semiology of witnessed typical event(s), and EEG findings. While certain semiologic features may aid in the diagnosis of PNES, the gold standard remains capturing a typical event on video electroencephalography (EEG) showing the absence of epileptiform activity with history and semiology consistent with PNES. Medical-neurologic and psychiatric comorbidities are prevalent in PNES; these should be assessed in diagnostic evaluations and integrated into treatment interventions and prognostic considerations. Several studies, including a pilot, multicenter, randomized clinical trial, have now demonstrated that a cognitive behavioral therapy–informed psychotherapy is an efficacious treatment for PNES, and additional efforts are necessary to evaluate the utility of pharmacologic and other psychotherapy treatments. Neuroimaging studies, while requiring replication, suggest that PNES may occur in the context of alterations within and across sensorimotor, emotion regulation/processing, cognitive control, and multimodal integration brain systems. Future research could investigate similarities and differences between PNES and other somatic symptom disorders.
Influence of a cancer diagnosis on changes in fruit and vegetable consumption according to cancer site, stage at diagnosis and socioeconomic factors: Results from the large E3N‐EPIC study

Many studies have demonstrated that lifestyle factors, including diet, may influence cancer survival. The number of cancer survivors is increasing worldwide and little is known about long‐term diet changes in people who had cancer. We studied 53,981 women from the prospective E3N‐EPIC cohort study with available dietary data in 1993 and 2005, among whom 4,619 had a cancer diagnosis inbetween (including n = 2,699 breast cancers). We evaluated the potential impact of a cancer diagnosis (comparing women with cancer to women with no cancer) on changes in FV consumption using multivariable linear regression models considering cancer site, stage at diagnosis and socioeconomic factors. Compared to women with no cancer, a statistically significant increase in FV consumption (β=+2.65%, [1.22–4.09]) was observed in women who had cancer, and this association appeared to be driven by breast cancer exclusively. The increase in FV consumption was larger in women who had an advanced stage of breast cancer (stages II–IV) (β=+7.23%, [3.92–10.5]) than in women with stages 0–I (β=+2.03%, [−0.20 to 4.26]). Women with no partner and no children were those having the highest increase in FV consumption (β=+18.71%, [6.51–30.91]). These changes were only observed in specific SE groups. When considering adherence to guidelines, the proportion of women who consumed less than 7.5 portions a day in 1993 and more in 2005 was greater in women with advanced breast cancer. More research is now needed to understand how the inequities we observed impact the long‐term health after cancer.
Original Article Risk Assessment and Heavy Metal Contamination in Fish (Otolithes ruber) and Sediments in Persian Gulf

Introduction: Heavy metal pollution is one of the most serious environmental issues globally. This research investigated the heavy metal concentrations in sediments and fish in Persian gulf. Materials & Methods: For determination of heavy metal concentrations in sediments eight sampling stations were selected to measure Cd, Zn, Ni, Pb, and Fe in the sediments and in the muscle tissue of Otolithes ruber from the northern part of the Hormuz strait )Persian gulf). Samples were then prepared according to MOOPAM for metal analysis. Heavy metal concentrations were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done to evaluate significant differences in elements' concentrations during sampling periods. Results: Analysis of the potential ecological risk of sediment heavy metal concentrations showed that most sample sites in the northern part of the Hormuz strait (Persian Gulf) presented a low ecological risk. Regarding enrichment of Cd, Zn, Ni, Pb, and Fe the highest EF belonged to Pb. The obtained mean enrichment factor (EF) values for various metals were between no enrichment and moderate enrichment. Conclusion: The concentrations of heavy metal in the edible part of O. ruber did not exceed the permissible limits proposed by NOAA, FAO, and WHO standards and thus are suitable for human consumption, except for Pb and Cd.
Ability versus vulnerability: Beliefs about men's and women's emotional behaviour

In the present research we investigated gender-specific beliefs about emotional behaviour. In Study 1, 180 respondents rated the extent to which they agreed with different types of beliefs (prescriptive, descriptive, stereotypical, and contra-stereotypical) regarding the emotional behaviour of men and women. As anticipated, respondents agreed more with descriptive than with prescriptive beliefs, and more with stereotypical than with contra-stereotypical beliefs. However, respondents agreed more with stereotypical beliefs about the emotional behaviour of women than with those about men. These results were replicated in Study 2 with a sample of 75 students and 80 nonstudents. In Study 3, a sample of 279 respondents rated the extent of agreement with the same items, this time with respect to then own emotional behaviour. A similar pattern of results was obtained, although agreement rates were higher than in Study 1 and 2.
Antihemostatic Molecules from Saliva of Blood-Feeding Arthropods

The ability to feed on vertebrate blood has evolved many times in various arthropod clades. Each time this trait evolves, novel solutions to the problem posed by vertebrate hemostasis are generated. Consequently, saliva of blood-feeding arthropods has proven to be a rich source of antihemostatic molecules. Vasodilators include nitrophorins (nitric oxide storage and transport heme proteins), a variety of peptides that mimic endogenous vasodilatory neuropeptides, and proteins that catabolize or sequester endogenous vasoconstrictors. A variety of platelet aggregation inhibitors antagonize platelet responses to wound-generated signals, including ADP, thrombin, and collagen. Anticoagulants disrupt elements of both the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Molecular approaches (termed ‘sialomics’) to characterize the full inventory of mRNAs transcribed in salivary glands have revealed a surprising level of complexity within a single species. Multiple salivary proteins may be directed against each component of hemostasis, resulting in both redundancy and in some cases cooperative interactions between antihemostatic proteins, as in the case of the Rhodnius prolixus apyrase (which hydrolyzes ADP) and Rhodnius platelet aggregation inhibitor 1 (which sequesters ADP). The complexity and redundancy of saliva ensures an efficient blood meal for the arthropod, but it also provides a diverse array of novel antihemostatic molecules for the pharmacologist.
Assessment of micro RNAs expression in leukemic cells as prognostic markers in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: micro RNAs can predict survival in a course of the disease

Numerous genetic alterations predicting prognosis and clinical outcome are revealed recently in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Among them the deregulated expression of micro RNAs that can induce tumor growth, or act as tumor suppressors seem to be of great importance. This study aimed to analyze the possible role of chosen micro RNAs as markers of prognosis in patients with CLL. We assessed the expression of miR-21, miR-34a, miR-181a, miR-199a/b and miR-221 in previously separated leukemic cells with the use of qRQ-PCR technique at the moment of diagnosis. The results were then analyzed in regards to presence of prognostic factors, clinical data and the end points like progression free survival (PFS), time to progression (TP) and overall survival time (OS). We detected significant correlations between expression of the analyzed micro RNAs and CLL prognostic markers particularly as far as miR-221 and miR-181a were concerned. The subsequent analysis revealed that high expression of miR-34a and miR-181a as well as low miR-21 expression indicated longer TTP, while miR-221 was predictor of OS. The obtained results prove the role of micro RNAs as CLL prognostic markers, particularly as factors predicting survival in a course of the disease.
Team Processes in Virtual Knowledge Teams: The Effects of Reputation Signals and Network Density

Abstract Virtual knowledge teams (VKTs) depend on team processes that facilitate expertise coordination. VKTs use technology to map expertise, and thereby address the lack of familiarity among members. Despite the considerable interest in studying expertise coordination in teams, expertise coordination in VKTs is less understood. Moreover, technology’s role in expertise coordination in VKTs and the team processes, including expertise coordination, has received limited attention. This study argues and shows—through an online experiment—that technology enables VKTs by: connecting individuals through network ties; helping individuals to locate expertise, providing reputation signals; improving interpersonal processes through enhanced ties and signals; and enabling better performance through improved ties, signals, and processes. It contributes to theory by providing insights into how IT enhances expertise coordination and performance of VKTs. It contributes to practice by providing insights into the reputation signals that broadcast team members’ expertise and the effects of technology on team processes.
The Efficacy and Toxicity of Gefitinib in Treating Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A Meta-analysis of 19 Randomized Clinical Trials

Background: This meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of gefitinib with other commonly used drugs in different treatment settings and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status. Methods: Nineteen randomize clinical trials (RCTs) of 6,554 patients with NSCLC were pooled in this meta-analysis by random-effects or fixed-effects model, whichever is proper. Results: In first-line therapy, gefitinib showed higher odds than chemotherapy (OR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.20-4.01), but less than other targeted therapies (OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.38-0.88). As non-first-line therapy, the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were similar between gefitinib and controls (HR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.93-1.08; HR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.72-1.15), respectively. With the regard to toxicity, the incidences of dry skin, rash and pruritus were higher in gefitinib compared with controls, while gefitinib significantly reduced the incidence of hematologic toxicity. Conclusion: Gefitinib might be more efficient than chemotherapy, but less efficient than other targeted therapies in ORR, especially in EGFR mutation-positive patients. Gefitinib can decrease the odds of hematologic toxicity compared to controls. Future studies, especially those with EGFR mutation-positive patients, will be needed to confirm our findings.
Lipidomics of Plasma High-Density Lipoprotein: Insights into Anti-Atherogenic Function

Low concentrations of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) represent a strong, independent risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) disease and atherosclerosis. The association between HDL-C and CV risk is thought to reflect multiple atheroprotective properties of HDL particles. The multiple biological functions of HDL particles are directly related to the presence of key bioactive lipid and protein components. Modern LC/MS/MS lipidomic approaches can be particularly useful to provide insights into molecular determinants of atheroprotective function of HDL. First comprehensive lipidomic studies of HDL particles in healthy subjects and in patients with CV disease or CV risk factors performed using modern lipidomic approaches have provided initial insights into lipid species profiles of human plasma HDL in health and disease. Such structure-function analyses of HDL bear the potential to identify clinically relevant, atheroprotective HDL components, which can contribute to the development of HDL-based therapies specifically designed to target beneficial subspecies of circulating HDL pool. Furthermore, HDL lipidomics can help identify novel biomarkers of HDL function, which may prove useful as biomarkers of cardiovascular risk superior to HDL-C levels.
Novel therapeutic features of disulfiram against hepatocellular carcinoma cells with inhibitory effects on a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 10

Our previous genome-wide association study identified the anti-tumor ligand MHC class I polypeptide-related sequence A (MICA) as a susceptibility gene for hepatitis C virus-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We subsequently proved that pharmacological restoration of membrane-bound MICA in HCC cells boosted natural killer cell-mediated anti-cancer effects, confirming that a MICA sheddase, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 10 (ADAM10), is a therapeutic target. We here searched for approved drugs with inhibitory effects on ADAM10 in vitro, and the anti-alcoholism agent, disulfiram, was identified. Disulfiram elevated membrane-bound MICA levels and reduced production of soluble MICA, an immunological decoy, while simultaneously not having unfavorable off-target effects on natural killer cells and normal human hepatocytes. Functional analyses indicated a mode of non-zinc-binding inhibition of ADAM10 by disulfiram, which also suppressed HCC cell migration. These effects of disulfiram against HCC are expected to further the development of novel therapeutic regimens.
Asymptotic behavior of solutions to fractional diffusion–convection equations

We consider a convection–diffusion model with linear fractional diffusion in the sub‐critical range. We prove that the large time asymptotic behavior of the solution is given by the unique entropy solution of the convective part of the equation. The proof is based on suitable apriori estimates, among which proving an Oleinik type inequality plays a key role.