Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modulatory effects of nifedipine and nimodipine in experimental convulsions

Objectives : To investigate the effect of nifedipine and nimodipine on acute [maximal electroshock and pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) induced convulsions in rats] and chronic (pentylenetetrazol induced kindling in rats and mice) models of epilepsy. Methods: The maximal seizure pattern was induced in animals by giving an alternating current of 150 mA for 0.2 secs, while tonic clonic seizures were seen with 50 mg/kg i.p. dose of PTZ. Test drugs were administered 30 min before electrical or chemical induction. The ability of test drug to abolish/reduce tonic hind limb extensor component in MES group and jerky movements and clonic seizures in PTZ group was selected as antiepileptic criteria. Kindling was established in mice with PTZ in subconvulsive dose (30 mg/kg i.p.) thrice a week for nine weeks and effect observed for 15 min using 4 point scoring system. Rechallenge with same dose on 3rd and 10th day showed that kindling was established. Calcium channel blockers were then administered prior to convulsions and effects observed. Results : In acute studies, both nifedipine and nimodipine decreased the duration of tonic hind limb extensor phase in maximal electroshock seizures while in PTZ (50 mg/kg) treated animals, both drugs significantly decreased the duration of clonic convulsions, only nifedipine increased the latent period while nimodipine did not affect the latent period. The protective effect with nifedipine was significant (p<0.05) at 10 mg/kg while with nimodipine at 5 mg/kg dose. In chronic studies, nifedipine (2 mg/kg) given prophylactically in PTZ (30 mg/kg thrice weekly for 9 weeks) kindled rats and mice significantly (p<0.05) reduced the convulsive score in both the animals, however, the pattern of response was different. No significant effect on kindling was observed with nimodipine. Conclusions :The results with acute studies suggest that both nifedipine and nimodipine, the calcium channel blockers, possess anticonvulsant activity. Chronic studies showed anticonvulsant profile only with nifedipine and better response observed in mice as compared to rats.
Six-community Hypertension Intervention Trial in Taiwan: Epidemiological Characteristics and Treatment Compliance

In order to examine epidemiological characteristics and risk factors of hypertension, to assess the treatment compliance of hypertensives, and to evaluate the feasibility of community-based hypertension control programs in Taiwan, a Six-Community Hypertension. Intervention Project (SCHIP) was conducted, involving the survey and follow-up of 7,955 men and women. Experienced public health physicians and nurses were employed to conduct cardiovascular surveys and laboratory examinations according to standard protocols, and special hypertension clinics were established for the step-care of hypertensives. The Chinese population in Taiwan is under an extraordinarily higher risk of developing cerebrovascular accidents than other populations around the world; however, age-sex-specific mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were quite similar between Taiwan citizens and people elsewhere around the world. The prevalence rate of hypertension was found to increase with age in both sexes, with males having a higher hypertension prevalence before the age of 50 years and a lower prevalence after the age of 50 than females. Multiple regression analysis showed that age, sex, location of residence, obesity, low levels of physical activity, family histories of hypertension, and previous histories of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes were significantly associated with hypertension. The treatment compliance rate of patients referred to SCHIP clinics was as high as 81.6%, while the rate of patients referred to health insurance clinics was only 50.6%. The major reasons given by patients for discontinuing treatment were ”feeling better and/or no more symptoms or signs” and ”too busy lo see doctors”.
PARTICIPATION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS AND WHITES IN URBAN PARKS AND FORESTS

©2005 International Society of Arboriculture Blacksand Whites have always been important users of urban parks and forests. There is an abundance of previous research documenting the differences in park participation and preferences of these two groups (ORRC 1962; Lee 1972; Washburne 1978; Edwards 1981; Dwyer 1993; Gobster and Delgado 1993; Floyd 1999; Virden and Walker 1999; Cordell et al. 2002; Shinew et al. 2004). If urban foresters, arborists, and others involved in public landscape management and maintenance are to make urban parks and forests more open, appealing, and safe to all users, they need to understand the realities of the differences among constituent groups and consider them in their planning, management, and maintenance strategies. Floyd (1999) underscored the importance of understanding racial differences and calling them into account in park management and decision making. He argued that public agencies must ensure that management and maintenance policies promote equal access and use; and that there are, and will continue to be, racial differences in patterns of participation, the style of use, and in the preferences for different landscapes, such as developed or natural. Gobster (2002) pointed out that the realities of ethnic group participation and landscape preferences should be recognized to “avoid negative reactions and charges of inequities. ” While Gobster’s admonition refers to the importance of understanding the varying preferences of all ethnic groups, it seems especially relevant to African Americans. For many years, this group was the most numerous and readily identified minority in the United States. Their history of bondage and often institutionalized racial discrimination has led to a distrust of how deeply African Americans views and needs are considered in public policy making, including decisions concerning parks and other public landscapes. African Americans differ from the majority White population in regard to race, ethnicity, and minority status. Racial groups are distinguished by others or by their members primarily on the basis of real or perceived physical characteristics (Floyd 1999). Ethnic groups are set apart by cultural or nationality characteristics (Feagin 1989). Minority groups, because of race or ethnicity, may experience a wide range of discriminatory treatment, including a lower status position in the broader society (Yetman 1985). All three factors—race, ethnicity, and minority status—have likely contributed to differences between African Americans and the majority White population with regard to attitudes toward, and behaviors within, urban parks and forests. This article summarizes extant literature in this area and provides conclusions based on this information.
Retrospective Study of Frequency of Pulmonary Hypertension in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common complication of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which is associated with reduced survival1,2. This study was designed to investigate the frequency of PH in COPD patients. METHODOLOGY: This study was conducted in SKN Medical College & General Hospital, Pune from 1st FEB. 2014 to 15th OCT. 2014. This study included 34 clinically stable COPD male and female patients. This was a retrospective de- scriptive study. RESULTS: A total of 34 patients were included in the study. The age range was 40-86 years. The mean age was 63 years. There were 62% male and 38% females in the study. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) was present in 53% patients with sub classification of mild PH 23%, moderate PH 18% and severe PH 12%. CONCLUSION: This study shows high prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in clinically stable COPD in this area. INTRODUCTION: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important cause of death and disability worldwide 1,2. COPD being defined by GOLD Guidelines is a preventable and treatable disease with some signifi- cant extra pulmonary effects. Among the extra pulmo- nary effects heart is very commonly affected by COPD sometimes even leading to hospitalization. COPD can affect pulmonary blood vessels, right side of the heart and may be left side of the heart leading to pulmonary hypertension, corpulmonale, tricuspid regurgitation and left ventricular dysfunction respectively. 2D echocardiog- raphy & Doppler is the simplest method to evaluate the cardiac function. It helps in diagnosis of many structural & functional abnormalities of heart 3,4 . Some of the stud- ies have shown pulmonary hypertension and corpulmo- nale frequently found in COPD patients, both of which are associated with decreased survival3-6. Our study is an effort to look for frequency of PH in COPD patients pre- senting to our hospital.
Effects of land use and anthropogenic aerosol emissions in the Roman Empire

Abstract. As one of the first transcontinental polities that led to widespread anthropogenic modification of the environment, the influence of the Roman Empire on European climate has been studied for more than 20 years. Recent advances in our understanding of past land use and aerosol–climate interactions make it valuable to revisit the way humans may have affected the climate of the Roman era. Here we estimate the effect of humans on some climate variables in the Roman Empire at its apogee, focusing on the impact of anthropogenic land cover and aerosol emissions. For this we combined existing land use scenarios with novel estimates (low, medium, high) of aerosol emissions from fuel combustion and burning of agricultural land. Aerosol emissions from agricultural burning were greater than those from fuel consumption but of the same order of magnitude. Using the global aerosol-enabled climate model ECHAM-HAM-SALSA, we conducted simulations with fixed sea-surface temperatures to gain a first impression about the possible climate impact of anthropogenic land cover and aerosols in the Roman Empire. While land use effects induced a regional warming for one of the reconstructions caused by decreases in turbulent flux, aerosol emissions enhanced the cooling effect of clouds and thus led to a cooling in the Roman Empire. Quantifying the anthropogenic influence on climate is, however, challenging since our model likely overestimates aerosol-effective radiative forcing and prescribes the sea-surface temperatures.
Rural associate degree nurse perceptions of the importance of incentives necessary for academic progression

Multiple routes of educational entry into nursing exist. Associate and baccalaureate prepared nurses take the same licensing exam and practice based on the same scope of practice. With minimal difference in salary, the current and future problem involves encouraging associate degree registered nurses to continue their education. Once the associate registered nurse is licensed and working, advancing to a baccalaureate degree may not be a priority. Evidence suggests improved patient outcomes, a decrease in morbidity and mortality rates, and higher job and personal satisfaction with bachelor prepared registered nurses. Because of this evidence, the Institute of Medicine (2010) recommends 80% of registered nurses in our nation hold a baccalaureate degree by the year 2020. Statistics suggest that the majority of rural registered nurses are educated at the associate degree level, which is true of rural Montana. This study examined the perceptions of associate degree registered nurses in rural Montana with regard to importance and incentives that would motivate nurses to return for a bachelor’s degree in nursing or higher. For this phenomenological qualitative study eight associate degree registered nurses that currently live and work in Montana underwent face-to-face interviews, which were then analyzed and themed for trends in perception. Questions were open-ended which allowed each subject to speak freely about their experiences, thoughts, and opinions. Eight associate degree registered nurses were interviewed. Common perception themes included: education is important; education is expensive; associate nurses should not be required to return for a bachelor’s degree or higher unless they choose; bachelor and master degrees are important for management or advanced practice; and higher degrees can increase career options. Incentives that would motivate nurses to pursue a higher degree included: tuition reimbursement; flexible scheduling; higher wage/differential; on-site/on-line courses; and time off for class hours. Barriers to returning for a higher degree included: cost; less personal/family time; getting back into “school mode”; difficulty getting time off work; and no increase in wage for BSN. Results indicate that rural Montana associate degree registered nurses do value education. Cost and time are the perceived barriers and monetary support and time flexibility are the perceived incentives.
Morbidity Profile of Elderly Persons

This cross-sectional study was conducted to know about the morbidity status of the geriatric population reporting at RHTC. A total of 285 elderly persons (>=60 yrs.) had reported at RHTC during the study period. All the subjects underwent personal interview and clinical examination. Hypertension was the commonest morbidity (41.4%) followed by musculoskeletal problems (36.8%) and respiratory problems (36.1%). The prevalence of psychosocial problems among patients was found to be 28.8 % (males-16.9%, females-48.1%). With the changing pattern of family, migration and other socio-demographic factors; there is a continuous rise in the health problems of elderly in developing countries. It makes a greater demand on the health services of a community. Key W ords Morbidity, Elderly population, RHTC
Índice de sintomas do refluxo Faringo-Laríngeo: relação com os principais sintomas de refluxo gastresofágico, nível de uso de voz e triagem vocal

PURPOSE: to determine the relation between Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Symptoms Index (LPRSI) and the main symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) - heartburn and retroesternal pain - voice usage level and voice screening. METHOD: there were 179 volunteers, older than 18 years old, 107 females and 72 males divided into two groups according to the LPRSI total score: positive group (total score equals or greater than 13) and the negative group (below 13). Participants answered questions about the presence of typical GERD signs (heartburn and/or retroesternal pain), the voice usage level (high or low demand) and submitted to voice screening during the interview. RESULTS: for LPRSI, 35 (19.6%) subjects made up the positive group (average score of 20) and 144 (80.4%) subjects made up the negative group (average score of 4.34). The typical GER symptoms were greater in the positive group: heartburn in 54.2% (19) versus 30.5% (44), retroesternal pain in 51.4% (18) versus 20.1% (29), and 74.3% of the subjects in the positive group and only 43.1% of those in the negative group showed one of the symptoms. For voice screening, 37.1% of the positive group and only 13% of the negative one failed it. There was no difference in voice demand related by any volunteer in neither groups. Statistical relation was found between positive LPRSI, GERD symptoms and voice screening failure (p<0.0001). No relation to voice usage was found. CONCLUSION: a positive LPRSI may be related to signs of GERD and to altered voice quality noticed during the screening.
Towards Debiasing Sentence Representations

As natural language processing methods are increasingly deployed in real-world scenarios such as healthcare, legal systems, and social science, it becomes necessary to recognize the role they potentially play in shaping social biases and stereotypes. Previous work has revealed the presence of social biases in widely used word embeddings involving gender, race, religion, and other social constructs. While some methods were proposed to debias these word-level embeddings, there is a need to perform debiasing at the sentence-level given the recent shift towards new contextualized sentence representations such as ELMo and BERT. In this paper, we investigate the presence of social biases in sentence-level representations and propose a new method, Sent-Debias, to reduce these biases. We show that Sent-Debias is effective in removing biases, and at the same time, preserves performance on sentence-level downstream tasks such as sentiment analysis, linguistic acceptability, and natural language understanding. We hope that our work will inspire future research on characterizing and removing social biases from widely adopted sentence representations for fairer NLP.
EFFECT OF DOUBLE OR PRE-SYNCHRONIZATION OVSYNCH PROTOCOLS ON FOLLICULAR DYNAMICS, PROGESTERONE PROFILE AND FIRST SERVICE PREGNANCY RATE IN TIMED ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION IN FRIESIAN COWS

Aim of this study was to determine the effect of double-Ovsynch (DO) and presynchronization (PS) protocols on ovarian follicular dynamics, progesterone (P4) concentration and pregnancy rate at first postpartum AI in Friesian cows. Total of 44 lactating cows on 39-45 day post-partum (12 primiparous and 32 multiparous cows) were used in this study. Cows were divided into two similar groups (22 cows in each). Cows in G1 were pre-synchronized by two PGF2α (Estrumate) injections at 14 d interval (on days 42 and 56±3 post-partum), then initiate the Ovsynch-timed AI protocol after 12 days. Cows in G2 were injected on day 0 with 1 dose of GnRH (Receptal) on day 51±3 post-partum, with PGF2α on day 7 and 2 dose of GnRH after 72 h, then initiate the Ovsynch-timed AI protocol after 7 days. Cows in both groups were treated with the same Ovsynch protocol: 1 GnRH on days 68±3 postpartum, PGF2α after 7 days, 2 GnRH 56 h after PGF2α, and timed AI after 16 h. Cows were subjected to ultrasonography device to examine follicular number (FN) and diameter of dominant follicles (DF) as well as counting the number of corpora lutea (NCLs). Blood samples were collected to determine P4 in blood serum. Results showed that FN or NCLs/ovary on day 0 or during pre-synchronization treatment was not affected significantly by treatment. FN/ovary at 2 GnRH of Ovsynch-breeding protocol was greater in G1 than in G2 (1.6 vs. 2.0 foll./ovary). However, NCLs and DF diameter during Ovsynch-breeding in G1 and G2 were not affected significantly by treatment. Concentration of P4 in blood serum of cows on days 0, pre-synch, 1 GnRH and PGF2 injections was not affected significantly by treatment. On day of 2 GnRH injection, P4 concentration was higher (P<0.01) in G2 than in G1. Concentration of P4 was slightly higher (P>0.05) in pregnant than in non-pregnant cows during pre-synch protocol. Progesterone concentration on day 75 showed an opposite trend, being lower (P<0.05) in pregnant than in non-pregnant cows. Ovulation rate to 1 GnRH injection was insignificantly higher in G2 (88.9%) than in G1 (82.4%). While, pregnancy rate based on total number of treated and ovulated cows was insignificantly higher in G1 (45.5 and 71.4%) than in G2 (36.4 and 50.0%), respectively. Higher pregnancy rates was in association with higher P4 concentration (>3 ng/ml) on day 0 and at 1 GnRH of Ovsynch breeding protocol and lower P4 concentration (<1 ng/ml) at 2 GnRH. Thus, pre-synchronization with PresynchOvsynch increased cyclicity and fertility of Frisian cows at first service postpartum in Frisian cows. However, Double-Ovsynch gave higher ovulation rate than presynchOvsynch.
Breast tumour size as a predictor of hemostatic system status and endothelial function in dogs

The high level of morbidity of dogs from mammary gland tumours and deficiencies in the pathogenesis give relevance to study of the disorders of the hemostatic system for predicting the neoplasia process. Our research concerned the determination of markers of the hemostatic system and endothelial function at different sizes (≤ 2, 5–7 and >10 cm) of benign (n = 28) and malignant (n = 27) breast tumours in dogs, taking into account their histological structure. The progression of the tumour process was accompanied by a 1.24–1.81 times increase in the fibrinogen content in the benign forms and 1.39–2.38 times in malignant against the background of progressive excess accumulation of soluble fibrin. The results of coagulation tests indicate that the increase in blood coagulation, which correlates with the magnitude of tumours, occurred mainly externally. In malignant neoplasms reliable, compared to clinically healthy dogs, reduction of total fibrinolytic activity occurred due to deficient inhibition of tissue plasminogen activator by 1.62–2.03 times. Increase in the size of benign neoplasms was accompanied by increased activity of the α1-inhibitor of proteinases, and in malignant – only in tumours of the size of 5–7 cm, against the background of its decrease in dogs with small and giant neoplasia. The progression of the disease was characterized by an increase in the content of α2-macroglobulin in benign lesions from 1.19–1.24 times, malignant – from 1.25–2.03 times. At the same time, there was a deepening of oxidative stress, as evidenced by the excess accumulation in the blood of malondialdehyde by 1.29–1.70 times in benign tumours, and 1.58–2.73 times in malignant. Regardless of the pathomorphologic form, the magnitude of the neoplasia foci is directly correlated with excess accumulation of nitric oxide and the level of hypoproteinemia, and vice versa – the content of ceruloplasmin. Further research should be undertaken to study the hemostatic status in certain nosological forms of breast tumours in dogs, which will improve the diagnosis and development of effective treatment protocols.
The properties of Natural Organic Matter (NOM) affect the impact of Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) on Tomato Plants (SOLANUM LYCOPERSICUM)

The adsorption of natural organic matter (NOM) or surfactants onto raw multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was shown to effectively enhance the dispersibility and stabilization of MWCNTs. The two kinds of dispersants used were humic acid and peptone. Based on the dynamic light scattering (DLS) analyses, the use of surfactants increased the steric hindrance as well as the charge repulsion between adjacent CNT particles, thereby enhancing their suspension. In addition, TEM images agreed with the DSL analysis that HA-stabilized MWCNTs were well-dispersed compared to pep-stabilized MWCNTs. Decreases in the growth rate, water uptake, dry weight, and root elongation rate along with a rise in mortality were detected as an indication of phyto-toxicity in both the pepMWCNT suspensions at 1000mg/L and the peptone control seedlings. This was an indicator for the presence of suspended MWCNTs as well as their unstable dispersion in the water column. However, the interaction between the HA-CNTs and the plants improved development in terms of water uptake, dry weight and root elongation rate due to their welldispersed stability in water. Overall, our results suggest that the nature of the dispersant agent itself plays an active role in the toxicity of
MTA: A review of literature with clinical applications

Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) is a calcium silicate-based cement. It has remained a widereaching material in endodontics since its introduction in the 1990’s. Several studies have illustrated its use in various clinical applications. MTA has been extensively studied and is currently used for perforation repairs, apexifications, regenerative procedures, pulp capping, root-end filling materials. This article will review the history, composition, setting reaction, properties, mechanism of action and various clinical applications of MTA in the field of Endodontics with four different case reports.