Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Exploratory Study into the Effect of Group Psychotherapy on Cardiovascular and Immunoreactivity to Acute Stress in Breast Cancer Patients

Background: Previous studies of cancer patients investigated the effect of psychological treatment on basal endocrine and immune values. Using a randomized experiment, we explored the effect of a 13-week experiential-existential group psychotherapy (EEGP) program on the reactivity to a speech task in breast cancer patients. We explored whether changes in cardiovascular and immune reactivity to a speech task over the 3-month period correlated with changes in psychological distress and emotional expression. Methods: Patients who had been treated for early-stage breast cancer and who were diagnosed as having either positive axillary lymph nodes or distant metastases were randomly assigned to either EEGP or a waiting list control (WLC) condition. We continuously recorded heart rate (HR), diastolic (DBP) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) in response to the speech task before and after treatment. We also measured lymphocyte proliferation to pokeweed (PWM) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and natural killer cell activity (NKCA) as well as peripheral blood lymphocyte distributions in blood samples that were drawn before, during and after the speech task. Results: Patients in EEGP had smaller increases in natural killer (NK) cells induced by the speech task after treatment versus task-induced values observed at study entry and greater than pre-/posttreatment changes seen in patients randomized to the WLC. A similar pattern emerged with respect to NKCA over the intervention period, which was independent of the changes in NK cells. There were no differences between patients assigned to EEGP and WLC in HR, DBP and SBP responses as well as in changes in PWM- and PHA-induced lymphocyte proliferation in response to the speech task measured before and after the 3-month intervention period. Individual differences in pre-/posttreatment increases in emotional expression but not in psychological distress were significantly associated with smaller changes in the number and function of NK cells over the 3-month period. Conclusions: These findings may indicate that emotional expression during EEGP may render breast cancer patients more comfortable expressing their emotional responses to the speech challenge, which, in turn, results in smaller stress-induced changes in NK cells and function.
Can rate of brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis be explained by clinical and MRI characteristics?

Introduction Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized, besides focal lesions, by brain atrophy. The determinants of atrophy rates in individual patients are poorly understood. Aim This study investigated the predictive value of clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) factors, including short-term changes thereof, for concurrent and future atrophy evolution using Spearman’s rank correlations and stepwise multiple linear regression. Methods We retrospectively identified a group of 115 active, early relapsing-remitting (RR) patients relatively homogeneous in terms of disease course and MRI activity compared to a second group of 96 patients with broader spectrum of MS phenotypes and inactive scans. All patients had undergone three MRI investigations with interscan intervals of at least 12 and 24 months, respectively. Results In the RR patients, 23% of variance in concurrent atrophy rates (over the first interval) could be explained by the combination of baseline T2 lesion volume and change in EDSS score over the first interval, whereas only 6% in future atrophy rates (over the second interval) was explained. In the heterogeneous group, 20.2% of the variance in future atrophy rates could be explained, but slightly less in concurrent atrophy rates (16.2%). Conclusion We concluded that variance in brain atrophy rates can partially be explained by clinical and MRI measures of disease. Future atrophy rates in individual MS patients are difficult to predict even when including previous atrophy rates.
Development and biological evaluation of vesicles containing bile salt of telmisartan for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy

Abstract The aim of present study was to develop and evaluate vesicles containing bile salt formulation of telmisartan for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy. Different vesicles containing bile salt formulations were developed by varying ratios of soybean phosphatidylcholine and sodium deoxycholate. Prepared formulations were characterized for their size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, morphology and entrapment efficiency. Further, the renoprotective outcome of optimized formulation was studied in streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy rat model. Results of the present study demonstrated that the average vesicles size, polydispersity index, zeta potential and entrapment efficiency were found to be in the range of 64.98 ± 1.40 to 167.60 ± 6.46 nm, 0.02 ± 0.04 to 0.31 ± 0.01, −24.30 ± 1.39 to −42.60 ± 6.67 mV and 29.68 ± 1.08% to 77.21 ± 0.52%, respectively. Further, the best chosen formulation F4 presented vesicles size, polydispersity index, zeta potential and entrapment efficiency of 64.98 ± 1.40 nm, 0.24 ± 0.02, −35.40 ± 1.48 mV and 77.21 ± 0.52%, respectively. In addition, formulation F4 improved the biological indices in streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy in rats. It was concluded that prepared formulation exerts a valuable results on diabetic nephropathy and it may be a potential pharmaceutical dosage form for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.
Transient and chronic neonatal denervation of murine muscle: a procedure to modify the phenotypic expression of muscular dystrophy

The extensor digitorum longus muscles of 14-d-old normal (129 ReJ ++) and dystrophic (129 ReJ dy/dy) mice were denervated by cutting the sciatic nerve. One denervation protocol was designed to inhibit reinnervation of the shank muscles, the other to promote reinnervation. Chronically denervated muscles (muscles that remained denervated for 100 d after nerve section) exhibited marked atrophy, but the number of myofibers in these muscles (1066 +/- 46 and 931 +/- 62 for the denervated normal and dystrophic muscles, respectively) was similar to the number of myofibers found in age-matched, unoperated normal muscles [922 +/- 28 (Ontell et al., 1984)] and was significantly greater than the number of myofibers found in age-matched dystrophic muscles [547 +/- 45 (Ontell et al., 1984)]. Similar effects on myofiber number were obtained when denervated muscles were allowed to reinnervate. Reinnervation of both normal and dystrophic muscles mitigated the marked atrophy that characterized chronically denervated muscles. The dystrophic reinnervated muscles appeared “healthier” than age-matched, unoperated dystrophic muscles, having 70% more myofibers, less myofiber diameter variability, substantially less connective tissue infiltration, and a greater amount of contractile tissue at their widest girths. The present study demonstrated that it is possible to alter the phenotypic expression of the histopathological changes associated with murine dystrophy, in dystrophic myofibers that are formed during fetal development, by subjecting the muscle to neonatal denervation.
Early Evidence on the Patient-Centered Medical Home

Purpose: The patient-centered medical home (PCMH, or medical home) aims to reinvigorate primary care and achieve the triple aim of better quality, lower costs, and improved experience of care. This study systematically reviews the early evidence on effectiveness of the PCMH. Methods: Out of 498 studies published or disseminated from January 2000 through September 2010 on U.S.-based interventions, 14 evaluations of 12 interventions met our inclusion criteria: the evaluation (1) tested a primary-care, practice-based intervention with three or more of five key PCMH principles and (2) used quantitative methods to examine effects on either (a) a triple aim outcome (quality of care, costs (or hospital use or emergency department use, two major cost drivers), and patient and caregiver experience) or (b) health care professional experience. We use a formal rating system to identify interventions that were evaluated using rigorous methods and synthesize the evidence from these evaluations. We also provide guidance to inform current efforts and structure future evaluations to maximize learning. Results: The results indicate that we need more evaluations of the medical home to assess and refine the model. The Joint Principles that first defined the PCMH were released in 2007, and we reviewed evidence through September 2010. Reflecting the time required to evaluate and publish findings on the model, the interventions most often cited in support of the medical home can be viewed as precursors to the medical home. While the interventions varied, most essentially tested the addition of a care manager operating from within the primary care practice rather than a fundamentally transformed practice. Most interventions were evaluated in practices that were part of larger delivery systems and targeted patients who were older and sicker than average. Turning to the evaluations, less than half assessed all triple aim outcomes. Evaluations of 6 of the 12 interventions provide rigorous evidence on one or more outcomes. This evidence indicates some favorable effects on all three triple aim outcomes, a few unfavorable effects on costs, and mostly inconclusive results (because of insufficient sample sizes to detect effects that exist or uncertain statistical significance of results because analyses did not account for clustering of patients within practices). Conclusions: Improving primary care is the lynchpin of achieving the triple aim outcomes. The PCMH is a promising innovation, and the model is rapidly evolving. Stronger evaluations are needed to provide guidance on how to refine and target the model to ensure that the substantial efforts of practices and payers needed to adopt the model are most effective.
Economic Determinants of Domestic Investment in an Oil-Based Economy: The Case of Iran (1965-2010)

in English) . vii ABSTRACT (in Danish) . ixin Danish) . ix TABLE OF CONTENTS . xi CONTENTS . xi LIST OF FIGURES . xiv LIST OF TABLES . xv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . xv
Big Data: Road Ahead for India

Advancements in computing technologies make new platforms and large volumes of data available to businesses and governments to discover hidden underlying patterns in the data and creating new knowledge. While businesses need to embrace these technologies in order to stay ahead of competition, governments can reap great benefits in cost effectively delivering social services and bring about improvement in social development indices. However, before any new technology can become a powerful resource (for business or for government), there exists a fundamental need for extensive planning, such that one can chalk out a future trajectory, prepare for the changes to come, and invest prudently. Exploitation of Big Data platforms and technologies requires both corporate strategies and government policies to be in place much before the results would start pouring in. In this paper, we investigate the potential of available Big Data platforms and technologies, their current use by various governments, and their potential for use by the central and state Governments in India.
Poloidal asymmetric flow and current relaxation of ballooned transport during I-phase in ASDEX Upgrade

Turbulence driven poloidal asymmetric parallel flow and current perturbations are studied for tokamak plasmas of circular geometry. Whereas zonal flows can lead to in-out asymmetry of parallel flows and currents via the Pfirsch–Schluter mechanism, ballooned transport can result in an up-down asymmetry due to the Stringer spin-up mechanism. Measurements of up-down asymmetric parallel current fluctuations occurring during the I-phase in ASDEX Upgrade are not responses to the equilibrium by the Pfirsch–Schluter current, but can be interpreted as a response to strongly ballooned plasma transport coupled with the Stringer spin-up mechanism. A good agreement of the experimental measured limit-cycle frequencies during I-phase with the Stringer spin-up relaxation frequency is found.
The relationship between the Spine Deformity Index, biochemical parameters of bone metabolism and vascular calcifications: results from the Epidemiological VERtebral FRACtures iTalian Study (EVERFRACT) in dialysis patients

Abstract Background: The Spine Deformity Index (SDI) is a measure of vertebral fractures (VFs), providing information on both their number and severity. Methods: We evaluated the relationships between SDI and clinical, biochemical and arterial calcification parameters in 387 hemodialysis (HD) patients. VFs, assessed by quantitative vertebral morphometry, and vascular calcifications were identified in the same lateral spinal X-ray. To improve the detection of fracture severity, we created a corrected SDI (c-SDI), by dividing SDI for the number of VFs. We assessed routine biochemistry, bone-Gla-protein (BGP), undercaboxylated BGP (ucBGP), and matrix-Gla-protein (MGP). Results: VFs prevalence was 55.3%. HD patients with a SDI >1 were more frequently males (p<0.05), and had lower BGP (p<0.01). Patients with a c-SDI >1 had higher LDL-cholesterol (p<0.05) and lower ucBGP (p<0.05) and MGP (p<0.05). Calcifications of the abdominal aorta (AAoC) were more frequent in patients with SDI >1 (p<0.05) and with c-SDI >1 (p<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression showed that male sex (OR 1.86, CI 1.20–2.91), age (OR 1.03, CI 1.01–1.05) and albumin ≥3.5 g/dL (OR 0.54, CI 0.31–0.93) were predictors of a SDI >1. Age (OR 1.05, CI 1.03–1.07), LDL-cholesterol (OR 1.74, CI 1.04–2.92) and ucBGP (OR 0.35, CI 0.18–0.70) were associated with c-SDI >1. Conclusions: We conclude that the severity of VFs was associated with age, atherogenic factors and bone metabolism markers.
Artemether-lumefantrine (four-dose regimen) for treating uncomplicated falciparum malaria.

BACKGROUND The World Health Organization recommends artemether-lumefantrine, an expensive drug, as a treatment for uncomplicated malaria. We sought evidence of the superiority of the four-dose regimen over existing treatments. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the four-dose regimen of artemether-lumefantrine for treating uncomplicated falciparum malaria. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group Specialized Register (October 2005), CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library 2005, Issue 3), MEDLINE (1966 to October 2005), EMBASE (1988 to October 2005), LILACS (1982 to October 2005), conference proceedings, and reference lists of articles. We also contacted experts in malaria research and the pharmaceutical company that manufactures artemether-lumefantrine. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomized controlled trials comparing four doses of artemether-lumefantrine with standard treatment regimens (single drug or combination), or six doses of artemether-lumefantrine, for treating uncomplicated falciparum malaria. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two authors independently applied inclusion criteria to potentially relevant trials, assessed trial quality, and extracted data, including adverse events. Total failure by day 28 (day 42 for sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and day 63 for mefloquine) was the primary outcome. MAIN RESULTS Seven trials (2057 participants) tested a four-dose regimen. More people tended to fail treatment with artemether-lumefantrine than with other drugs, including sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (247 participants, 1 trial), halofantrine (86 participants, 1 trial), and mefloquine (233 participants, 1 trial; difference statistically significant for mefloquine). When compared with chloroquine, artemether-lumefantrine was better in two trials (378 participants), but over 50% of the participants treated with chloroquine had total failure by day 28. Fewer people failed treatment with the six-dose regimen compared to the four-dose regimen (RR 7.71, 95% CI 2.99 to 19.88; 306 participants, 1 trial). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS The four-dose regimen of artemether-lumefantrine seems to be less effective than regimens against which it has been tested. The six-dose regimen is superior to four-dose regimen.
Business Continuity Management & Disaster Recovery Capabilities in Saudi Arabia ICT Businesses

A sustainable business continuity management plan (BCM) is developed to adapt and respond to the current complex and dynamic business environment, while simultaneously accommodating the key system transformations. As an integral part of BCM, business preparedness reduces the impact of a disruption to employees, productivity and profitability. Additionally, BCM and disaster recovery helps service providers and owners of critical infrastructure, such as telecommunication networks and digitized energy utilities to resume operation within the shortest time in the event that a disaster strikes. The central drive of this extensive research is developing a maturity model for BCM/DR for measuring the capability of BCM and disaster recovery for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) companies. A qualitative research scheme, marked by an open-structured interview was adopted to explore the core aspect of the research topic. A customized maturity model for the KSA ICT sector was developed by analyzing the existing model and then validating the developed maturity model against the predefined objectives. The research demonstrated that the establishment of a standardized maturity model for BCM/DR as capability instrument for the ICT segment is valuable to address the gap in KSA organizations as they assess the competences of their BCM/DR programs or processes.
Motivation in Electronic Portfolio Usage for Higher Education Institutions

One of the important technologies which deliver more effective and efficient services to students, lecturers, administrators and universities is Electronic Portfolio. It’s defined as a student collection of learning progress, accomplishments and reflections. Nowadays most of the universities have joined to use e-Portfolio, due to the advantages provided for their organizational success. Despite of their large investment in e-Portfolio, its utilization is not continued. A major challenge is “how to increase the continuous use of e-Portfolio. ” Most of the literature has ignored the role of motivation in its continuance usage. Regarding these issues, the main goal of this chapter is to highlight the importance of motivation in e-portfolio context to sustain its utilization. By reviewing the literature, the self-determination theory (SDT) integrating with IS-Continuance model is proposed as the best solution for overcoming the current problems. Autonomy, competence and relatedness are supposed to have a significant influence on continuous use of e-Portfolio system.
Matrix metalloproteinase-9 gene modulates prefrontal cognition in bipolar men.

Department of Adult Psychiatry, Laboratory of Psychiatric Genetics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan and Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute Warsaw, Poland Correspondence to Professor Janusz K. Rybakowski, MD, PhD, Department of Adult Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, ul.Szpitalna 27/33, Poznan 60-572, Poland Tel: + 48 61 8475 087; fax: + 48 61 8480 392; e-mail: rybakows@wlkp.top. pl
Differential effects of myocarditic variants of Coxsackievirus B3 in inbred mice. A pathologic characterization of heart tissue damage.

The histopathologic features reflecting the influence of virus genotype and host differences on myocarditis were evaluated in six inbred mouse strains (C57BL/6, B10.D2, BALB/c, DBA/2, A/J, and C3H/HeJ) inoculated with four respective variants of coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3-CG, -SH, -ST, or -NR). The most severe and most prevalent histologic lesions occurred after infection with CVB3-SH or -CG variants, regardless of mouse strain. In general, C57BL/6 mice showed the lowest susceptibility to myocarditis while A/J or C3H/HeJ animals had the highest susceptibility, whether early (7 days) or late (21 days) after CVB3 inoculation. Lesion size and calcification depended to an extent on disease severity, but calcification in the C3H/HeJ myocardium was notably sparse. Lesions clustered distinctly in the midthird of the ventricular wall in some animals, particularly in DBA/2 mice. Extensive pericarditis occurred exclusively in BALB/c and DBA/2 animals and predominated over the right ventricle anterolaterally. Virus titer in the heart did not account for disease susceptibility among mouse strains. These characteristics reflect differences in pathogenicity and are important considerations in the study of mechanisms in CVB3-induced myocarditis in mice.
Reliability of Gas Exchange Measurements from Two Different Spiroergometry Systems

Reliability of two different spiroergometric systems was investigated by comparing gas exchange measurements from two consecutive identical bicycle ergometer ramp exercise tests which were conducted after an initial habituation trial. Twenty-three healthy subjects (age: 25+/-5 years; weight: 71+/-10 kg; peak oxygen uptake: 55+/-9 ml x min(-1) x kg(-1)) took part in the study. One apparatus was a portable mixing chamber system (MetaMax I, Cortex, Leipzig, Germany), the other one a stationary spiroergometric device measuring in the breath-by-breath mode (MetaLyzer 3B, Cortex). There were no relevant systematic changes in gas exchange measurements and heart rate from test 1 to test 2. Intra-class reliability coefficients were 0.984 (oxygen uptake = VO2), 0.977 (carbon dioxide output = VCO2), and 0.973 (minute ventilation = VE) for the MetaMax I, and 0.969 (VO2), 0.964 (VCO2), and 0.953 (VE) for the MetaLyzer 3B. Bland-Altman plots revealed a slightly smaller variability of MetaLyzer 3B measurements compared to those of MetaMax I. It is concluded that the spiroergometric devices MetaMax I and MetaLyzer 3B represent reliable instruments for exercise testing in sports medical routine and research. This is important to decide if longitudinal changes in gas exchange measurements represent clinically meaningful differences in performance or merely inconsistencies of the measuring tool.
Reduction of spasticity in cerebral palsy by anodal transcranial direct current stimulation.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the anti-spasticity effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in individuals with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). MATERIAL AND METHOD Forty-six children and adolescents with cerebral palsy were randomly assigned to either active (1 mA anodal) or sham (placebo) tDCS over the left primary motor cortex (Ml) on five consecutive days. Both group also received routine physical therapy. Measures of spasticity and passive range of motion (PROM) were administered before treatment, immediately after treatment, and at 24- and 48-hours follow-up. RESULTS Participants assigned to active tDCS treatment evidenced significantly more pre- to immediately post-treatment reductions in spasticity than participants assigned to the sham (p = 0.004, p<O. 001l, andp = 0.004 for shoulder wrist, and fingers respectively) and these improvement in spasticity maintainedfor at least 48 hours for wrist joints (p = 0.023). There was only one participant in the active tDCS condition developed erythematous rash. However, all participants tolerated the tDCS well without any serious adverse events. CONCLUSION Anodal tDCS appeared to reduce CP-relatedspasticity (but not PROM) in the short term. Researches examine the long term benefits of this intervention on spasticity are warranted.