Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE PREVENTIVE EFFECT OF THE NORDIC HAMSTRING EXERCISE ON HAMSTRING INJURIES IN AMATEUR SOCCER PLAYERS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Background Hamstring injuries are the most common muscle injuries in male amateur soccer. Eccentric strength of the hamstrings is recognized as an important modifiable risk factor, leading to the development of preventive exercises such as the Nordic Hamstring Exercise. Objective This study aims to investigate the preventive effect of the Nordic Hamstring Exercise on the incidence and severity of hamstring injuries in male amateur soccer players. Design Cluster-randomized controlled trial with soccer teams as the unit of cluster. Setting Dutch first class amateur field soccer. Participants Male amateur soccer players (mean age 24.5 years, SD 3.8 years) from 40 teams were allocated to intervention (n=309 players) or control group (n=310 players). Risk factor assessment The intervention group was instructed to perform 25 sessions of the Nordic Hamstring Exercise within a period of 13 weeks during the first months of 2013. Both the intervention group and control group performed regular soccer training and were followed for hamstring injury incidence and severity during the calendar year 2013. At baseline, personal characteristics (e.g. age, injury history, field position) were gathered from all participants via questionnaire. Main outcome measurements Primary outcomes are initial and recurrent hamstring injury incidence (number of hamstring injuries) and injury severity (number of days injured). Results Interim analysis after intervention (2 months follow-up) show a total of 2 hamstring injuries in intervention group vs 12 hamstring injuries in control group (χ2=7.5, P<.05). Regarding injury severity, no difference was found between intervention and control group (t=0.3, P=.77). Conclusions Preliminary analyses during the summer break show substantial hamstring injury incidence reduction by incorporating the Nordic Hamstring Exercise in regular training. With a total follow-up of 9 months, final analyses (survival analyses including the number of injuries per 1000 playing hours) will be performed in January 2014.
Metabolism of HeLa cells revealed through autofluorescence lifetime upon infection with enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

Abstract. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is a sensitive technique in monitoring functional and conformational states of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide reduced (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD),main compounds participating in oxidative phosphorylation in cells. In this study, we have applied FLIM to characterize the metabolic changes in HeLa cells upon bacterial infection and made comparison with the results from the cells treated with staurosporine (STS), a well-known apoptosis inducer. The evolving of NADH’s average autofluorescence lifetime during the 3 h after infection with enterohemorragic Escherichia coli (EHEC) or STS treatment has been observed. The ratio of the short and the long lifetime components’ relative contributions of NADH increases with time, a fact indicating cellular metabolic activity, such as a decrease of oxidative phosphorylation over the course of infection, while opposite dynamics is observed in FAD. Being associated with mitochondria, FAD lifetimes and redox ratio could indicate heterogeneous mitochondrial function, microenvironment with bacterial infection, and further pathway to cell death. The redox ratios for both EHEC-infected and STS-treated HeLa cells have been observed and these observations also indicate possible apoptosis induced by bacterial infection.
Cancer, Heart Disease, and AIDS: What Do The Media Tell Us About These Diseases?

Understandings that societies have about illnesses have social ramifications that extend beyond the physiological conditions alone. Cancer and heart disease are major causes of death in North America. AIDS, a new disease, is an epidemic with great lethal potentiality. All three diseases are experienced directly or indirectly by most of the population of North America. In a mass society, one significant source of information about disease, its nature, causes, and treatment is the mass media. This article examines select North American mass media – namely, Time, Newsweek, Maclean's, Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, and Reader's Digest – in 1961-1965 and 1980-1985 to compare the images of cancer, heart disease, and AIDS.
Effect of ouabain on metabolic oxidative state in living cardiomyocytes evaluated by time-resolved spectroscopy of endogenous NAD(P)H fluorescence

Abstract. Time-resolved spectrometry of endogenous nicotinamide dinucleotide phosphate [NAD(P)H] fluorescence is a useful method to evaluate metabolic oxidative state in living cells. Ouabain is a well-known pharmaceutical drug used in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, the effects of which on myocardial metabolism were recently demonstrated. Mechanisms implicated in these actions are still poorly understood. We investigate the effect of ouabain on the metabolic oxidative state of living cardiac cells identified by time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy of mitochondrial NAD(P)H. Spectral unmixing is used to resolve individual NAD(P)H fluorescence components. Ouabain decreased the integral intensity of NAD(P)H fluorescence, leading to a reduced component amplitudes ratio corresponding to a change in metabolic state. We also noted that lactate/pyruvate, affecting the cytosolic NADH gradient, increased the effect of ouabain on the component amplitudes ratio. Cell oxidation levels, evaluated as the percentage of oxidized NAD(P)H, decreased exponentially with rising concentrations of the cardiac glycoside. Ouabain also stimulated the mitochondrial NADH production. Our study sheds a new light on the role that ouabain plays in the regulation of metabolic state, and presents perspective on a noninvasive, pharmaceutical approach for testing the effect of drugs on the mitochondrial metabolism by means of time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy in living cells.
A BNBF User Selection Scheme for NOMA-Based Cooperative Relaying Systems With SWIPT

In this letter, we investigate the outage performance of cooperative relaying transmissions in two-user non-orthogonal multiple access systems, wherein simultaneous wireless information and power transfer is employed at the near users to power their relaying operations. To this end, a best-near best-far (BNBF) user selection scheme is proposed. Considering three relaying protocols, i.e., decode-and-forward (DF), amplify-and-forward (AF), and hybrid DF/AF protocols, tight closed-form approximate expressions for the outage probability are derived to evaluate the system performance. Numerical results reveal that, for any relaying protocols used, the diversity order achieved by the BNBF scheme is <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$M+1$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, where <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$M$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is the number of far users, and does not depend on the number of near users.
Three-Step Two-Way Decode and Forward Relay With Energy Harvesting

Radio frequency energy harvesting is being considered for realizing energy efficient relay networks. This letter focuses on decode-and-forward relaying in an energy harvesting network and develops analytical expressions of the outage probability and overall throughput. A three-step scheme has been proposed that allows the bidirectional exchange of information between two nodes via an intermediate relay. The performance of the proposed scheme has been evaluated and compared with a recent work.
Improving limited-projection-angle fluorescence molecular tomography using a co-registered x-ray computed tomography scan

Abstract. We examine the improvement in imaging performance, such as axial resolution and signal localization, when employing limited-projection-angle fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) together with x-ray computed tomography (XCT) measurements versus stand-alone FMT. For this purpose, we employed living mice, bearing a spontaneous lung tumor model, and imaged them with FMT and XCT under identical geometrical conditions using fluorescent probes for cancer targeting. The XCT data was employed, herein, as structural prior information to guide the FMT reconstruction. Gold standard images were provided by fluorescence images of mouse cryoslices, providing the ground truth in fluorescence bio-distribution. Upon comparison of FMT images versus images reconstructed using hybrid FMT and XCT data, we demonstrate marked improvements in image accuracy. This work relates to currently disseminated FMT systems, using limited projection scans, and can be employed to enhance their performance.
Computing Minimal and Maximal Allowable Transmission Intervals for Networked Control Systems Using the Hybrid Systems Approach

A popular design framework for networked control systems (NCSs) is the emulation-based approach combined with hybrid systems analysis techniques. In the rich literature regarding this framework, bounds on the maximally allowable transmission interval (MATI) are provided to guarantee stability properties of the NCS, while the minimal allowable transmission interval (MIATI) is always taken to be (essentially) zero. In this letter, we show for the first time how knowledge of the MIATI can also be exploited in the hybrid systems/emulation-based framework leading to (guaranteed) higher values for the MATI, while still obtaining stability of the NCS.
Pharmacological and chemical features of Nepeta L. genus: Its importance as a therapeutic agent

Medicinal plants have always had great value for the human population due to their valuable constituents and potential bioactivities. The objective of this review is to present an updated overview of an important medicinal plant genus Nepeta L. , from the family Lamiaceae, revealing its traditional utilization, biological activity, phytoconstituents, and mechanisms of action. For this purpose, a literature survey was carried out by using SciFinder, ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science followed by a revision of the bibliographies of the related articles. We have described and analyzed the role of plants in drug discovery and the importance of Nepeta species. Information on the utilization purposes of Nepeta species in folk medicine has been emphasized, and scientific studies on the biological effects and secondary metabolites are addressed. Nepeta species are characterized by terpenoid‐type compounds and phenolic constituents, which exert several activities such as an antimicrobial, repellent against major pathogen vector mosquitoes, insecticide, larvicide against Anopheles stephensi, cytotoxic anticarcinogen, antioxidant, anticonvulsant, analgesic, anti‐inflammatory agent, and antidepressant, revealing its importance in medicinal and agricultural fields. On the basis of numerous studies, the Nepeta genus demonstrates remarkable therapeutic effects against various diseases. However, clinical studies are warranted to confirm preclinical findings.
Commentary on ‘Interventions to improve antibiotic prescribing practices in ambulatory care’

Abstract This is a commentary on a Cochrane review, published in this issue of EBCH, first published as: Arnold SR, Straus SE. Interventions to improve antibiotic prescribing practices in ambulatory care. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD003539. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003539. pub2. Further information for this Cochrane review is available in this issue of EBCH in the accompanying EBCH Summary and Characteristics and Key Findings Tables articles. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fluorescence spectra of blood and urine for cervical cancer detection

Abstract. In the current study, the fluorescence emission spectra (FES) and Stokes shift spectra (SSS) of blood and urine samples of cervical cancer patients were obtained and compared to those of normal controls. Both spectra showed that the relative intensity of biomolecules such as porphyrin, collagen, Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and flavin were quite out of proportion in cervical cancer patients. The biochemical mechanism for the elevation of these fluorophores is not yet definitive; nevertheless, these biomolecules could serve as tumor markers for diagnosis, screening, and follow-up of cervical cancers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on FES and SSS of blood and urine of cervical cancer patients to give a sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 78%.
Total zero Doppler Steering-a new method for minimizing the Doppler centroid

This letter presents a new method, called total Zero Doppler steering, to perform yaw and pitch steering for spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems. The new method reduces the Doppler centroid to theoretically 0 Hz, independent of the range position of interest. Residual errors are only due to pointing inaccuracy or due to approximations in the implementation of the total zero Doppler steering law. This letter compares the new method with currently applied methods. The attitude angles and the residual Doppler centroid frequencies are calculated and depicted exemplarily for the parameters of TerraSAR-X, for which the new method will be implemented and used. The new method provides a number of advantages. The low residual Doppler centroid and the reduced variation of the Doppler centroid over range allow a more accurate Doppler centroid estimation. Due to the low residual Doppler centroid, the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processing can be alleviated, since the range cell migration is reduced and the Doppler frequencies are low. This facilitates the use of very efficient processing algorithms, which are based on approximations whose quality is better for low Doppler frequencies. The new method will furthermore optimize the overlap of the azimuth spectra of SAR image pairs for cross-track interferometry. Low Doppler centroids will also reduce the impact of coregistration errors on the interferometric phase. Furthermore, scalloping corrections in the ScanSAR processing are alleviated due to the low variation of the Doppler centroid over range.
In vitro protective effects of an aqueous extract of Clitoria ternatea L. flower against hydrogen peroxide‐induced cytotoxicity and UV‐induced mtDNA damage in human keratinocytes

The traditional practice of eating the flowers of Clitoria ternatea L. or drinking their infusion as herbal tea in some of the Asian countries is believed to promote a younger skin complexion and defend against skin aging. This study was conducted to investigate the protective effect of C. ternatea flower water extract (CTW) against hydrogen peroxide‐induced cytotoxicity and ultraviolet (UV)‐induced mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage in human keratinocytes. The protective effect against hydrogen peroxide‐induced cytotoxicity was determined by 3‐(4, 5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐5‐(3‐carboxymethoxyphenyl)‐2‐(4‐sulfophenyl)‐2H‐tetrazolium assay, and mtDNA damage induced by UV was determined by polymerase chain reaction. Preincubation of HaCaT with 100, 250, and 500 μg/ml CTW reduced cytotoxicity effects of H2O2 compared with control (H2O2 alone). CTW also significantly reduced mtDNA damage in UV‐exposed HaCaT (p < .05). CTW was chemically‐characterized using high resolution liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. The main compounds detected were assigned as anthocyanins derived from delphinidin, including polyacylated ternatins, and flavonol glycosides derived from quercetin and kaempferol. These results demonstrated the protective effects of C. ternatea flower extracts that contain polyacylated anthocyanins and flavonol glycosides as major constituents, against H2O2 and UV‐induced oxidative stress on skin cells, and may provide some explanation for the putative traditional and cosmetic uses of C. ternatea flower against skin aging.
Coseismic fault rupture detection and slip measurement by ASAR precise correlation using coherence maximization: application to a north-south blind fault in the vicinity of Bam (Iran)

Using the phase differences between satellite radar images recorded before and after an earthquake, interferometry allows mapping the projection along the line of sight (LOS) of the ground displacement. Acquisitions along multiple LOS theoretically allow deriving the complete deformation vector; however, due to the orbit inclination of current radar satellites, precision is poor in the north-south direction. Moreover, large deformation gradients (e.g., fault ruptures) prevent phase identification and unwrapping and cannot be measured directly by interferometry. Subpixel correlation techniques using the amplitude of the radar images allow measuring such gradients, both in slant-range and in azimuth. In this letter, we use a correlation technique based on the maximization of coherence for a radar pair in interferometric conditions, using the complex nature of the data. In the case of highly coherent areas, this technique allows estimating the relative distortion between images. Applied to ASAR images acquired before and after the December 26, 2003 Bam earthquake (Iran), we show that the near-field information retrieved by this technique is useful to constrain geophysical models. In particular, we confirm that the major gradients of ground displacement do not occur across the known fault scarp but approximately 3 km west of it, and we also estimate directly the amplitude of right lateral slip, while retrieving this value from interferometry requires passing through the use of a model for the earthquake fault and slip.
Role of contrast and fractality of laser speckle image in assessing flow velocity and scatterer concentration in phantom body fluids

Abstract. Blood flow velocity and red blood cell concentration are of vital importance in assessing tissue microcirculation. Laser speckle contrast analysis is being considered as a promising tool in the qualitative assessment of flow velocity as well as scatterer concentration in different body fluids, though the quantification part still remains challenging. The fractal-based spatial correlation analysis of speckle flow images along with the corresponding contrast analysis for the quantitative assessment of flow and scatterer concentration is investigated. In this study, phantom body fluid solution (intralipid 20%) of different concentrations is pumped at different flow rates through the designed flow channel using a syringe pump and the corresponding speckle images are acquired. The fractality of the acquired speckle images in response to the changes in concentration of the fluid as well as the variations in fluid flow is analyzed along with the corresponding contrast-based analysis. Following this qualitative analysis, an experimental model is attempted toward quantification of these parameters from a single acquired speckle image by considering the contrast and fractality changes together.
Quality of life in rheumatological patients

Objective Rheumatological diseases are associated with lower quality of life (QoL) levels. Psychiatric disturbances are frequently observed in these patients. This study examined the impact of personality disorders on the QoL of patients with rheumatological diseases. Method The study sample consisted of 142 participants including patients suffering from rheumatological disease with a personality disorder (n = 30), without any personality disorder (n = 112), and healthy control participants without physical or psychiatric disorders (n = 60). The Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (SCID-I) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM, Revised Third Edition Personality Disorders (SCID-II) were used to determine Axis I and Axis II psychiatric disorders, respectively. QoL levels were assessed by means of the World Health Organization QoL Assessment-Brief. Results The subscale scores of physical health, psychological health, and social relationships were significantly lower in patients with rheumatological disease regardless of the existence of personality disorder compared with the control participants. Rheumatological patients with a personality disorder had significantly lower subscale scores of psychological health (p = 0.003) and social relationships (p < 0.003) compared with patients without any personality disorder. Conclusions Personality disorders seem to be a relevant factor that maybe associated with QoL in patients suffering from rheumatological disease.
Robust Pruning of Training Patterns for Optimum-Path Forest Classification Applied to Satellite-Based Rainfall Occurrence Estimation

The decision correctness in expert systems strongly depends on the accuracy of a pattern classifier, whose learning is performed from labeled training samples. Some systems, however, have to manage, store, and process a large amount of data, making also the computational efficiency of the classifier an important requirement. Examples are expert systems based on image analysis for medical diagnosis and weather forecasting. The learning time of any pattern classifier increases with the training set size, and this might be necessary to improve accuracy. However, the problem is more critical for some popular methods, such as artificial neural networks and support vector machines (SVM), than for a recently proposed approach, the optimum-path forest (OPF) classifier. In this letter, we go beyond by presenting a robust approach to reduce the training set size and still preserve good accuracy in OPF classification. We validate the method using some data sets and for rainfall occurrence estimation based on satellite image analysis. The experiments use SVM and OPF without pruning of training patterns as baselines.
An Enhanced Three-Band Index for Estimating Chlorophyll-a in Turbid Case-II Waters: Case Studies of Lake Kasumigaura, Japan, and Lake Dianchi, China

A three-band index was previously proposed and successfully utilized to estimate the chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a) in case-II waters. However, this index shows uncertainties in highly turbid situations. In this study, an enhanced three-band index is proposed to solve this problem. Since the new index employs bands that are identical to those of the original threeband index, it can be applied to Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) data. The performance of the index was evaluated using the data collected from two turbid Asian lakes: Lake Kasumigaura, Japan, and Lake Dianchi, China. The results showed that the Chl-a predicted by the enhanced threeband index was strongly correlated with the measured Chl-a (R2 > 0.83), and the root-mean-square error (rmse) and the normalized root-mean-square error (NRMS) were both reduced for the two lakes (for Lake Kasumigaura, rmse from 13.97 to 8.68 mg · m-3 and NRMS from 19.01% to 12.30%; for Lake Dianchi, rmse from 41.29 to 15.28 mg · m-3 and NRMS from 35.83% to 21.34%). These findings imply that, if accurately atmospheric-corrected MERIS data are available, the enhanced three-band index could be used for mapping Chl-a even in highly turbid case-II waters.
The management of menstrual disorders in early reproductive life

Gynaecological disorders in adolescence are relatively uncommon, but may present diagnostic and management challenges for the obstetrician and gynaecologist. This review describes the normal patterns of sex steroid and gynaecological development during puberty and discusses the common and uncommon menstrual disorders that may arise in early reproductive life, giving guidance on their investigation and management. Some of the rarer but important conditions that the gynaecologist should be aware of are briefly mentioned.