Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hypertension related practices and compliance to anti-hypertensive therapy among hypertensive patients in tertiary health care facilities in Jos, North-Central Nigeria

The study sought to assess hypertension related practices and to determine the level of compliance to antihypertensive therapy among hypertensive patients attending tertiary healthcare facilities in Jos, Nigeria. The study was conducted among consenting patients in Plateau State Specialist Hospital and Bingham University Teaching Hospital, both in Jos with the aid of a pretested structured questionnaire. It was a descriptive cross sectional survey of 275 hypertensive patients and systematic random sampling method was adopted. Data was analyzed with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) V. 20.0 to compute simple percentage, mean and standard deviation related to study objectives. Chi-square test was employed to investigate relationships among variables. The study had 50% with high hypertension-related practice levels with gender, religion, marital status, education level, and occupation showing probabilities of 0.622, 0.583, 0.900, 0.288, and 0.923 respectively. Patient compliance to antihypertensive therapy had a significantly high percentage (82%; P=0.0005). However, only 7.30% owned a personal blood pressure measuring machine. Hypertensive patients in the tertiary healthcare facilities in Jos demonstrated high level of knowledge of lifestyle practices and compliance to antihypertensive therapy. There is therefore need to maintain the health education and promotion practices of these hospitals to further improve the practice and compliance to antihypertensive therapy in patients through proper education by healthcare professionals.
CHROMOSPHERIC AND CORONAL ACTIVITY IN THE 500 MYR OLD OPEN CLUSTER M37: EVIDENCE FOR CORONAL STRIPPING?

We present the results of a spectroscopic survey to characterize chromospheric activity, as measured by H α emission, in low-mass members of the 500 Myr old open cluster M37. Combining our new measurements of H α luminosities ( L H α ) with previously cataloged stellar properties, we identify saturated and unsaturated regimes in the dependence of the L H α -to-bolometric luminosity ratio, L H α / L bol , on the Rossby number Ro. All rotators with Ro smaller than 0.03 ± 0.01 converge to an activity level of L H α / L bol = ( 1.27 ± 0.02 ) × 10 − 4 . This saturation threshold ( R o , sat = 0.03 ± 0.01 ) is statistically smaller than that found in most studies of the rotation–activity relation. In the unsaturated regime, slower rotators have lower levels of chromospheric activity, with L H α / L bol (Ro) following a power-law of index β = − 0.51 ± 0.02 , slightly shallower than that found for a combined ≈650 Myr old sample of Hyades and Praesepe stars. By comparing this unsaturated behavior to that previously found for coronal activity in M37 (as measured via the X-ray luminosity, L X ), we confirm that chromospheric activity decays at a much slower rate than coronal activity with increasing Ro. While a comparison of L H α and L X for M37 members with measurements of both reveals a nearly 1:1 relation, removing the mass-dependencies by comparing instead L H α / L bol and L X / L bol does not provide clear evidence for such a relation. Finally, we find that R o , sat is smaller for our chromospheric than for our coronal indicator of activity ( R o , sat = 0.03 ± 0.01 versus 0.09 ± 0.01). We interpret this as possible evidence for coronal stripping.
Relationship between changes in haemoglobin mass and maximal oxygen uptake after hypoxic exposure

Background Endurance athletes have been using altitude training for decades to improve near sea-level performance. The predominant mechanism is thought to be accelerated erythropoiesis increasing haemoglobin mass (Hbmass) resulting in a greater maximal oxygen uptake (O2max). Not all studies have shown a proportionate increase in O2max as a result of increased Hbmass. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the two parameters in a large group of endurance athletes after altitude training. Methods 145 elite endurance athletes (94 male and 51 female) who participated in various altitude studies as altitude or control participants were used for the analysis. Participants performed Hbmass and O2max testing before and after intervention. Results For the pooled data, the correlation between per cent change in Hbmass and per cent change in O2max was significant (p<0.0001, r2=0.15), with a slope (95% CI) of 0.48 (0.30 to 0.67) intercept free to vary and 0.62 (0.46 to 0.77) when constrained through the origin. When separated, the correlations were significant for the altitude and control groups, with the correlation being stronger for the altitude group (slope of 0.57 to 0.72). Conclusions With high statistical power, we conclude that altitude training of endurance athletes will result in an increase in O2max of more than half the magnitude of the increase in Hbmass, which supports the use of altitude training by athletes. But race performance is not perfectly related to relative O2max, and other non-haematological factors altered from altitude training, such as running economy and lactate threshold, may also be beneficial to performance.
Placental‐Specific Overexpression of sFlt‐1 Alters Trophoblast Differentiation and Nutrient Transporter Expression in an IUGR Mouse Model

Since it is known that placental overexpression of the human anti‐angiogenic molecule sFlt‐1, the main candidate in the progression of preeclampsia, lead to intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in mice by lentiviral transduction of mouse blastocysts, we hypothesize that sFlt‐1 influence placental morphology and physiology resulting in fetal IUGR. We therefore examined the effect of sFlt‐1 on placental morphology and physiology at embryonic day 18.5 with histologic and morphometric analyses, transcript analyses, immunoblotting, and methylation studies. Interestingly, placental overexpression of sFlt‐1 leads to IUGR in the fetus and results in lower placental weights. Moreover, we observed altered trophoblast differentiation with reduced expression of IGF2, resulting in a smaller placenta, a smaller labyrinth, and the loss of glycogen cells in the junctional zone. Changes in IGF2 are accompanied by small changes in its DNA methylation, whereas overall DNA methylation is unaffected. In addition, the expression of placental nutrient transporters, such as the glucose diffusion channel Cx26, is decreased. In contrast, the expression of the fatty acid transporter CD36 and the cholesterol transporter ABCA1 is significantly increased. In conclusion, placental sFlt‐1 overexpression resulted in a reduction in the differentiation of the spongiotrophoblast into glycogen cells. These findings of a reduced exchange area of the labyrinth and glycogen stores, as well as decreased expression of glucose transporter, could contribute to the intrauterine growth restriction phenotype. All of these factors change the intrauterine availability of nutrients. Thus, we speculate that the alterations triggered by increased anti‐angiogenesis strongly affect fetal outcome and programming. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 1316–1329, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fermentability of Novel Type-4 Resistant Starches in In Vitro System

Resistant starches are non-digestible starches that are fermented in the colon by microbiota. These carbohydrates are prebiotic and can be beneficial to consumer health. Many types of resistant starch exist with varying physical properties that may result in differences in fermentability. The objective of this research project was to compare potential prebiotic effects and fermentability of four novel resistant starches using an in vitro fermentation system and measuring changes in total gas production, pH, and formation of SCFAs (short chain fatty acids). Fecal donations were collected from seven healthy volunteers. Four novel resistant starches, modified potato starch (MPS), modified tapioca starch (MTS), and modified maize starches (MMS-1 and MMS-2), were analyzed and compared to polydextrose and short chain fructooligosaccharides (FOS) as controls. After twenty-four hours of fermentation, MPS and MTS responded similarly in gas production (74 mL; 70.6 mL respectively), pH (5.93; 5.93 respectively), and SCFA production (Acetate: 115; 124, Propionate: 21; 26, Butyrate: 29; 31 μmol/mL respectively). While MMS-1 had similar gas production and individual SCFA production, the pH was significantly higher (6.06). The fermentation of MMS-2 produced the least amount of gas (22 mL), with a higher pH (6.34), and lower acetate production (78.4 μmol/mL). All analyzed compounds were fermentable and promoted the formation of beneficial SCFAs.
C21 steroidal glycosides from Cynanchum taihangense

Abstract Two new C21 steroidal glycosides, cynataihosides E (1) and F (2), together with a known one, sublanceoside H2 (3), were isolated from Cynanchum taihangense. The aglycone of cynataihoside F (2) was also a new compound. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR spectroscopic data, HR-ESI-MS analysis, and chemical evidence. Their cytotoxic activities against three human tumor cell lines (HL-60, THP1, and Caco2) were reported. Graphical Abstract
Improvements in Emotion Regulation Following Mindfulness Meditation: Effects on Depressive Symptoms and Perceived Stress in Younger Breast Cancer Survivors

Objective: Mindfulness meditation reduces psychological distress among individuals with cancer. However, mechanisms for intervention effects have not been fully determined. This study tested emotion regulation strategies as mediators of intervention effects in a sample of younger women treated for breast cancer, a group at risk for psychological distress. We focused on two distinct strategies targeted by the intervention—rumination and self-kindness—and further examined the broader construct of mindfulness as a potential mediator. Method: Women (n = 71) with Stage 0-III breast cancer diagnosed at or before age 50 who had completed cancer treatment were randomly assigned to a 6-week mindfulness intervention or wait-list control group. Assessments occurred at study entry, postintervention, and a 3-month follow-up. Results: In single mediator analyses, increases in self-kindness (CIB [−7.83, −1.93]), decreases in rumination (CIB [−5.05, −.31]), and increases in mindfulness (CIB [−6.58, −.82]) each mediated reductions in depressive symptoms from pre- to postintervention. Increases in self-kindness also mediated reductions in perceived stress (CIB [−5.37, −.62]) from pre- to postintervention, and increases in self-kindness (CIB [−5.67, −.22]) and in mindfulness (CIB [−5.51, −.16]) each mediated intervention effects on perceived stress from preintervention to 3-month follow-up. In multiple mediator analysis, only self-kindness mediated intervention effects on depressive symptoms from pre- to postintervention (CIB [−6.41, −.61]), and self-kindness and mindfulness together mediated intervention effects on perceived stress from preintervention to follow-up (CIB [−6.77, −.35]). Conclusions: Self-kindness played a consistent role in reducing distress in younger women with breast cancer. The efficacy of this understudied emotion regulation strategy should be evaluated in other clinical populations.
Contrasting patterns in species and functional-trait diversity of bees in an agricultural landscape

© 2015 British Ecological Society. Land-use change frequently reduces local species diversity. Species losses will often result in loss of trait diversity, with likely consequences for community functioning. However, the converse need not be generally true: management approaches that succeed in retaining species richness could nevertheless fail to maintain trait diversity. We evaluated this possibility using bee communities in a California agroecosystem. We examined among site patterns in bee species diversity and functional-trait diversity in a landscape composed of a mosaic of semi-natural habitat, organic farms and conventional farms. We sampled bees from all three habitat types and compiled a data base of life-history ('functional') traits for each species. Although species richness was higher on organic farms than conventional farms, functional diversity was lower in both farm types than in natural habitat. Nesting location (below-ground vs. above-ground) was the primary trait contributing to differences in functional diversity between farms and natural habitat, reflecting observed differences in availability of nesting substrates among habitat types. Other traits, including phenology and sociality, were also associated with species' occurrences or dominance in particular site types. These patterns suggest that management practices common to all farms act as environmental filters that cause similarly low functional diversity in their bee communities. Synthesis and applications. Although our results support the value of organic farming in maintaining abundant and species-rich bee communities, components of bee functional diversity are not well supported in farmed landscapes, regardless of farming practice. Maintenance of natural habitat, and/or the addition of natural habitat elements to farms, is therefore important for the retention of functionally diverse bee assemblages in agroecosystems. Although our results support the value of organic farming in maintaining abundant and species-rich bee communities, components of bee functional diversity are not well supported in farmed landscapes, regardless of farming practice. Maintenance of natural habitat, and/or the addition of natural habitat elements to farms, is therefore important for the retention of functionally diverse bee assemblages in agroecosystems.
A Review of Texture Classification Methods and Databases

In this survey, we present a review of methods and resources for texture recognition, presenting the most common techniques that have been used in the recent decades, along with current tendencies. That said, this paper covers since the most traditional approaches, for instance texture descriptors such as gray-level co-occurence matrices (GLCM) and Local Binary Patterns (LBP), to more recent approaches such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and multi-scale patch-based recognition based on encoding approaches such as Fisher Vectors. In addition, we point out relevant references for benchmark datasets, which can help the reader develop and evaluate new methods.
The Effect of a Voice ActivityDetector on the Speech Enhancement Performance of the Binaural MultichannelWiener Filter

A multimicrophone speech enhancement algorithm for binaural hearing aids that preserves interaural time delays was proposed recently. The algorithm is based on multichannel Wiener filtering and relies on a voice activity detector (VAD) for estimation of second-order statistics. Here, the effect of a VAD on the speech enhancement of this algorithm was evaluated using an envelopebased VAD, and the performance was compared to that achieved using an ideal error-free VAD. The performance was considered for stationary directional noise and nonstationary diffuse noise interferers at input SNRs from −10 to +5 dB. Intelligibilityweighted SNR improvements of about 20 dB and 6 dB were found for the directional and diffuse noise, respectively. No large degradations (<1 dB) due to the use of envelope-based VAD were found down to an input SNR of 0 dB for the directional noise and −5 dB for the diffuse noise. At lower input SNRs, the improvement decreased gradually to 15 dB for the directional noise and 3 dB for the diffuse noise.
Target‐based Anemia Management with Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents (Risks and Benefits Relearned) and Iron (Still More to Learn)

The FDA first licensed erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESA) for use in patients with ESRD in 1989. Hemoglobin targets for treatment with ESAs were established at the outset on the basis of descriptive pre‐ESA literature and Phase I–III data in patients with ESRD. Postrelease literature in ESA‐treated patients accumulating over time initially supported improvement in indices of both cardiovascular and other organ function as well as quality of life with therapy. Recommended treatment targets for hemoglobin would evolve further in the United States from four iterations of evidence‐ and opinion‐based practice guidelines appearing between 1997 and 2007. Several randomized, controlled trials published from 1998 to 2009 examined normalization and near‐normalization of hemoglobin in patients with both ESRD and CKD; they raised fundamental questions as to the safety of robust correction of anemia. These findings, taken together with subsequent actions of the FDA in ESA labeling and CMS's quality expectations for hemoglobin in payment for dialysis treatments, would result in a comprehensive reassessment of the hemoglobin targets in ESA therapy. A marked decrease in both national ESA utilization and hemoglobin attainment has ensued as a result. This discussion addresses the history of the striking changes in enthusiasm for hemoglobin‐targeted anemia therapy from 1989 to the present, and similarly examines the evolution of ferritin‐targeted iron administration, which has followed different—and markedly slower—historical development.
CLINICAL CORRELATION OF HBA1C AND DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY WITH DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

To establish a relation between diabetic retinopathy and diabetic nephropathy in type II diabetes mellitus. To find out the relation between level of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) with diabetic retinopathy and diabetic nephropathy. An observational clinical study where 50 patients with diabetic retinopathy included. HbA1C, blood urea and serum creatinine levels of these patients were measured and the correlation between these values with the severity of retinopathy was assessed. Among 50 patients, 31 were males and 19 females. Mean age of patients was 62 years. Mean duration of diabetes mellitus was 6.9 years. None of the patients with severe NPDR and PDR had HbA1C under very good control. 64.3% with mild NPDR, 78.2% with moderate NPDR, 87.5% with severe NPDR and 100% patients with PDR had HbA1C under poor control. In mild NPDR group 14.3%, in severe NPDR group 50% and in PDR group 40% had blood urea >40. In mild NPDR group 14.3%, in severe NPDR group 50% and in PDR group 60% had serum creatinine>1. Glycosylated haemoglobin showed increasing trend as severity of diabetic retinopathy increased. Blood urea and serum creatinine also showed a positive correlation with diabetic retinopathy.
Broadcasting private messages securely

Consider a source, Alice, broadcasting private messages to multiple receivers through a broadcast erasure channel; users send back to Alice public feedback that she causally uses to decide the coding strategy for her following transmissions. Recently, the multiple unicast capacity region for this problem has been exactly characterized for a number of special cases; namely the 2-user, 3-user, symmetric K-user, and one-sidedly fair K-user [1], [2]. In this paper, we show that for all the cases where such characterizations exist, we can also optimally characterize the “secure” communication rates, where the message that Alice transmits to each user is information theoretically secure from the other users, even if these collude. We show that a simple, two-phase strategy, where appropriate amounts of secret keys are first generated and then consumed, matches a new outer bound we derive.
Auditory scene analysis by time-delay analysis with three microphones

We propose two methods for the disambiguation of results in time-delay based detection and localization of sound sources, when a triangle of microphones is applied for signal acquisition. A standard approach is to create histograms of time differences of arrival (TDOA) for each microphone pair in a triangular array and to create an averaged histogram. But each individual histogram is designed to detect unique orientation of source only within the local range of [-π/2, π/2]. Hence, taking the average for different pairs is not appropriate and such method suffers from ambiguity of results in the full range of orientations: [0, 2π]. Our first proposition is a delay vector transformation method, that combines corresponding delay measurements into vectors and transforms them into a 2-D space in which a full-range orientation histogram can finally be established and analyzed. In our second method, individual orientation histograms obtained for pairs of microphones are analyzed first and for each detected source two competitive hypotheses are created. Due to a final clustering of the hypothesis set a unique orientation of each source can be estimated.
Assessment of Cardiovascular Disease in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Introduction: The risk of cardiovascular disease is increased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Previous studies have compared cardiovascular disease risk factors between patients with and without rheumatoid arthritis, but none have compared rheumatoid arthritis patients with and without cardiovascular disease. To compare rheumatoid arthritis patients with and without cardiovascular disease in addition to cardiovascular disease patients without rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: Retrospective cross sectional study from 2011-2014 of rheumatology, cardiology, internal medicine, and family medicine clinics at a multi-site academic medical center. Participants: Rheumatoid arthritis patients had the international classification of disease code “rheumatoid arthritis”. Cardiovascular disease patients had at least one of following codes: peripheral artery disease, coronary artery disease, diabetes, stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysm, transient ischemic attack, or myocardial infarction. All eligible patients were included in the study. Patients were divided into three groups: 2,305 patients with only rheumatoid arthritis, 276 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease, and 13,473 patients with only cardiovascular disease. Descriptive statistics was performed. Results: Only 11,490 (72%) of patients had a full lipid panel available. However, patients with and without a full lipid panel did not differ in age, gender, smoking status, body mass index, or systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Patients with only rheumatoid arthritis had low density lipoprotein levels 19% higher than patients with rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease (p<0.001, 95% CI: [1.10, 1.28],) and 16% greater than patients with only cardiovascular disease (p<0.001,95% CI: [1.12, 1.20],). Patients with only rheumatoid arthritis also had greater cholesterol and high density lipoprotein levels, but lower triglyceride levels. Conclusion: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis without known cardiovascular disease do not undergo the same aggressive treatment to improve their lipid profile as patients with cardiovascular disease with or without rheumatoid arthritis. Healthcare profession