Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors Determining the Success of Therapeutic Lifestyle Interventions in Diabetes – Role of Partner and Family Support

Abstract Background and aims: Knowledge of therapeutic lifestyle interventions is one of the most important pillars of diabetes care; however, its incorporation in real-world settings is poor. This review evaluates the role of partner and family support in diabetes management. Methods: Literature searches were performed in PubMed, Medline and Embase for articles published before July 2018, using the terms “therapeutic lifestyle intervention” [MeSH Terms], OR “diet changes” [All Fields], OR “spousal participation” [All Fields], OR “lifestyle interventions” [All Fields], “lifestyle changes” [All Fields] AND “diabetes” [All Fields]. The search was not restricted to English-language literature; literature in Spanish, French and German were also evaluated. Results: A total of 66 of articles were reviewed, which included 33 original work, 21 review articles, and 12 systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Studies and meta-analyses have showed that if one partner has type-2 diabetes this increases the risk in other by 5–26%. Partner and family have similar diet, lifestyle, and micro- and macro-environments which could explain the similar increased risk of diabetes and non-communicable diseases. Studies have consistently shown that spousal and family support plays a key role in overcoming negative behaviours and optimising behaviours in diabetes control. Partner support has major role in prevention and control of diabetes distress, associated depression, and medication non-compliance which have an adverse impact in glycaemic outcomes. These data are predominantly available from observational studies. There is paucity of data from interventional trials evaluating effects of family and spousal participation on health, glycaemic control and quality of life. Conclusion: The support of family and spouse/partner is beneficial to improve adherence to the lifestyle interventions and pharmacotherapy required to achieve optimum glycaemic control and avoid associated complications.
Barriers to ideal palliative care in multiple care settings: the nurses' point of view.

BACKGROUND Nurses and certified nursing assistants (CNA) have a crucial role in 24/7 continuity of palliative care for many vulnerable patients and families, however, their perspective has been largely omitted in reported barriers to palliative care. AIM To describe barriers to ideal palliative care that are specific to nurses and CNAs working in all care settings. METHODS A cross-sectional, online survey was distributed to members of the Dutch Nurses' Association. FINDINGS Almost 50% of the participating 2377 nurses and CNAs experienced more than five barriers to ideal palliative care in their work situation; nurses and CNAs employed in regional hospitals, mental healthcare and nursing home settings encountered more barriers than those working in other settings. CONCLUSION The three most common barriers were: lack of proactive care planning, lack of internal consultation possibilities and lack of assessment of care recipients' preferences and needs for a seamless transition to another setting.
Immunomodulation in children with recurrent wheeze: Present knowledge and future perspective

Chronic asthma has been shown for a number of decades to declare itself clinically in very early life, in fact mostly in the earlier preschool years. Preschool wheezing or wheezing lower respiratory illnesses (WLRIs) in infants and toddlers are frequent and typically initially triggered by viral upper respiratory tract infections (RTIs), and are associated with a high degree of inflammation and airway remodeling. Recurrent wheezing, depending on viral etiology, may significantly increase the risk of developing permanent wheeze or asthma later in life, with irreversible reduced lung function. The risk is further increased when associated with early sensitization to aeroallergens. Considering that the majority of lower RTIs begin in the upper airways (a phenomenon known as “united airways”), it is likely that an effective strategy to reduce the risk for asthma inception may be the prevention of viral upper RTIs, including colds. This can be achieved via environmental and behavioral changes or immunity‐targeted strategies, including the use of vaccinations or nonspecific immunomodulators.
Generating political commitment for ending malnutrition in all its forms: A system dynamics approach for strengthening nutrition actor networks

Generating political commitment for ending all forms of malnutrition represents a key challenge for the global nutrition community. Without commitment, the policies, programs, and resources needed to improve nutrition are unlikely to be adopted, effectively implemented, nor sustained. One essential driver of commitment is nutrition actor network (NAN) effectiveness, the web of individuals and organizations operating within a given country who share a common interest in improving nutrition and who act collectively to do so. To inform new thinking and action towards strengthening NAN effectiveness, we use a systems dynamics theoretical approach and literature review to build initial causal loop diagrams (CLDs) of political commitment and NAN effectiveness and a qualitative group model building (GMB) method involving an expert workshop to strengthen model validity. First, a “nutrition commitment system” CLD demonstrates how five interrelated forms of commitment—rhetorical, institutional, operational, embedded, and system‐wide—can dynamically reinforce or diminish one another over time. Second, we present CLDs demonstrating factors shaping NAN effectiveness organized into three categories: actor features, resources, and capacities; framing strategies, evidence, and norms; and institutional, political, and societal contexts. Together, these models generate hypotheses on how political commitment and NAN effectiveness could be strengthened in future and may provide potential starting points for country‐specific conversations for doing so.
Cognitive Abilities and the Measurement of World Wide Web Usability

Usability of an interface is an emergent property of the system and the user; it does not exist independently of either one. For this reason, characteristics of the user which affect his or her performance on a task can affect the apparent usability of the interface in a usability study. We propose and investigate, using a Wikipedia information-seeking task, a model relating spatial abilities and performance measures for system usability. In the context of World Wide Web (WWW) site usability, we found that spatial visualization ability and system experience predicted system effectiveness measures, while spatial orientation ability, spatial visualization ability, and general computer experience predicted system efficiency measures. We suggest possible extensions and further tests of this model.
Investigating the probiotic characteristics of four microbial strains with potential application in feed industry

The present study aimed to evaluate the probiotic characteristics of certain microbial strains for potential use as feed additives. Three bacterial strains and a yeast previously isolated from different environments were investigated. The strains were subjected to molecular identification and established as Lactobacillus paracasei CP133, Lactobacillus plantarum CP134, Bacillus subtilis CP350 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae CP605. Lactobacillus sp. CP133 and CP134 exhibited antibiosis, antibiotic activity, and relative odor reduction ability. Bacillus subtilis CP350 was thermotolerant, reduced hydrogen sulfide gas and showed significant proteolytic activity, whereas Saccharomyces cerevisiae CP605 exhibited high acid and bile salt tolerance. In general, the isolates in this study demonstrated improved functional characteristics, particularly acid and bile tolerance and relative cell adhesion to HT-29 monolayer cell line. Results in this work provides multifunctional probiotic characteristics of the strains for potential development of probiotics and cleaning of the environment.
Sustainability Indicators Concerning Waste Management for Implementation of the Circular Economy Model on the University of Lome (Togo) Campus

The circular economy aims to reduce the volume of waste generated in the world, transforming it into resources. The concept of indicator of circular economy was introduced to evaluate the improvement obtained regarding efficiency in terms of reduction, reuse and recycling of waste generated on the campus of the University of Lome (Togo). These indicators showed that 59.5% of the waste generated on the campus in 2018 could be introduced into the circular economy paradigm through composting, and 27.0% of the energy consumed could be replaced by clean energy obtained from biogas. The entire plastic fraction can be introduced into the circular economy paradigm by reusing plastic bottles and selling the rest in the port of the city. Thus, the income obtained could range from €15.5/day in 2018 to €34.5/day in 2027. Concerning old tires, 1.5% of the rubber needed to pave the entire roadway of the campus could be replaced by the waste generated by the tires currently existing there. Consequently, waste management on the campus could be controlled thanks to these indicators, and this could serve as a model for the rest of the country.
The Effects of News Coverage of Epidemics on Public Support for and Compliance with the CDC– An Experimental Study

Content analysis identified three dominant themes used by the news media to cover epidemics: the scientific, the pandemic, and the social. This study uses a randomized experimental design to test the effects of common news coverage patterns of epidemics on perceptions of efficacy, certainty, and trust in the CDC, and subsequently on intentions to comply with and support for the CDC during public health crises. The experiment also compares the effects of real-world coverage to that of hypothetical coverage that more closely follows the CDC’s recommendations for crisis communication. The results of the experiment (n = 321) demonstrate that exposure to articles from different themes affects perceptions of certainty and self-efficacy, that in turn affect intentions to comply with the CDC. Although organizational-efficacy and trust in the CDC are both correlated with intentions to support, and trust is also correlated with intentions to comply, exposure to different conditions did not affect these perceptions and there was no indirect effect from exposure to intentions. The results reveal the potential effects of real-world coverage on perceptions and intentions, and demonstrate the advantage of the hypothetical coverage that follows the CDC’s crisis communication guidelines. Implications for public health organizations and communicators are discussed.
Smoking History Decreases Survival in Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Mouth: A Retrospective Study with 15 Years of Follow-up

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of smoking history on the clinical-pathological, sociodemographic and prognostic characteristics of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried out with the records of 136 smokers with SCC and 68 nonsmokers with oral SCC who were diagnosed and treated at Haroldo Juaçaba Hospital (2000-2014). Data on patient sex, age, race, education level, tumor location, tumor size, lymph node involvement, distant metastasis, treatment type, marital status, method of health care access (public or private health systems) and overall survival (15 years) were analyzed by the X² test, Mantel-Cox tests and multinomial and Cox logistic regression models (SPSS 20.0, p <0.05). Results: Smoking history was directly associated with male sex (p <0.001), low levels of education (p = 0.001), tumors of the mouth and palate (p = 0.001), stage T3/4 tumors (p = 0.014), lymph node metastasis (N+) (p = 0.024), palliative treatment (p = 0.024) and receiving health care through the public health system (p = 0.006), with education level being the only independently associated factor (p = 0.039). Lower survival was observed in patients who were smokers (p = 0,002), with low levels of education (p = 0.001), who had stage T3/4 tumors (p = 0.004), with N+ (p = 0.021), and had received palliative treatment (p = 0.002). Age (>65 years old, p = 0.015) and T staging (T3/4, p = 0.033) decreased the survival of SCC patients regardless of the other factors. Conclusions: Smoking history had an independent association with low education level and a history of alcoholism, and survival was negatively associated with older age and larger tumor size, which were more prevalent in smokers.
Clinicopathologic correlations in a family with a TBK1 mutation presenting as primary progressive aphasia and primary lateral sclerosis

Abstract Mutations in the TANK binding kinase 1 gene (TBK1) are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and/or frontotemporal dementia; however, the range of clinical phenotypes and neuropathological changes associated with these mutations have not yet been completely elucidated. We present the detailed clinical, neuroimaging, and neuropathological features of two brothers carrying the TBK1 p.Gly272_Thr331del mutation. Both presented with very similar and unusual clinical features including primary progressive aphasia and asymmetric-onset primary lateral sclerosis (PLS). Repeated electrophysiological studies failed to reveal any lower motor neuron involvement. Neuropathological evaluation of both cases revealed frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 proteinopathy type B and selective involvement of upper motor neurons with TDP-43 inclusions. The stereotypical clinical presentation and neuropathological findings in these cases widen the phenotypic spectrum of TBK1 mutations and provide insights into the pathogenesis of PLS.
Why Is It Just So Hard? Making Sense of End-of-Life Communication Between Adult Children and Their Terminally Ill Parental Figures

The aging population in the United States is predicted to become one fifth of the population by 2050. With that increase, more individuals in the country will be experiencing chronic health conditions and the need for care, with end of life (EoL) becoming more of a topic that needs to be discussed. This study aims to explore the ways adult children talk to their parents about EoL, death, and dying. We discovered six themes: protection, meeting needs, guilt and regret, control, family dynamics, and communication type. Each of these was prevalent in responses to how adult children cope, how they cared for their parent, and how hope played into the interactions. We believe these themes will be helpful in developing a quantitative scale to study EoL further and be practical in helping adult children cope following death of their parent.
Targeting Nonpulmonary Vein Sources in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Identified by Noncontact Charge Density Mapping.

Background Identification and elimination of nonpulmonary vein targets may improve clinical outcomes in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). We report on the use of a novel, noncontact imaging and mapping system that uses ultrasound to reconstruct atrial chamber anatomy and measures timing and density of dipolar, ionic activation (ie, charge density) across the myocardium to guide ablation of atrial arrhythmias. Methods The prospective, nonrandomized UNCOVER AF trial (Utilizing Novel Dipole Density Capabilities to Objectively Visualize the Etiology of Rhythms in Atrial Fibrillation) was conducted at 13 centers across Europe and Canada. Patients with persistent AF (>7 days, <1 year) aged 18 to 80 years, scheduled for de novo catheter ablation, were eligible. Before pulmonary vein isolation, AF was mapped and then iteratively remapped to guide each subsequent ablation of charge density-identified targets. AF recurrence was evaluated at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months using continuous 24-hour ECG monitors. The primary effectiveness outcome was freedom from AF >30 seconds at 12 months for a single procedure with a secondary outcome being acute procedural efficacy. The primary safety outcome was freedom from device/procedure-related major adverse events. Results Between October 2016 and April 2017, 129 patients were enrolled, and 127 underwent mapping and catheter ablation. Acute procedural efficacy was demonstrated in 125 patients (98%). At 12 months, single procedure freedom from AF on or off antiarrhythmic drugs was 72.5% (95% CI, 63.9%-80.3%). After 1 or 2 procedures, freedom from AF was 93.2% (95% CI, 87.1%-97.0%). A total of 29 (23%) retreatments because of arrhythmia recurrence were performed with average time from index procedure to first retreatment being 7 months. The primary safety outcome was 98% with no device-related major adverse events reported. Conclusions This novel ultrasound imaging and charge density mapping system safely guided ablation of nonpulmonary vein targets in persistent AF patients with 73% single procedure and 93% second procedure freedom from AF at 12 months. Clinical Trial Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials. gov . Unique identifier: NCT02825992 EU/NCT02462980 CN.
Investigating the utility of software semantics for host-based intrusion detection systems

Zero day attacks and hidden Malware pose a grave threat to computer users. To date, widespread security measures such as anti-virus packages and firewalls have proven to be ineffective in guarding against these types of malware. New security measures are essential to secure computer systems, protect digital information, and restore user confidence. Security mechanisms which are able to differentiate regular (normal) behavior from malicious (abnormal) behavior promise new ways to effectively detect, counter and ultimately prevent the execution of zero day attacks and hidden malware. In this thesis we explore the utility of different software semantics for detecting malicious behavior. Our methods significantly improve upon previous work done in the area of Host-based Intrusion Detection Systems (HIDS). We present novel methods which utilize semantics available in different abstraction levels to detect malicious behavior and provide distinct advantages when compared to the current state of the art HIDS. Our first approach, Tracks, is able to differentiate normal from abnormal behavior by extracting high-level semantics (application and operating system semantics) obtained and analyzed during runtime. Tracks is designed to accurately identify and capture Trojan Horses, Backdoors and includes a new security policy engine. We demonstrate the utility of this approach and report on both detection rates and performance impacts. VGuard, our second security mechanism, utilizes the VMM (Virtual Machine Monitor) layer to extract very low-level semantics during runtime. VGuard can overcome some of the limitations of the semantic gap imposed when working at this level of abstraction by employing advanced data mining techniques. When we combine VMM profiling with sophisticated feature-based machine learning algorithms, we are able to accurately identify security intrusions in compute-server applicances, while introducing minimal execution overhead.
An analysis of isolated and intact RBC membranes - a comparison of a semiquantitative approach by means of FTIR, nano-FTIR and Raman spectroscopies.

This work presents the potential of vibrational spectroscopy, Vis and NIR Raman Spectroscopy, Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in reflection and transmission modes and nano-FTIR microscopy, to study the biochemical alterations in membranes of isolated and intact red blood cells (RBCs). The main goal was to propose the best spectroscopic method which enabled following biochemical alterations in the RBC membranes and then to translate this spectroscopic signature of degradation to in situ analysis of RBCs. Two models corresponding to two distinct cases of RBC membrane conditions were employed and they were derived from healthy and young mice (H&Y) and mature mice with advanced atherosclerosis (A&M). It was shown that each technique provided essential information about biochemical alterations of the isolated membranes as well as membranes in the intact RBCs, which can be used in the development of a rapid and in situ analytical technology. Finally, we proposed that the combination of macro- and nanoprobing implemented in IR spectroscopy provided a wide chemical characterization of the RBC membranes, including alterations in lipid and protein fractions. This study also examined the effect of the sample preparation to determine destructive factors influencing a spectroscopic analysis of isolated membranes and intact RBCs derived from healthy and disease-affected mice.
Influence of nonylphenol exposure on basic growth, development, and thyroid tissue structure in F1 male rats

Objective Environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) with a weak ability to mimic estrogen have been associated with thyroid dysfunction. However, little is known about the effect of nonylphenol (NP), a well-known EED, on thyroid structure. The present study evaluates whether gestational and lactational exposure to NP impacts growth and thyroid structure in F1 male rats. Methods A total of 60 rats were gavaged with NP (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg), estradiol (E2, 30 μg/kg/day), and corn oil alone (vehicle control) from gestational day 6 to postnatal day (PND) 21. Serum thyroid hormones free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4) and thyroid stimulating hormone levels were detected by automated chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer. The NP level in the thyroid was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. The ultrastructure of follicular epithelial cells was examined using transmission electron microscopy. Histopathology was conducted using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results On PND 0, exposure to 50 and 100 mg/kg/day NP led to a significant decrease in the average litter size, litter weight and number of live pups per litter compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Dams exposed to NP during perinatal period demonstrated decreased serum levels of FT3 and FT4 in F1 male rats, when compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The NP level in the control group was 3.39 ± 0.08 ng/mg, while NP levels in the low, middle, and high dose groups ranged from 5.20 to 11.00 ng/mg. Exposure caused a dose-related increase in NP level in the thyroid of male pups (P < 0.01). The thicknesses of the thyroid follicular epithelium were 2.06 ± 0.37 μm in the control group and 3.97 ± 1.61 μm in the high-dose group. The thickness of the thyroid follicular epithelium increased with an increase in treatment dose in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). The sizes of the thyroid follicles were 1,405.53 ± 866.62 μm2 in the control group and 317.49 ± 231.15 μm2 in the high-dose group. With increasing NP dosages, animals showed a decreased size of the thyroid follicle (P < 0.01). Thyroid follicular cells of NP-treated rats showed mildly swollen mitochondria and dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum in the cytoplasm. Conclusion Nonylphenol can cross the placental barrier and accumulate in the thyroid of F1 male rats. Gestational and lactational exposure to NP in dams impacted both development and growth of pups and damaged the ultrastructure of their thyroid tissue, which may further negatively influence normal thyroid function.