Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nigella sativa Supplementation Improves Asthma Control and Biomarkers: A Randomized, Double‐Blind, Placebo‐Controlled Trial

Poor compliance with conventional asthma medications remains a major problem in achieving asthma control. Nigella sativa oil (NSO) is used traditionally for many inflammatory conditions such as asthma. We aimed to investigate the benefits of NSO supplementation on clinical and inflammatory parameters of asthma. NSO capsules 500 mg twice daily for 4 weeks were used as a supplementary treatment in a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial in asthmatics (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02407262). The primary outcome was Asthma Control Test score. The secondary outcomes were pulmonary function test, blood eosinophils and total serum Immunoglobulin E. Between 1 June and 30 December 2015, 80 asthmatics were enrolled, with 40 patients in each treatment and placebo groups. After 4 weeks, ten patients had withdrawn from each group. Compared with placebo, NSO group showed a significant improvement in mean Asthma Control Test score 21.1 (standard deviation = 2.6) versus 19.6 (standard deviation = 3.7) (p = 0.044) and a significant reduction in blood eosinophils by −50 (−155 to −1) versus 15 (−60 to 87) cells/μL (p = 0.013). NSO improved forced expiratory volume in 1 second as percentage of predicted value by 4 (−1.25 to 8.75) versus 1 (−2 to 5) but non‐significant (p = 0.170). This randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial demonstrated that NSO supplementation improves asthma control with a trend in pulmonary function improvement. This was associated with a remarkable normalization of blood eosinophlia. Future studies should follow asthmatics for longer periods in a multicentre trial. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ubiquitin Immunohistochemistry of Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Differentiates Cases With and Without Motor Neuron Disease

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) without tau pathology is clinically and pathologically heterogeneous. The present report describes the neuropathology of 52 brains with FTLD without tau pathology compared with 10 brains of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) without dementia using ubiquitin immunohistochemistry. The 52 cases were classified into 47 cases of FTLD with motor neuron disease (MND)-type inclusions but without MND (FTLD-MNI), three cases of FTLD with MND (FTLD-MND), and two cases of dementia lacking distinctive histopathology (DLDH) based on the features of ubiquitin-immunoreactive (ubiquitin-ir) structures in the caudate, frontotemporal cortices and dentate fascia, and presence or absence of neuronal loss in lower motor neurons. Many ubiquitin-ir neuronal inclusions and neurites in the caudate nucleus, frontotemporal cortices, and ubiquitin-ir crescent-or ring-shaped neuronal inclusions in the dentate fascia characterized FTLD-MNI. Ubiquitin-ir neuronal intranuclear inclusions (NII) were observed in 26 of 43 cases and associated with many neurites in the caudate nucleus as well as a familial history in most cases. A subset of cases had Pick-body-like inclusions in the dentate fascia and caudate nucleus with paucity of neuritic pathology and no NII; another had crescent-shaped inclusions in the dentate fascia and neuritic pathology with NII in the caudate. FTLD with MND was characterized by a few or no ubiquitin-ir inclusions in the caudate nucleus and frontotemporal cortices and ubiquitin-ir granular inclusions in the dentate fascia, as well as loss of lower motor neurons. These features were similar to ALS, but different from FTLD-MNI. The findings suggest that FTLD-MNI has a different pathogenesis from FTLD-MND and ALS.
Visual evoked potentials, reaction times and eye dominance in cricketers.

AIM Few studies have examined the physiology of cricket, including the difference in ability between batsmen to make controlled contact with a ball bowled at high speed. METHODS We therefore measured visual evoked potentials and choice reaction times with dominant eyes, non-dominant eyes, and both eyes together, in 15 elite batsmen and 10 elite bowlers (aged 20.9 SD 1.9 years) and 9 control subjects (aged 20.2 SD 1.5 years). The latency and amplitude of waves N70, P100 and N145 were determined for each visual evoked potential (VEP). In addition interpeak latencies and peak to peak amplitudes were measured. The subjects also completed a choice reaction test to a visual stimulus. RESULTS We found that cricketers were not more likely to have crossed dominance (dominant eye contralateral to dominant hand) than controls. Cricketers had a faster latency for VEP wave N70 than controls (p=0.03). However reaction time was not different between cricketers and the control group. Across all subjects, in comparison to monocular testing, binocular testing led to a faster choice reaction time (p=0.02) and larger amplitudes of VEP wave N70 (p=0.01). CONCLUSION Visual processing during the first 100(-1)50 ms of the balls flight together with binocular vision facilitates retinal activation in talented cricketers.
The effect of TIcagrelor administered through a nasogastric tube to COMAtose patients undergoing acute percutaneous coronary intervention: the TICOMA study.

AIMS Patients in a coma after cardiac arrest may have adversely affected drug absorption and metabolism. This study, the first of its kind, aimed to investigate the early pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects of ticagrelor administered through a nasogastric tube (NGT) to patients resuscitated after an out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). METHODS AND RESULTS Blood samples were drawn at baseline and at two, four, six, eight, 12, and 24 hours and then daily for up to five days after administration of a 180 mg ticagrelor loading dose (LD), followed by 90 mg twice daily in 44 patients. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of high platelet reactivity (HPR) 12 hours after the LD. Assessment by VerifyNow (VFN) showed 96 (15.25-140.5) platelet reactivity units (PRU), and five (12%) patients exhibited HPR. Multiplate analysis showed 19 (12-29) units (U) at twelve hours, and three patients (7%) had HPR. Ticagrelor and its main metabolite AR-C124910XX concentrations were 85.2 (37.2-178.5) and 18.3 (6.4-52.4) ng/mL. Median times to sufficient platelet inhibition below the HPR limit were 3 (2-6) hours (VFN) and 4 (2-8) hours (Multiplate). CONCLUSIONS Ticagrelor, administered as crushed tablets through a nasogastric tube, leads to sufficient platelet inhibition after 12 hours, and in many cases earlier, in the vast majority of patients undergoing pPCI and subsequent intensive care management after an OHCA.
Comparison of the Solubility of Conventional Luting Cements with that of the Polyacid Modified Composite Luting Cement and Resin-modified Glass lonomer Cement.

INTRODUCTION This study was planned to find the solubility of the conventional luting cements in comparison with that of the polyacid-modified composite luting cement and recently introduced resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC) with exposure to water at early stages of mixing. MATERIALS AND METHODS An in vitro study of the solubility of the following five commercially available luting cements, viz., glass ionomer cement (GIC) (Fuji I, GC), zinc phosphate (Elite 100, GC), polyacid-modified resin cement (PMCR) (Principle, Dentsply), polycarboxylate cement (PC) (Poly - F, Dentsply), RMGIC (Vitremer, 3M), was conducted. For each of these groups of cements, three resin holders were prepared containing two circular cavities of 5 mm diameter and 2 mm depth. All the cements to be studied were mixed in 30 seconds and then placed in the prepared cavities in the resin cement holder for 30 seconds. RESULTS From all of the observed luting cements, PMCR cement had shown the lowest mean loss of substance at all immersion times and RMGIC showed the highest mean loss of substanceat all immersion times in water from 2 to 8 minutes. The solubility of cements decreased by 38% for GIC, 33% for ZnPO4, 50% for PMCR, 29% for PC, and 17% for RMGIC. CONCLUSION The PMCR cement (Principle-Dentsply) had shown lowest solubility to water at the given time intervals of immersion. This was followed by PC, zinc phosphate, and GIC to various time intervals of immersion.
Representing situation awareness in collaborative systems: A case study in the energy distribution domain

The concept of distributed situation awareness (DSA) is currently receiving increasing attention from the human factors community. This article investigates DSA in a collaborative real-world industrial setting by discussing the results derived from a recent naturalistic study undertaken within the UK energy distribution domain. The results describe the DSA-related information used by the networks of agents involved in the scenarios analysed, the sharing of this information between the agents and the salience of different information elements used. Thus, the structure, quality and content of each network's DSA is discussed, along with the implications for DSA theory. The findings reinforce the notion that when viewing situation awareness (SA) in collaborative systems, it is useful to focus on the coordinated behaviour of the system itself, rather than on the individual as the unit of analysis and suggest that the findings from such assessments can potentially be used to inform system, procedure and training design. SA is a critical commodity for teams working in industrial systems and systems, procedures and training programmes should be designed to facilitate efficient system SA acquisition and maintenance. This article presents approaches for describing and understanding SA during real-world collaborative tasks, the outputs from which can potentially be used to inform system, training programmes and procedure design.
Development of the Areola in the Early Placenta of the One‐humped Camel (Camelus dromedarius): A Light, Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopical Study

This study aimed to elucidate development of the areola in the early dromedary placenta in comparison with that of the pig and mare. Placental tissues from 25 pregnant camels were obtained from Cairo abattoir and prepared for light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy by routine methods. Vascular casts were made by injection of 4 : 1 liquid plastic mixture of mercox and methylmethacrylate. Areolar formation was first observed at 4.5 cm curved‐crown‐rump CVR length, while by 5–9 cm CVR length, the endometrial surface was uneven and studded with numerous uterine gland openings, where corresponding foetal areolae were barely detectable and the foetal areolar cells were of variable appearance and covered with long microvilli. At 10–13 cm CVR length the uterine gland openings developed irregular folds and the maternal areolar cells showed numerous apical blebs. At 14–29 cm CVR length the foetal areolae showed a great increase in height at the expense of their width. At 30–34 cm (CVR) length the maternal areolae appeared discoid and sharply demarcated from the surrounding inter‐areolar tissues and the foetal areolae were rounded to irregular in shape with well‐developed areolar rims. The vascular casts showed a widely meshed capillary network on the maternal areola, connecting with the pre‐ and post‐capillary vessels, whereas the foetal side showed a relatively dense capillary meshwork. These studies indicate that the areola in the placenta of the one‐humped camel is of the regular type like in the pig, and is poorly vascularized.
Infant stress reactivity and prenatal alcohol exposure.

BACKGROUND Animal studies have shown that prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is linked to alterations in the stress response systems. To date, little is known about the impact of PAE on stress systems in human infants. The current study examined PAE effects on the stress response, as evidenced by the activation of the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (L-HPA) axis and autonomic system and changes in negative affect during a social-emotional challenge in human infants. We also examined whether the effects of PAE on infant responsiveness differed in boys and girls. METHODS Measures of cortisol, heart rate, and negative affect were obtained during a modified version of Tronick's still-face procedure, a standardized developmental paradigm used to study emotion and stress regulation. Our sample included fifty-five 5- to 7-month-old infants whose mothers were enrolled in an alcohol intervention study. Measures of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy and after delivery were obtained using Timeline Followback interviewing methods. Relationships between prenatal alcohol consumption and infant outcomes were examined. In addition, mothers were divided into high and low-frequency drinkers, based on the mean percent of prenatal drinking days (PDD) to facilitate between-group comparisons of infant stress measures. RESULTS Mothers enrolled in our study reported significant reductions in alcohol consumption after learning of their pregnancies. Nevertheless, PDD from conception to pregnancy recognition was related to increases in cortisol reactivity, elevated heart rate, and negative affect in their infants. The effects of PAE on infant responsiveness were significant after controlling for the effects of maternal depression and annual income. In addition, the effects of PAE on cortisol reactivity differed for boys and girls. CONCLUSIONS Greater PAE was related to greater activation of stress response systems. Our findings suggest that PAE affects the development of infant stress systems and that these effects differ in boys and girls. This work supports the possibility that PAE is related to alterations in infant stress systems, which could underlie problems in cognitive and social-emotional functioning that are common among persons exposed prenatally to alcohol.
[Two stage videoassisted restorative proctocolectomy. Early experience of 12 cases].

AIM OF THE STUDY This study reports our early experience in two-stage video assisted restorative proctocolectomy (RPC). PATIENTS AND METHODS From May 1999 to May 2003, 12 video assisted RPCs were performed (mucosal ulcerative colitis: n = 11; familial adenomatous polyposis: n = 1). These patients were matched for age, gender, body mass index and indication for surgery, with 12 patients who underwent RPC by laparotomy (open group). RESULTS Median operative time was significantly longer in the video assisted RPC group (400 min; range: 360-490) vs open group (300 min; range: 210-390) (P = 0.003). A conversion in midline laparotomy (under the umbilicus) was necessary in 3/12 patients (25%) in the video assisted RPC group. Return to bowel function and oral intake occurred two days earlier after video assisted RPC (respectively, P = 0.009 and P = 0.0001) but length of stay was not significantly shorter in this group. A complication occurred in 3/12 patients (25%) in both groups, which lead to a reoperation in one patient in the open group (ns). CONCLUSION Two-stage videoassisted RPC is feasible at the cost of a lengthening of operative time, Nevertheless postoperative results after video assisted RPC are comparable to those obtained after RPC by laparotomy.
Quench Analysis of a Multiwidth No-Insulation 7-T 78-mm REBCO Magnet

Due to the self-protecting feature, no-insulation (NI) high-temperature superconductor magnets have been regarded as a reliable option to generate high fields, yet their intrinsic charging delay still remains a major drawback. To apply the NI technique for actual high-field user magnets, however, postquench transient behavior of such magnets need to be fully understood, particularly the electromagnetic interaction among magnetically coupled subcoils. Recent publications have shown successful simulations of the transient behavior of a single NI coil or a multicoil magnet using distributed network models. Even though these approaches are very accurate, they often require substantial computation time, especially when multiple iterations are required during design or analysis of an NI magnet having a large number of coils. This paper presents a simple circuit approach that may be effective for quench simulation of multicoil NI magnets. Each NI subcoil in a magnet is lumped into a single inductor with a resistor in series and a resistor in parallel. This approach has allowed us to simulate the whole magnet system within reasonable time without compromising the understanding of mutual interactions of all of the subcoils after quench, namely change in parameters such as voltage, current, and temperature with respect to time and coil to coil normal zone propagation in an electromagnetic manner. We verified the proposed approach by analyzing the quench process in a previously built 7 T, 78 mm all-REBCO NI magnet (by MIT), and by doing the first ever comparison between the simulated results with the data measured from actual experiment.
Clinical stage IE primary lymphoma of the nasal cavity: radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

PURPOSE To determine the appropriate radiation therapy and chemotherapy for primary lymphoma of the nasal cavity to improve the local control and survival rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS Of the 25 adult patients with stage IE nasal lymphoma, nine underwent local radiation therapy alone and 16 underwent radiation therapy and chemotherapy (intravenous infusion). Radiation doses to the involved area were 22-54 Gy (median dose, 49 Gy). RESULTS The 5- and 10-year cause-specific survival rates were 91% and 73%, respectively. The 5- and 10-year disease-free survival rates were 83% and 59%, respectively. Eight patients developed recurrent disease: six at the local site, one in the cervical nodes, and one in the small intestine. Five of the six patients with local recurrence received less than 50 Gy. Four of the six patients developed recurrent disease in the treated area; the other two patients developed marginal recurrences. Prognostic factors such as age, sex, maximum tumor size, and lactate dehydrogenase level were of limited value. CONCLUSION The most common recurrence site was the local site. To improve the local control rate, the involved area should be treated with high-dose radiation therapy. The clinical results did not demonstrate the usefulness of combination chemotherapy for stage IE nasal lymphoma.
Maroons and Landscapes

Maroons, or runaway slaves, form a conspicuous group in the narrative and study of slave societies, being important exponents of the continuous rebellion against slavery. From a point of view of cultural theory they also form an especially interesting group in that they both isolated themselves from the slave society they escaped, but also constantly interacted with it. As such, Maroon sites can inform us on the cultural conditions of people who are at the same time both ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ established society, and their study will potentially provide insight of theoretical significance far beyond local history and environment in the Caribbean. A main archaeological problem is to identify such sites, as they are inherently located in the most remote and inaccessible places, difficult to access for the surveying archaeologist. In this paper a GISbased predictive model is developed for the island of St. Croix to identify the most likely places for maroon settlements, thus making a more focussed field work effort possible. The presented model was made in preparation of a field trip in March 2007 as part of the Danish scientific Galathea 3 expedition, taking Danish scientists around the globe. ________________________________________
From what we know to what we do: lessons learned from the translational CLAHRC initiative in England

Objectives: There exists a translation gap between academic research and clinical practice in health care systems. One policy-driven initiative to address the translation gap in England are the Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRCs), funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR). These aim to bring together NHS organizations and universities to accelerate the translation of evidence-based innovation into clinical practice. Our aim was to draw out lessons for policy-makers regarding the mobilization of such initiatives. Methods: Qualitative semi-structured interviews with 174 participants across nine CLAHRCs plus in-depth case studies across four CLAHRCs. Those interviewed were staff who were central to the CLAHRCs including senior managers and directors, junior and senior academics, and health care practitioners. Results: Social positions of the CLAHRC leaders, conceived as institutional entrepreneurs, together with the antecedent conditions for CLAHRC bids, had an impact on the vision for a CLAHRC. The process of envisioning encompassed diagnostic and prognostic framing. Within the envisioning process, the utilization of existing activities and established relationships in the CLAHRC bid influenced early mobilization. However, in some cases, it led to a translational ‘lock in’ towards established models regarding applied research. Conclusions: The CLAHRC experiment in England holds important lessons for policy-makers regarding how to address the translation gap. First, policy makers need to consider whether they set out a defined template for translational initiatives or whether variation is encouraged. We might expect a degree of learning from pilot activities within a CLAHRC that allows for greater clarity in the design of subsequent translational initiatives. Second, policy makers and practitioners need to understand the importance of both antecedent conditions and the social position of senior members of a CLAHRC (institutional entrepreneurs) leading the development of a bid. Whilst established and well-known clinical academics are likely to be trusted to lead CLAHRCs, and the presence of pre-existing organizational relationships are important for mobilization, privileging these aspects may constrain more radical change.
Apolipoprotein A-I mimetics and high-density lipoprotein function

Purpose of reviewTo review recently published advances in the development of apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) mimetic peptides as a potential treatment for cardiovascular diseases. Recent findingsVarious apoA-I mimetic peptides are currently in development and these display potent cardioprotective features that can rival or even surpass those of full length apoA-I and high-density lipoproteins (HDLs). These features include the ability to efflux cholesterol from various cell types as well as anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties. Recent work has been aimed at identifying the structural features of these peptides that are responsible for these various functions and also for determining the operational mechanisms. There is also interesting new data suggesting that the intestine may be playing an important role in the action of these peptides. SummaryIn the last year, there have been many important advances in the relatively new field of apoA-I mimetic therapy. These findings support a strong potential for their development as treatment for not only cardiovascular disease but other disease states involving chronic inflammation and oxidation as well.
A Seven-Switch Five-Level Active-Neutral-Point-Clamped Converter and Its Optimal Modulation Strategy

Multilevel inverters are receiving more attentions nowadays as one of preferred solutions for medium- and high-power applications. As one of the most popular hybrid multilevel inverter topologies, the five-level active-neutral-point-clamped inverter (5L-ANPC) combines the features of the conventional flying-capacitor type and neutral-point-clamped (NPC) type inverter and was commercially used for industrial applications. In order to further decrease the number of active switches, this paper proposes a seven-switch 5L-ANPC (7S-5L-ANPC) topology, which employs only seven active switches and two discrete diodes. The analysis has shown a lower current rating can be selected for the seventh switch under high power factor condition, which is verified by simulation results. The modulation strategy for 7S-5L-ANPC inverter is discussed. A 1 kVA single-phase experimental prototype is built to verify the validity and flexibility of the proposed topology and modulation method.