Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anti-oxidants - a protective role in cardiovascular disease?

Established risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), such as hypertension, smoking and diabetes mellitus, explain only some of the observed variation in clinical events. This has maintained interest in other nutritional and biochemical factors that might contribute to the underlying pathophysiology of CVD. All of these risk factors are associated with increased oxidative stress in the vessel wall, which may contribute to CVD by several mechanisms. Studies in animal models of CVD have suggested that natural and synthetic anti-oxidants can prevent the development of clinical end points. These observations have generated the hypothesis that anti-oxidant therapy might also prevent CVD in human populations. This has been supported by epidemiological studies showing a negative correlation between circulating concentrations or dietary intake of natural anti-oxidant vitamins and CVD event rate. Many studies have also demonstrated a beneficial effect of anti-oxidants on surrogate markers of CVD such as endothelial function and lipoprotein oxidation. However, the results of large prospective randomised controlled intervention trials, mostly involving vitamin E in patients at increased risk of CVD, have been disappointing and have failed to demonstrate the anticipated benefits. This paper will critically examine the evidence and try to offer some explanation for the apparent failure of animal and epidemiological data to translate into meaningful clinical benefits.
Zymogen granule size in pancreas of nursing rats

Dramatic depression in granule volume density and size was measured in acinar cells of postnatal rat pancreas following the initiation of feeding. Volume density decreased about threefold from 45% at birth to 16% 2 days thereafter. Mean granule diameter decreased from 1.50 μm to 0.80 μm, an 85% decrease in corresponding granule volume. At the same time, numerical density approximately doubled. At 2 days after birth, cells with smaller granules had lower volume densities, and differences in mean granule volume between cells accounted for most of the differences in volume density. Although the distribution of granule diameter in newborns was lognormal, the distribution at 2 days was heavily skewed to larger sizes. This was the result of skewed distributions within individual cells and not an artifact of sampling. The results corroborate the central role of granule volume in determining changes in the volume density of zymogen granules in the pancreas and suggest that zymogen granules can act as capacitors that can change size as a function of the enzyme contained within.
Psychosocial treatment for first-episode psychosis: a research update.

OBJECTIVE This article reviews research on psychosocial treatment for first-episode psychosis. METHOD PsycINFO and MEDLINE were systematically searched for studies that evaluated psychosocial interventions for first-episode psychosis. RESULTS Comprehensive (i.e., multielement) treatment approaches show promise in reducing symptoms and hospital readmissions, as well as improving functional outcomes, although few rigorously controlled trials have been conducted. Individual cognitive behavior therapy has shown modest efficacy in reducing symptoms, assisting individuals in adjusting to their illness, and improving subjective quality of life, but it has shown minimal efficacy in reducing relapse. Some controlled research supports the benefits of family interventions, while less controlled research has evaluated group interventions. CONCLUSIONS Adjunctive psychosocial interventions early in psychosis may be beneficial across a variety of domains and can assist with symptomatic and functional recovery. More randomized, controlled trials are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions, particularly for multielement, group, and family treatments.
An Analog Sub-Miliwatt CMOS Image Sensor With Pixel-Level Convolution Processing

A new approach to an analog ultra-low power medium-resolution vision chip design is presented. The prototype chip performs low-level image processing algorithms in real time. Only a photo-diode, MOS switches and two capacitors are used to create an analog processing element (APE) that is able to realize any convolution algorithm based on a full 3 × 3 kernel. The proof-of-concept circuit is implemented in 0.35 μm CMOS technology, and contains a 64 × 64 SIMD matrix with embedded APEs. The matrix dissipates less than 0.3 mW (less than 0.1 W per APE) of power under 3.3 V supply, and its image processing speed is up to 100 frames/s.
Occupational therapy practice in acute physical hospital settings: Evidence from a scoping review.

BACKGROUND/AIM Increased accountability and growing fiscal limitations in global health care continue to challenge how occupational therapy practices are undertaken. Little is known about how these changes affect current practice in acute hospital settings. This article reviews the relevant literature to further understanding of occupational therapy practice in acute physical hospital settings. METHOD A scoping review of five electronic databases was completed using the keywords Occupational therapy, acute hospital settings/acute physical hospital settings, acute care setting/acute care hospital setting, general medicine/general medical wards, occupational therapy service provision/teaching hospitals/tertiary care hospitals. Criteria were applied to determine suitability for inclusion and the articles were analysed to uncover key themes. RESULTS In total 34 publications were included in the review. Analysis of the publications revealed four themes: (1) Comparisons between the practice of novice and experienced occupational therapists in acute care (2) Occupational therapists and the discharge planning process (3) Role of occupation in the acute care setting and (4) Personal skills needed and organisation factors affecting acute care practice. CONCLUSION The current literature has highlighted the challenges occupational therapists face in practicing within an acute setting. Findings from this review enhance understanding of how occupational therapy department managers and educators can best support staff that practise in acute hospital settings.
PET of Glial Metabolism Using 2-18F-Fluoroacetate

Imaging of the glial activation that occurs in response to central nervous system trauma and inflammation could become a powerful technique for the assessment of several neuropathologies. The selective uptake and metabolism of 2-18F-fluoroacetate (18F-FAC) in glia may represent an attractive strategy for imaging glial metabolism. Methods: We have evaluated the use of 18F-FAC as a specific PET tracer of glial cell metabolism in rodent models of glioblastoma, stroke, and ischemia–hypoxia. Results: Enhanced uptake of 18F-FAC was observed (6.98 ± 0.43 percentage injected dose per gram [%ID/g]; tumor-to-normal ratio, 1.40) in orthotopic U87 xenografts, compared with healthy brain tissue. The lesion extent determined by 18F-FAC PET correlated with that determined by MRI (R2 = 0.934, P = 0.007). After transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in the rat brain, elevated uptake of 18F-FAC (1.00 ± 0.03 %ID/g; lesion-to-normal ratio, 1.90) depicted the ischemic territory and correlated with infarct volumes as determined by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining (R2 = 0.692, P = 0.010) and with the presence of activated astrocytes detected by anti–glial fibrillary acidic protein. Ischemia–hypoxia, induced by permanent ligation of the common carotid artery with transient hypoxia, resulted in persistent elevation of 18F-FAC uptake within 30 min of the induction of hypoxia. Conclusion: Our data support the further evaluation of 18F-FAC PET for the assessment of glial cell metabolism associated with neuroinflammation.
PCPT, MTOPS and the use of 5ARIs: a Canadian consensus regarding implications for clinical practice.

OBJECTIVES Two large, recently published, definitive trials evaluated the benefits of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5ARIs). The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) tested the effect of finasteride for prostate cancer prevention and the Medical Therapy of Prostatic Symptoms (MTOPS) tested its effect in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Both trials were strongly positive. However, the role of 5ARIs in the clinical management of patients remains controversial. The consensus conference, which forms the basis for this report, attempted to develop an expert opinion, based on these studies, as to the optimal use of 5ARIs in patient management. METHODS The Canadian Consensus Meeting, organized by the Canadian Urology Research Consortium and the Canadian Urologic Oncology Group, held in Toronto on May 7, 2006, focused on the new data from the PCPT and the MTOPS study. Internationally recognized experts and clinicians discussed the implications of these data on clinical practice and issued a recommendation on the optimal management of patients with BPH. RESULTS The Consensus meeting agreed on the following recommendations: The overall results from the PCPT and MTOPS studies are of importance to the urologic, as well as to the greater medical, community.Prostate management guidelines should be updated to include the results from both the MTOPS and the PCPT studies.In the PCPT, the incidence of high-grade cancer was higher in the finasteride-treated group (6.4%), compared with the placebo group (5.1%). Subsequent analyses strongly suggest that this increased prevalence was owing to a detection bias caused by the reduction in prostate volume in patients taking finasteride, compared with patients taking placebo. This resulted in an improved detection at biopsy of high-grade cancer in the finasteride group.In men who have large prostates and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), 5ARIs( section sign) should be considered, both for the treatment of BPH and for prostate cancer risk reduction.For men who are concerned about prostate cancer, it is appropriate to discuss chemoprevention with finasteride.Urologists are encouraged to disseminate these recommendations among other healthcare professionals.
Avoiding bias in observational studies: part 8 in a series of articles on evaluation of scientific publications.

BACKGROUND Many questions in human health research can only be answered with observational studies. In contrast to controlled experiments or well-planned, experimental randomized clinical trials, observational studies are subject to a number of potential problems that may bias their results. METHODS Some of the more important problems affecting observational studies are described and illustrated by examples. Additional information is provided with reference to a selection of the literature. RESULTS Factors that may bias the results of observational studies can be broadly categorized as: selection bias resulting from the way study subjects are recruited or from differing rates of study participation depending on the subjects' cultural background, age, or socioeconomic status, information bias, measurement error, confounders, and further factors. CONCLUSIONS Observational studies make an important contribution to medical knowledge. The main methodological problems can be avoided by careful study planning. An understanding of the potential pitfalls is important in order to critically assess relevant publications.
Impact of Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor Room Decontamination on Clostridium difficile Environmental Contamination and Transmission in a Healthcare Setting

Objective. To determine whether hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV) decontamination can reduce environmental contamination with and nosocomial transmission of Clostridium difficile. Design. A prospective before-after intervention study. Setting. A hospital affected by an epidemic strain of C. difficile. Intervention. Intensive HPV decontamination of 5 high-incidence wards followed by hospital-wide decontamination of rooms vacated by patients with C. difficile-associated disease (CDAD). The preintervention period was June 2004 through March 2005, and the intervention period was June 2005 through March 2006. Results. Eleven (25.6%) of 43 cultures of samples collected by sponge from surfaces before HPV decontamination yielded C. difficile, compared with 0 of 37 cultures of samples obtained after HPV decontamination (P < .001). On 5 high-incidence wards, the incidence of nosocomial CDAD was significantly lower during the intervention period than during the preintervention period (1.28 vs 2.28 cases per 1,000 patient-days; P = .047). The hospital-wide CDAD incidence was lower during the intervention period than during the preintervention period (0.84 vs 1.36 cases per 1,000 patient-days; P = .26). In an analysis limited to months in which the epidemic strain was present during both the preintervention and the intervention periods, CDAD incidence was significandy lower during the intervention period than during the preintervention period (0.88 vs 1.89 cases per 1,000 patient-days; P = .047). Conclusions. HPV decontamination was efficacious in eradicating C. difficile from contaminated surfaces. Further studies of the impact of HPV decontamination on nosocomial transmission of C. difficile are warranted.
Antibacterial activity in extracts of Camellia japonica L. petals and its application to a model food system.

The potential presence of naturally occurring antimicrobials in petals of Camellia japonica L. , a member of the tea family, was investigated against foodborne pathogens in microbiological media and food. Petals of the camellia flower (C. japonica L.) were extracted with methanol and fractionated into basic, acidic, and neutral fractions. The acidic fraction (equivalent to 1.0 g of raw sample per disk) produced an inhibitory zone of 14 to 19 mm (diameter) in a disk assay against the pathogens Salmonella Typhimurium DT104, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus on agar plates. Silica gel adsorption column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and preparative purification by high-pressure liquid chromatography were used to purify compounds in the fraction. The mass spectrum of the antibacterial compound isolated had a molecular ion (M+) of m/z 116 and showed good conformity with the spectrum of fumaric acid (HOOC-CH=CH-COOH). An aqueous extract from the petals of C. japonica L. had an inhibitory effect on growth of all pathogens at 37 degrees C in microbiological media by increasing the lag phase. None of the microorganisms was inhibited completely. Milk was used as a model food system. Aqueous extract at a concentration of 100 mg/ml was bacteriostatic against all the foodborne pathogens in the milk stored at 25 degrees C for up to 4 days.
The Role of Green Economy in Sustainable Development (Case Study: The EU States)

The analysis of various "green" concepts has historically been linked to a broader discussion of the relationship between sustainable development and the environment. Some authors believe that the solution to the problem of the impact on the planet’s environment is to reduce the level of economic activity, which would mean severe restrictions in the use of resources. Others think that economic activity can continue to grow, but with less impact on the environment; some experts claim that it is quite possible to achieve a balance between economic growth and care for the planet and people. In this context, it is necessary to use a new paradigm that clearly states that "environment" and" economic growth" cannot be seen as conflicting goals, which is confirmed by the authors of the article who studied the situation in the EU countries in the period 2016-2017.
Evidence That GH115 α-Glucuronidase Activity, Which Is Required to Degrade Plant Biomass, Is Dependent on Conformational Flexibility*

Background: The structure of GH115 glucuronidases that remove glucuronic acid from xylan chains is unknown. Results: Bacteroides ovatus GH115 glucuronidase is a dimeric enzyme that contains a flexible active site pocket. Conclusion: The assembly of the catalytic apparatus of the glucuronidase requires substantial conformational changes. Significance: Conformational changes are highly unusual in glycoside hydrolases. The microbial degradation of the plant cell wall is an important biological process that is highly relevant to environmentally significant industries such as the bioenergy and biorefining sectors. A major component of the wall is glucuronoxylan, a β1,4-linked xylose polysaccharide that is decorated with α-linked glucuronic and/or methylglucuronic acid (GlcA/MeGlcA). Recently three members of a glycoside hydrolase family, GH115, were shown to hydrolyze MeGlcA side chains from the internal regions of xylan, an activity that has not previously been described. Here we show that a dominant member of the human microbiota, Bacteroides ovatus, contains a GH115 enzyme, BoAgu115A, which displays glucuronoxylan α-(4-O-methyl)-glucuronidase activity. The enzyme is significantly more active against substrates in which the xylose decorated with GlcA/MeGlcA is flanked by one or more xylose residues. The crystal structure of BoAgu115A revealed a four-domain protein in which the active site, comprising a pocket that abuts a cleft-like structure, is housed in the second domain that adopts a TIM barrel-fold. The third domain, a five-helical bundle, and the C-terminal β-sandwich domain make inter-chain contacts leading to protein dimerization. Informed by the structure of the enzyme in complex with GlcA in its open ring form, in conjunction with mutagenesis studies, the potential substrate binding and catalytically significant amino acids were identified. Based on the catalytic importance of residues located on a highly flexible loop, the enzyme is required to undergo a substantial conformational change to form a productive Michaelis complex with glucuronoxylan.
Dynamics between government spending and economic growth in China: an analysis of productivity growth

ABSTRACT This study investigates the dynamics between government spending and economic growth in China through influencing the productivity growth of human capital byapplying Markov switching estimates for the annual time series data of China over the period 1952–2014. Firstly, we found that the Chinese economy exists in two states including state one with low growth and state two with high growth. Secondly, the consumption spending has significantly positive effect both states, while the military spending has only positive effect in state two. Interestingly, the growth effect level of consumption spending in state two is smaller than that in state one, implying a reducing effect of total factor productivity in state two. Thirdly, the combined effects of consumption spending and military spending with human capital are state dependent. This combined effect is reduced in both states, suggesting that government spending does not improve the productivity growth effect of human capital.
Content aware configurable architecture for H.264/AVC integer motion estimation engine

In this paper, we contribute a configurable SAD Tree architecture based on adaptive subsampling scheme. Firstly, by further exploiting the spatial feature, the integer motion estimation process is greatly sped up. Secondly, the conventional partial sum of absolute difference (SAD) based pipeline structure is optimized into configurable SAD oriented way, which enhances the performance and solve the data reuse problem caused by adaptive scheme in the architecture level. Moreover, a cross reuse and compressor tree based circuit level optimization is introduced and 6.56% hardware cost is reduced. Experiments show that our design can averagely achieve 42.23% saving in processing cycles compared with previous design. With 323k gates at about 144.8MHz, our design can achieve real-time encoding of HDTV 1088p@30fps.
What Dimension of CSR Matters to Organizational Resilience? Evidence from China

Prior work on corporate social responsibility (CSR) has focused mainly on its effects on the short-term performance of firms from developed countries. In this article, we shed light on its effects on organizational resilience, which is defined as the firm’s ability to positively cope with environmental turbulence, and operationalized by long-term, improved sales growth and financial volatility. In line with this operationalization, we adopt CSR’s performance-enhancing and performance-insuring mechanisms to disentangle the relationship between CSR and organizational resilience. Furthermore, we divide CSR into five dimensions, namely shareholder, employee, business, society and environment-related CSR, and respectively examine their impacts on organizational resilience. The empirical study on a large sample of public firms in China from 2010 to 2017 shows that CSR as a whole significantly increases the firms’ long-term growth and reduces their financial volatility. As for the five specific dimensions, they all have a significant negative effect on financial volatility, and the employee, business, environment-related CSR are positively associated with long-term growth. Yet, the empirical results did not indicate significant associations between shareholder and society-related CSR and firms’ long-term growth. This study first explores the impacts of CSR’s different dimensions on organizational resilience. Also, we contribute to enriching the literature on CSR by examining the long-term performance-insuring effect of CSR with a quantitative analysis of emerging markets. Finally, we discuss some important managerial implications, as well as promising directions for future research.
Toll-like receptor 4-mediated hyper-responsiveness of gingival epithelial cells to lipopolysaccharide in high-glucose environments.

BACKGROUND Increasing evidence indicates that diabetes mellitus increases the incidence and severity of periodontitis. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a role in the pathogenic processes of diabetes and its complications, but the effect of high glucose on TLRs in patients with diabetes and periodontitis is still unclear. METHODS Two kinds of diabetes rat models were established. Human gingival epithelial cells (HGECs) were established and challenged with Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the context of high glucose in vitro. The expressions of TLR2 and TLR4 were detected using immunohistochemistry, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and flow cytometry. The TLR4 inhibitor ethyl (6R)-6-[(2-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)sulfamoyl]cyclohexene-1-carboxylate (TAK-242) was applied to block the TLR4 in HGECs, and the inflammatory factors were detected by qRT-PCR. RESULTS The expression of TLR2 and TLR4 in gingival tissue from both rat diabetes models was significantly increased compared with that of healthy controls. Moreover, TLR4 expression was also markedly increased in HGECs incubated with high glucose. The expression of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 were significantly increased in HGECs while challenged with LPS in the context of high glucose; however, the expression inflammatory cytokines were decreased significantly, whereas TLR4 was blocked by TAK-242. CONCLUSION High glucose contributes to an upregulated expression of TLR4 in gingival epithelium, and TLR4-dependent inflammatory response may promote the susceptibility to periodontitis in patients with diabetes.