Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Oxygen Consumption during Different Exercise Protocols in the Aged

Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare response; specifically oxygen consumption; of a single bout of exercise using two different (constant and interval) intensity protocols in an aged population. Design: Ten males (68.8 ± 3.7 years) and six females (66.2 ± 3.5 years) were recruited for this study. All participants were actively involved in three hours of physical activity per week and were able to use a cycle ergometer unaided. Methods: Participants completed two randomised 20 min exercise protocols on a cycle ergometer, each with equal work output. The constant intensity session was at 50% of Vo2max, and the 1 min interval session varied from 70% to 30% Vo2max. Oxygen consumption was measured during the following phases; resting, warm-up, exercise, cooldown and 20 mins post-exercise. Results: Similar values were found when comparing the overall oxygen consumption for the constant and interval protocols respectively. However, significant differences (p<0.05) were found between the two different intensities during the exercise phase. Conclusions: The interval training protocol consumed higher levels of oxygen during the exercise phase when compared to the constant intensity protocol, despite the participants reporting similar RPE. These age-specific differences should be considered for future exercise prescription for this at-risk population.
Clinical research The impact of the Adjustable PM Positioner appliance in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is regarded as a potentially life- threatening condition characterized by repeated narrowing/collapse of the pharyngeal walls during sleep. The efficacy of oral appliances (OA) in the treatment of sleep- disordered breathing has been rigorously investigated and proven in the last decades. Due to patients preferring OA therapy, many designs have been developed, including the Adjustable PM Positioner. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the Adjustable PM Positioner in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea, comparing polysomnograms (PSG) pre-treatment and with the OA in situ. Material and methods: Twenty-nine patients were enrolled in this study. The sample was divided into two groups: the non-obstructive sleep apnoea (NOSA) group, with 5 snoring patients, and the OSA group, with 24 patients. They used the appliance for 6 months and then underwent another PSG with the appliance in situ. Results: The results showed no statistically significant differences in all variables of the NOSA group, except for the presence of snoring, which was reduced, according to PSG findings. For the OSA group the results for apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI), rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, nadir, mean and basal oxyhaemoglobin saturation (SaO2), showed statistically significant differences. The presence of snoring also decreased according to PSG findings. Conclusions: We conclude that the adjustable PM Positioner is effective in the treatment of OSA comparing baseline and post-treatment respiratory variables.
Assessment of breast cancer literacy among female students in a Pakistani university

breast cancer is the second main cause of death in women worldwide. Amongst Pakistani women of all literary groups as well as in women of all age groups, the most common cancer is breast cancer. Objective: The primary objective of this study was to assess the complete information about breast cancer, its signs, indications, an orderly process and understanding about the management of this disease in female students in a Pakistani university. Material and methods: This questionnaire-based survey study was carried out during February-April, 2011 at COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Abbottabad, Pakistan. Five hundred of university students of twelve different departments were asked to fill out a questionnaire by students of pharmacy along with an experienced pharmacist faculty member. Participants were asked 27 questions on the awareness of breast cancer and six questions were asked which were related to their attention about breast cancer and its management. Results: Mean age of the participant students was 21.5 years. It was evident from the results that a large number of students did not have sufficient knowledge, or had no awareness of breast cancer. Regardless of extensive international and national public education programmes, more than 66% of the female students at CIIT were aware of breast cancer, and its examination and screening practices such as breast self-examination and clinical breast recommendations. The students also reported that their family physicians had never motivated them to have clinical breast examinations. Conclusion: This study emphasized the urgent need to arrange a breast cancer awareness crusade in CIIT, and other institutes as well, highlighting the symptoms, diagnosis and management of breast cancer. Since Pakistani females do not generally connect to the screening practices, nurses and female health visitors should jointly instruct women on the potential for early finding of cancer using a suitable screening tool such as the breast self-examination.
Iron status on a high iron diet during exposure to moderate altitudes

Changes in iron status in normal subjects consuming a dehydrated ration were studied to assess whether polycythemia from the hypoxia of moderately high altitudes would induce iron deficiency. Data were collected on 10 subjects two months before exposure, four times during the 31 day period at altitude and one month after exposure. Mean dietary iron consumption was 30.8 ± 1.06 mg (mean ± SEM) per day over the duration of the study. Hematocrit and hemoglobin values rose significantly by day 18 at altitude and returned to pre-exposure levels by one month after exposure (p<0.01). Serum transferrin concentrations increased progressively over the 31 day period and returned to pre-exposure values by one month after exposure. No significant changes in transferrin saturation or serum ferritin were noted over the study phases. Further, no subject had serum ferritin values < 12 g l−1 during altitude exposure or while consuming the dehydrated ration before exposure. Lack of a decline in serum ferritin suggests that adequate amounts of iron were available from other sources to meet the polycythemic demand without depleting iron stores. It is unknown whether this iron was gained from an increase in iron absorption. The results indicate that with iron intake three times the RDA, polycythemia of altitude does not result in a state of iron depletion. Whether iron depletion or deficiency would result at intakes comparable to the RDA cannot be determined from this study.
Bone Marrow Adipose Tissue in Adolescence- Protective or Pathogenic

Background: Pathogenic attributes of bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) described in the older population could explain the prominent sequela in osteoporosis and even type 2 diabetes in adults. However, its rapid appearance in long bones during arguably the most critical period in skeletal and metabolic programming, challenge this notion. The timing of a substantial proportion of BMAT accrual in long bones during the linear growth spurt suggest an evolutionarily conserved protective effect in which the growing skeleton must benefit from it appearance in some way. Thus, if BMAT is protective, how does induced disruption of the conversion influence differentiation at the cellular level between osteogenesis and adipogenesis and subsequently affect bone strength-structure properties. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that obesity accelerates the size of the marrow compartment at the expense of quality components of bone, ultimately compromising bone material properties and structural design. Further, as muscle and bone adapt in parallel we also aimed to evaluate qualitative and quantitative aspects of skeletal muscle and the relationship between bone and muscle. Methods: Subjects were 46 overweight/obese girls age 7-12 years. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to assess femoral BMAT and marrow area and density were assessed by peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). Bone and muscle parameters were evaluated by MRI, pQCT and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Partial correlation was used to assess the degree of association between BMAT and bone parameters as well as BMAT and muscle parameters after controlling for race and age. Results: BMAT was positively associated with quantitative aspects of bone and muscle. However, marrow density, a qualitative attribute of the marrow compartment representative of hematopoietic capacity was inversely associated with cortical density and marginally inversely associated with cortical area. Further, muscle density, reflective of muscle health was positively associated with quantitative aspects of bone and muscle, yet an association with quality was not detected. Conclusion: Early in the life course, at a critical period for bone health, obesity may negatively influence muscle and skeletal development. Though speculative, our results support a potential mechanism by which obesity impairs bone integrity via effects on the marrow compartment. Future studies are warranted to evaluate how the protective effect of BMAT on bone and muscle health may be conserved.
A Deterministic Inventory Model of Deteriorating Items with Two Rates of Production, Shortages, and Variable Production Cycle

A Continuous production control inventory model is developed for a deteriorating item having shortages and variable production cycle. It is assumed that the production rate is changed to another at a time when the inventory level reaches a prefixed level 𝑄1 and continued until the inventory level reaches the level 𝑆(>𝑄1). The demand rate is assumed to be constant, and the production cycle T is taken as variable. The production is started again at a time when the shortage level reaches a prefixed quantity 𝑄2. For this model, the total cost per unit time as a function of 𝑄1, 𝑄2, S, and T is derived. The optimal decision rules for 𝑄1, 𝑄2, S, and T are computed. The sensitivity of the optimal solution towards changes in the values of different system parameters is also studied. Results are illustrated by numerical examples.
The effect of glipizide, metformin and rosiglitazone on nontraditional cardiovascular risk factors in newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is recognized as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Traditional cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) alone cannot explain excess risk for CVD associated with DM; nontraditional CVRFs also may play an important role. Aim: To study the effects of glipizide, metformin and rosiglitazone on traditional [lipid profile, lipoprotein Lp(a)] and nontraditional CVRFs [homocysteine (Hcy), soluble Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule (sVCAM-1), malonyldialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels]. Setting and Design: An open-label, randomized, parallel group study was conducted in the departments of pharmacology, internal medicine and biochemistry of Lady Hardinge Medical College. Materials and Methods: Ninety newly diagnosed type 2 DM patients were randomly assigned to glipizide, metformin or rosiglitazone treatment daily for a duration of 12 weeks. If needed, the dosages were titrated upward to achieve fasting plasma glucose <126 mg /dL. Plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), lipid profile, body mass index (BMI), Lp(a), Hcy, sVCAM-1, MDA and NO were estimated both before and after treatment. Statistical Analysis: Data were analyzed using paired Student’s t-test within each group. Results and Conclusion: All the three drugs led to significant decrease in HbA1c, fasting and postprandial plasma glucose levels. Glipizide lowered body weight, BMI, total cholesterol (P < 0.05), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (P < 0.01) and MDA levels (P < 0.05). Metformin reduced body weight (P < 0.01), BMI (P < 0.01), LDL-C, very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) and improved high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C); however, it raised Hcy levels (P < 0.01). Rosiglitazone treatment increased
KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF GENERAL PHYSICIANS IN TREATMENT AND COMPLICATIONS OF HYPERTENSION IN FARS PROVINCE, SOUTHERN IRAN

Background: Hypertension as a community health problem, showing an increasing trend in many parts of the world. Controlling the disease depends on knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of general physicians as the main health providers in the community. In this study, the impact of KAP of general physicians on hypertension, as the first line of treatment of hypertension was evaluated. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 300 general physicians working in health and treatment sectors of Fars Province, southern Iran were entered in our study and their KAP were determined utilizing a validated and reliable questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 52 items incorporated in four sections. Results: The mean age of general physicians was 38.2± 3.6 years. 64.2%, 20.3%, and 26.5% of general physicians were visited by four to eight, more than eight, and less than four hypertensive patients per week respectively. Although 99% of physicians believed in the importance of hypertension as a community health problem, but 12% had requested for appropriate paraclinical tests and 20% could handle hypertensive patients properly. Only 45% of physicians had measured their own blood pressure within the last year of practice. Scientific meetings and educational programs were more important than information provided by drug companies and journals in promotion of knowledge, attitude and practice of general physicians.
Research Note - Online Users' Switching Costs: Their Nature and Formation

The highly competitive and rapidly changing market for online services is becoming increasingly effective at locking users in through the coercive effects of switching costs. Although the information systems field increasingly recognizes that switching costs plays a big part in enforcing loyalty, little is known about what factors users regard as switching costs or why they perceive these costs. Consequently, it is hard for online services to know what lock-in strategies to use and when to apply them. We address this problem by first developing a theory-driven structure of online users' perceived switching costs that distinguishes between vendor-related and user-related factors. We then propose that important antecedent influences on switching costs from economic value, technical self-efficacy, and past investments are more complex and intertwined than previously thought. We empirically validated the proposed model using data collected from home users of Internet service providers. Our findings demonstrate that an online service's economic value more heavily influences users' perceptions of vendor-related switching costs than does technical self-efficacy. However, users' technical abilities outweigh economic value in influencing user-related switching costs. Furthermore, although we confirmed the commonly held notion that deeply invested users are generally more vulnerable to lock-in, we also found that this relationship is contingent on users' technical abilities. Finally, we found that our multidimensional measure of switching costs is a valid predictor of user loyalty and is more powerful than previous global measures. Overall, this study uncovered a finer network of switching-cost production than had been previously established and suggests a new approach to modeling and exploiting online users' perceived switching costs.
Multiple Co-primary Endpoints: Medical and Statistical Solutions: A Report from the Multiple Endpoints Expert Team of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

There are quite a few disorders for which regulatory agencies have required a treatment to demonstrate a statistically significant effect on multiple endpoints, each at the one-sided 2.5% level, before accepting the treatment’s efficacy for the disorders. Depending on the correlation among the endpoints, this requirement could lead to a substantial reduction in the study’s power to conclude the efficacy of a treatment. To investigate the prevalence of this requirement and propose possible solutions, a multiple-disciplinary Multiple Endpoints Expert Team sponsored by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America was formed in November 2003. The team recognized early that many researchers were not fully aware of the implications of requiring multiple co-primary endpoints. The team proposes possible solutions from both the medical and the statistical perspectives. The optimal solution is to reduce the number of multiple co-primary endpoints. If after careful considerations, multiple co-primary endpoints remain a scientific requirement, the team proposes statistical solutions and encourages that regulatory agencies be receptive to approaches that adopt modest upward adjustments of the nominal significance levels for testing individual endpoints. Finally, the team hopes that this report will draw more attention to the problem of multiple co-primary endpoints and stimulate further research.
An Empirical Analysis of the Contractual and Information Structures of Business Process Outsourcing Relationships

The emergence of information-intensive business process outsourcing (BPO) relationships calls for the study of exchange performance beyond traditional considerations of the contractual structure that facilitates cooperative intent to include the information structure that facilitates the mutual exchange of information to enact cooperative intent and coordinate actions between the user firm and the service provider. Yet, there has been little analysis of the drivers and performance effects of the information structure of BPO relationships, including its linkages to the underlying contractual structure. This study integrates perspectives in neo-institutional economics and information processing to develop and test the theoretical argument that the extent of use and performance effects of the information structure of the BPO relationship are greater in time and materials BPO contracts than in fixed-price BPO contracts. Survey data on 134 BPO relationships provide empirical support for our hypotheses. The synergistic impact of incentives and information on BPO performance emphasizes that their joint assessment is necessary to enhance the explanatory power of extant theories of organization. This result also has implications for achieving maximum benefits from complex BPO arrangements that are more likely to be characterized by time and material contracts.
NORMAL VALUES OF THYROID GLAND IN ISFAHAN, AN IODINE REPLETE AREA

BACKGROUND: Because of different values of thyroid volume in different populations, and the effects of different trace element and geographic substances on thyroid volume, we decided to evaluate thyroid volume and its determinants us- ing ultrasound in healthy adults of Isfahan, a centrally located city in Iran, an iodine replete area. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 1500 healthy adults were enrolled by cluster sampling. Serum TSH level and morning urine iodine level were measured. Thyroid exam was performed according to WHO criteria and history of pre- vious or present thyroid disease was taken. If all the mentioned results were normal they were considered clinically normal. One third of these normal subjects referred for thyroid ultrasonography. If ultrasonography of thyroid paren- chyma texture was normal, and there was no nodule by sonography (thyroid incidentaloma), thyroid volume was meas- ured using ellipsoid formula (X×Y×Z×8/6). Correlation between thyroid volume and age, sex, BMI, TSH level and uri- nary iodine concentration (UIC) was determined by Pearson correlation coefficient, t-Test and Kolmogorov-Smirnov. Thyroid volume more than 97% of this population was considered as goiter sonographically. Data expressed as mean ± SD, unless otherwise stated. RESULTS: We finally studied 200 subjects (123 Males, 77 females, average age: 37.27 ± 11.80 Years). The overall thy- roid volume was 9.53 ± 3.68 ml. Males thyroid volume (10.73 ± 3.44 ml) was significantly higher than the females one (7.71 ± 2.63 ml) (P<0.001). The thyroid volume ranges were 3-23.9 ml, 3.6-23.9 ml and 3-14.3 ml in all, males and fe- males, respectively. Thyroid volume values more than 97 percentile of this reference range were 10.14 ml, 11.48 ml and 8.37 ml in all, males and females respectively, and were considered goiter sonographically. Thyroid volume had a posi- tive correlation with age (r = 0.163, P = 0.022), but did not have correlation with serum TSH, UIC, and BMI, in both sexes. There was a strong correlation between thyroid volume, and height and body surface area (r = 0.48, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: It was documented that thyroid volume is higher in male sex and increases with age, and have a positive correlation with body surface area and height.
Web model of pathways to psychiatric care for Indian setting

Context: The current linear models of pathways to psychiatric care fail to explain the complexities of pathways to psychiatric care found in Indian setting. Aims: To examine the pathways to psychiatric care taken by patients before attending the psychiatry outpatient department (OPD). Settings and Design: A cross-sectional descriptive study of pathways taken by patients attending the Psychiatry OPD of a tertiary care referral hospital in Delhi. Materials and Methods: All new patients attending the Psychiatry OPD who provided informed consent were asked questions as per a specifically designed semistructured proforma for collecting relevant data on pathways to psychiatric care. Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistical analysis was employed in this study. Results: A total of 225 patients were analyzed for pathways to psychiatric care. No set sequence of any carer in pathway could be found. Hence, a web model of pathways to psychiatric care was used to explain the pathways. Conclusions: Web model is most suitable model to explain the complexities of pathways to psychiatric care found in Indian setting.
Social Ties and User Content Generation: Evidence from Flickr

The content created by the users of social networking sites has reached such high levels of quality and variety that it is comparable to that produced by professional agencies. Therefore, understanding what types of content users generate and the underlying motivational factors is vital to the success of the sites. The extant research on content generation has primarily focused on the amount of content and on how to encourage participation in content creation, and less attention has been paid to the content itself and how social relations affect the types of content that users upload. This study aims to empirically document the relationship between social ties and the similarities between the types of content that people create online. We collected a large data set from the photo-hosting website Flickr detailing the users' social relations over time in conjunction with their photo-uploading behavior. We found that around the time of the formation of a social tie, members of dyads began to upload more similar photos than they did before that time. After a social tie was formed, this similarity evolved in different ways in different subgroups of dyads. Whereas the similarity between photos uploaded by dyads experiencing notably different popularity levels on the site continued to grow, the dyads of users with similar levels of popularity gradually began to upload less similar photos. In cultural production, individuals appear to present themselves as unique; this feature is more salient when the social contacts are similar in popularity status. Photo-shooting behaviors have been found to exhibit the same patterns. Furthermore, we show that the most divergent uploading behavior is observed when a high-popularity user initiates a tie with a user with lower popularity. We use social psychological motivations to explain these results.