Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Autonomic nervous system in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease , immunity , and exercise

Physiological anti-inflammatory mechanisms represent well-organized systems that have been developed by evolution to control inflammation. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction may contribute to the development and maintenance of chronic inflammatory illnesses including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The central nervous system obtains sensory inputs from the immune system through both humoral and neuronal routes. Inflammatory input activates an anti-inflammatory reaction that promptly inhibits overproduction of inflammatory cytokines. The ANS moderates gastrointestinal motility, secretion, permeability and mucosal immunity. Besides the sympathetic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system, in addition to its typical function of hormone secretion, controlling heart rate, gastrointestinal peristalsis, and digestion, may also be involved in the control of the immune reactions to commensal flora and alimentary constituents. It is now well recognized that cholinergic enteric neurons participate in epithelial transport and mucosal immune defense. In IBD, changes in enteric autonomic regulation may also influence neural cardiovascular control. Whether this dysfunction results from the inflammatory component of these illnesses or it is a primary cause, has not yet been satisfactorily answered. Several studies have examined the effects of exercise on the immune function. Some of them have shown that moderate and regular exercise has a significant role in the prevention and treatment of many diseases. Physical activity is inversely correlated with systemic low-level inflammation, suggesting that regular exercise may provide beneficial health effects in the patients with chronic illnesses like IBD. The protective and anti-inflammatory effects of exercise may be mediated by muscle-derived peptides called myokines. The reverse association of physical fitness with the IBD risk is consistent with a protecting role of exercise. The literature shows that very few patients receive advice from healthcare professionals regarding exercise.
Mutagenesis and Genotypic Characterization of Aspergillus niger FCBP-02 for Improvement in Cellulolytic Potential

Cellulase is a collective term that encompasses enzymes which catalyze reactions that participate in the degradation of insoluble cellulose to soluble carbohydrates. In the present study, production of extra cellular cellulases by a filamentous fungus, Aspergillus niger FCBP-02, was studied in solid-state fermentation (SSF) as well as in submerged fermentation (SmF). Trials were conducted to evaluate the effect of mutagenesis by UV irradiation (5–40 min) and ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) treatment (50–300 μg mL−1) to obtain hyper active cellulase enzyme producers among the potential strains. The enzyme activity assays of parental and mutant strains clearly revealed significantly higher cellulase activity of mutant A-Ch-5.5 (96 Units mL−1), followed by A-UV-5.6 (71 Units mL−1) with respect to the wild strain of A. niger FCBP–02 (53.7 Units mL−1). The profile of genetic variability among wild and mutant derivatives was scrutinized through RAPD–PCR. The expression pattern of mutants exhibited that the mutants were isogenic variants of the wild type and the out performance of the mutants could be attributed to the change in genetic make up.
Effects of Active Smoking on Airway and Systemic Inflammation Profiles in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Background:The markers that characterize local and systemic inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remain unclear, as do their correlations with smoking status and presence of disease. The aim of this study was to assess markers of inflammation in the peripheral blood and airways of current smokers without COPD, of current smokers with COPD and of ex-smokers with COPD. Methods:In this study, 17 current smokers with COPD (mean age: 58.2 ± 9.6 years; mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1]: 56.1 ± 15.9%), 35 ex-smokers with COPD (mean age: 66.3 ± 7.3 years; mean FEV1: 47.9 ± 17.2%) and 20 current smokers without COPD (mean age: 49.1 ± 6.2 years; mean FEV1: 106.5 ± 15.8%) were evaluated. Spirometry findings, body composition and serum/induced sputum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor &agr; (TNF-&agr;), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and IL-10, together with serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, were assessed. Results:Serum TNF-&agr; concentration was higher in all current smokers than in ex-smokers with COPD. In current smokers without COPD, serum CRP level was lower than in ex-smokers with COPD and significantly lower than in current smokers with COPD. Sputum TNF-&agr; concentration was higher in current and ex-smokers with COPD than in current smokers without COPD. Multiple regression analyses showed that serum TNF-&agr; was associated with active smoking, and serum CRP and sputum TNF-&agr; were associated with COPD diagnosis. Conclusions:Smoking is associated with higher systemic inflammation in patients with COPD. Current findings also support the hypothesis that smoking and COPD have different effects on the regulation of airway and systemic inflammatory processes.
Effects of antenna directivity on indoor multipath propagation characteristics at 60 GHz

In millimeter-wave indoor communications systems, the radiation patterns of the antennas at base stations and remote terminals have a significant influence on the channel characteristics. The work reported in this paper investigated the effects of the radiation patterns of the antennas at remote terminals on multipath propagation characteristics. These effects were investigated by indoor propagation measurements at 60 GHz conducted in a modern office room and by ray-tracing simulations based on geometrical optics. Multipath channel characteristics are compared in terms of impulse responses and their rms delay spreads for an omnidirectional antenna and for three directive antennas with different beam widths. From the results of measurements and ray-tracing simulations, the use of a directive antenna at the remote terminal is demonstrated to be an effective method of reducing the effects of multipath propagation.
The necessity of using Sky View Factor in urban planning: A case study of Narmak neighborhood, Tehran

Urban heat island is a phenomenon caused by increased urban activities and transformations in the natural environment. Increased urban population and increase in the height of buildings, particularly in metropolitan areas, have led to vast changes in the urban geometry, amount of released heat, pollution rate, and meteorological parameters. All these factors contribute to the occurrence of heat island phenomenon in urban areas. Sky View Factor (SVF) is one of the main factors related to pollution, temperature variations, heat island, and other environmental parameters. Housing density policies stipulated in Tehran's detailed plan would possibly have several impacts on the sky view factor. The SVF axis of the Envi-met software uses various parameters such as topography, wind velocity, and urban morphology to simulate and measure sky view factor. This study aims to evaluate impacts of the future high rise developments, in the Narmak neighborhood of Tehran, through modeling future changes in the sky view factor. For this purpose, data related to Haft Hoz square located in the Narmak neighborhood were obtained, simulated and analyzed using SVF. Results indicate that in the business as usual scenario the factor's value would be in a range between 0.19 and 0.77. Whereas, by implementing the scenario proposed in the detailed plan the factor will decrease to fall in a range between 0.08 and 0.69. This reduction in the intensity will possibly increase heat island impacts in the study area. This study emphasizes the necessity of taking compensatory policy measures and incorporating environmental considerations in urban development plans.
Dynamic Beat-to-Beat Changes of the Cardiac Electric Field in Response to Situations with Increased Sympathetic Activity

Only a few studies - evaluating body surface potential maps (BSPMs) from a selected single beat, or from an average constructed of some heart beats - have dealt with reactive changes of BSPMs in response to different physiological conditions. Our aim was to analyse the previously unexplored dynamic beat-to-beat pattern of the reactive changes in the ventricular depolarization and repolarization, induced by different physiological mechanisms - by tilt table test or by psycho-emotional stress. Continual records of body surface ECG and repetitive BP measurements were taken in supine rest, during tilting to 60°(TU,TI), back to supine and sitting (SIT), or seated during the mental arithmetic test (MA). R-R intervals and selected BSPMs parameters were evaluated for each heartbeat. With changing position from supine to TI, there was a significant gradual decrease of the QRSTampl, in the average to 73% and with SIT to 81% of the resting supine value. The MA stress induced changes began with a short latency, peaked significantly at 30-60 seconds, returning to the control values at the end of the test, or some heart beats after. The main parameter of repolarization BSPM -STampl fell to 81% of its control value. These reactions correspond to the pattern of the complex sympathergic cardiovascular responses to postural or mental tasks.
Persistently active disease is common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, particularly in women: a long-term inception cohort study

Objectives: Despite improved treatment strategies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), some patients do not respond satisfactorily. The aim of this study was to investigate the course and outcome of early RA diagnosed during the 1990s and followed for 8 years with a focus on those who did not respond well to treatment. Method: This study included 640 patients (66% women) who were enrolled in the BARFOT (Better Anti-Rheumatic PharmacOTherapy) RA inception cohort between the years 1993 and 1999. The 28-joint count Disease Activity Score (DAS28) < 2.6 criteria were used to assess remission. Persistent disease (PD) was defined as absence of remission at all predefined follow-up visits at 1, 2, 5, and 8 years. Function was assessed by Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and Signals of Functional Impairment (SOFI) scores and radiological joint damage by the Sharp/van der Heijde score (SHS). Results: Of the 640 patients, 214 (37%) had PD (43% of the women and 25% of the men). Over the 8 years of follow-up, patients with PD had significantly worse mean values for patient’s global health measured on a visual analogue scale (VAS patGH), VAS pain, HAQ, SOFI, and SHS compared with those in the non-PD group. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that female gender, current smoking, disease activity at baseline, and absence of remission at 6 months independently predicted PD. Conclusions: Of the patients who entered the early RA inception cohort, 37% suffered a PD course over 8 years. The consequences of PD with regard to general health, pain, function, and joint damage were considerable. Of note, PD was more common in women than in men.
Slow cholinergic and peptidergic transmission in sympathetic ganglia.

Experiments of voltage-clamped bullfrog sympathetic neurons suggest that the "slow depolarization" produced by orthodromic stimulation, by muscarinic agonists, or by the peptide luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH), results from the suppression of a time- and voltage-dependent outward K+ current, the "M current" (IM). This current is activated between -60 and -10mV, with a half-maximal activation voltage of -35 mV, a minimum time constant (TM) of 150 ms at -35 mV, and a voltage sensitivity corresponding to a single gating particle with a minimum valency of 4.IM does not show time-dependent inactivation within its activation range and provides the sole potential-sensitive component of the steady outward membrane conductances between -60 and -25 mV. Muscarinic agonists and LHRH selectively depress IM via different receptors, without altering their voltage sensitivity. Although not dependent on external Ca2+ ion, IM is also selectively depressed by Ba2+ ions, so accounting for the cholinomimetic action of Ba2+. It is suggested that IM acts as a braking control on spike discharges and that removal of this control during slow cholinergic and peptidergic transmission provides a unique synaptic tuning mechanism.
Teaching genetics with multimedia results in better acquisition of knowledge and improvement in comprehension

The main goal of this study was to explore whether the use of multimedia in genetics instruction contributes more to students' knowledge and comprehension than other instructional modes. We were also concerned with the influence of different instructional modes on the retention of knowledge and comprehension. In a quasi-experimental design, four comparable groups of 3rd and 4th grade high school students were taught the process of protein synthesis: group 1 was taught in the traditional lecture format (n = 112 students), group 2 only by reading text (n = 124 students), group 3 through multimedia that integrated two short computer animations (n = 115 students) and group 4 by text supplemented with illustrations (n = 117 students). All students received one pre-test in order to estimate their prior knowledge, and two post-tests in order to assess knowledge and comprehension immediately after learning and again after 5 weeks. Results showed that students comprising groups 3 and 4 acquired better knowledge and improved comprehension skills than the other two groups. Similar results were observed for retention of acquired knowledge and improved comprehension. These findings lead to the conclusion that better learning outcomes can be obtained by the use of animations or at least illustrations when learning genetics.
Cystoprostatectomy for effective palliation of symptomatic bladder invasion by prostate cancer.

PURPOSE We evaluated the palliative effect of cystoprostatectomy (CP) for palliating pelvic symptoms in patients with bladder invasion by prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 38 patients with clinical T4 prostate cancer, including primary tumors in 17 and recurrence following radiation therapy in 21, underwent palliative CP. Local symptoms, the need for surgical procedures to relieve obstruction, and chronic tube drainage for urinary obstruction before surgery and 3 months after surgery were compared. Average followup was 23 months. Time to local and systemic symptom recurrence, biochemical progression and metastasis was measured and disease specific survival was determined. RESULTS Local symptoms were reported by 34 patients (89%) before surgery and by 8 (21%) after surgery (p = 0.000). Preoperatively a total of 22 tubes were inserted in 13 patients to overcome urinary obstruction. Average indwelling tube duration was 6.9 months. A total of 24 transurethral prostatic tumor resections were performed in 11 patients. Following CP local symptoms were relieved permanently in 30 patients. The average interval between surgery and clinical systemic disease was 26 months. Median time to biochemical progression, metastasis and systemic symptoms was 8, 18 and 26 months, respectively. Median disease specific survival was 31 months (range 1.7 to 81.2). No perioperative deaths occurred. Rectal injuries occurred in 5 cases (13%) during surgery. CONCLUSIONS Radical CP provides effective and durable palliation in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer. This procedure can be performed with acceptable morbidity in a select group of patients.
Influence of the confinement factor on the wavelength-dependent output properties of a tapered traveling-wave semiconductor amplifier

We analyze the influence of the confinement factor on the output properties of a tapered traveling-wave semiconductor amplifier as a function of the wavelength of the input field and current injected into the amplifier. The interaction of the optical field with the amplifying medium is described by means of a susceptibility function taking into account both the gain and the carrier-induced antiguiding effect, while the beam propagation method is used to describe the evolution of the field along the amplifier. We find that, for the same input power, devices with lower optical confinement factors allow for the same output optical power with better beam quality and higher saturation power than devices with higher optical confinement factor, in agreement with the available experimental results.
Quality circles: One organization's experience

Decentralization of quality assurance activity or total quality management (TQM) is a goal set by many health services. Effective and efficient use of available resources is usually the goal. This article describes the efforts of one organization to decentralize its nursing quality assurance program. Quality circles provided forums for an increasing acceptance by ward-based nurses of their role in establishing quality as central to nursing practice. This emphasis on local group processes has helped staff to work with each other to solve problems related to the work of nursing.
Platelet glycoprotein IIb‐IIIa and size are increased in acute myocardial infarction

Abstract. Platelet aggregation, which plays an important role in acute myocardial infarction (AMI), is mediated by fibrinogen binding to the platelet membrane glycoprotein (GP)IIb‐IIIa (CD41). This study measured the relative number of GPIIb‐IIIa complexes on platelets from patients immediately following AMI (n= 14) compared with those from controls (n= 14). Flow cytometry was used to demonstrate that there were, on average, 20% more GPIIb‐IIIa complexes on platelets after AMI compared with controls. Platelet size was also 7% greater in AMI and it is known that larger platelets are more reactive. Since platelet size and protein content are determined at thrombopoiesis the majority of these platelets must have been circulating prior to AMI. Larger platelets, with more GPIIb‐IIIa may, therefore, be causally related to AMI.
Negative childhood experiences and adult love relationships: The role of internal working models of attachment

This study investigated links between internal working models of attachment and the quality of adult love relationships in a high risk sample of women (n = 34), all of whom reported negative parenting in childhood. Half of the sample was identified as having a history of satisfying adult love relationships, while the remainder had experienced ongoing adult relationship problems. Measures of internal working models of attachment were made using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). A strong association was found between attachment classifications and the quality of adult love relationships. In addition, women with satisfying love relationships demonstrated significantly higher coherence of mind ratings than those with poor relationship histories. Insecure working models of attachment were associated with problems in adult love relationships. Although secure/autonomous attachment status was linked to optimal adult relationship outcomes, some women with a history of satisfying love relationships had insecure working models of attachment. These results suggest that the ways that adults process early experiences may influence later psychosocial functioning.
Subsistence strategies and early human population history: An evolutionary ecological perspective

One of the keystones of the evolutionary ecological approach is the concept of energy budget, in which time and energy allocation is conceptually divided into somatic effort (growth, development and maintenance, and includes subsistence activities) and reproductive effort (which is further divided into mating effort and parental effort). Time and energy allocated to one component must be traded off against allocation to another. Using this energy budget approach in conjunction with some of the general implications of foraging theory, this article will explore the relationship between population dynamics and subsistence intensification. My discussion will revolve around two basic propositions regarding long-term human population history: 1) the near-zero growth rates that have prevailed through much of prehistory are likely due to long-term averaging across periods of relatively rapid local population growth interrupted by infrequent crashes caused by density-dependent and density-independent factors; and 2) broad changes in population growth rates across subsistence modes in prehistory are probably best explained in terms of changes in mortality due to the dampening or buffering of crashes rather than significant increases in fertility.
Timing of Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation and its Impact on Disease Progression in Perinatal Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Infection

Objective: Treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) reduces overall perinatal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1–related mortality. The effect of timing of HAART initiation on reduction of morbidity is not well defined. We evaluated the association of timing of HAART initiation on progression to moderate or severe disease. Methods: Retrospective, population-based study of 196 perinatally HIV-infected children followed from birth in northern California from 1988 to 2009. Results: Of 196 children, 58% received HAART and were followed for a median of 6.2 years after HAART initiation. HAART use was associated with improved survival to the age of 5 years: no HAART, 50% versus HAART, 88%; P < 0.0001. However, the advantage of initial HAART over mono or dual therapy transitioning to HAART was small and not statistically significant (P = 0.23). Starting HAART before the development of moderate or severe disease delayed the median age of diagnosis of moderate disease from 0.4 years (interquartile range, [0.3–0.8]) without HAART to 3.0 years ([interquartile range, 1.9–5.8]; P < 0.0001) with HAART. HAART initiation after progression to moderate or severe disease was associated with decreased progression to severe disease or death, respectively (moderate to severe: 8% [3/36] with HAART vs. 84% [70/83] with no HAART, P < 0.0001; severe to death: 9% [6/68] with HAART vs. 73% [49/67] with no HAART, P < 0.0001). Conclusions: In perinatal HIV infection, HAART is associated with delayed progression and reduced mortality regardless of disease severity at HAART initiation. This finding reinforces US guidelines regarding HAART initiation at >1 year of age if children present with most clinical category B diagnoses, regardless of CD4 measurements or plasma HIV RNA level.