Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alteration of oxidative stress parameters in red blood cells of rats after chronic in vivo treatment with cisplatin and selenium

In this study we evaluated the possible protective effects of selenium (Se) on hematological and oxidative stress parameters in rats chronically treated with cisplatin (cisPt). Four groups of Wistar albino rats were examined: a control, untreated rats (I), rats treated with Se (II), rats treated with cisPt (III), and rats treated with Se and cisPt (IV). All animals were treated for 5 days successively and killed 24 h after the last treatment. Hematological and oxidative stress parameters were followed in whole blood and red blood cells (RBC). Results showed that the chronic application of Se was followed by a higher number of reticulocytes and platelets, increased lipid peroxidation and GSH content in the RBC. Cisplatin treatment induced depletion of RBC and platelet numbers and an elevation of the superoxide anion, nitrites and glutathione levels. Se and cisPt co-treatment was followed by an elevation of the hematological parameters and the recovery of the glutathione status when compared to the control and cisPt-treated rats.
TFM: FACTORES PSICOLÓGICOS DEL ADOLESCENTE Y SU INCIDENCIA EN EL ABANDONO ESCOLAR

El objetivo de mi estudio es valorar la persistencia de los factores determinantes del riesgo de abandono escolar centrandonos en los factores psicologicos de riesgo y su relacion con los factores socioeconomicos, absentismo y rendimiento academico en una muestra seleccionada de un Instituto de Ensenanza Secundaria con poblacion espanola. Para realizar este estudio vamos a dividir los factores de riesgo en dos categorias. La primera incluye los factores socioeconomicos, rendimiento academico y absentismo, factores validados en la literatura como predictores del abandono escolar. La segunda categoria incluye los factores de riesgo psicologicos para el abandono escolar temprano. Factores que en la literatura no se incluyen en el perfil de riesgo de abandono. Por eso este trabajo en su caracter innovador se centra en la evaluacion de los factores psicologicos de riesgo y su relacion con los factores socioeconomicos, absentismo y rendimiento academico.
Ellagitannins as Active Constituents of Medicinal Plants

Isolation and structure determination, accompanied by measurement of various biological activities of each isolated tannin, particularly of ellagitannins, have brought about a marked change in the concept of tannins as active constituents of medicinal plants. Their biological activities should now be discussed on the basis of the structural differences among each tannin, in a way similar to that of the other types of natural organic compounds. The anti-tumor activity exclusively exhibited by several oligomeric ellagitannins, and their anti-HIV activities are examples of such biological activities. The inhibitory activity against lipid peroxidation, which is different in the strength among tannins of various structures, is exhibited in general more strongly by ellagitannins than by the other types of tannins of similar structures. The radical-scavenging activities of tannins as the mechanism of their inhibition, which is regarded to participate in several biological activities of tannins, have been supported by the ESR spectral measurements. Other biological activities, i.e., inhibition of mutagenicity of carcinogens, inhibition of tumor promotion, etc., have been found for tannins including ellagitannins.
On Acceleration with Noise-Corrupted Gradients

Accelerated algorithms have broad applications in large-scale optimization, due to their generality and fast convergence. However, their stability in the practical setting of noise-corrupted gradient oracles is not well-understood. This paper provides two main technical contributions: (i) a new accelerated method AGDP that generalizes Nesterov's AGD and improves on the recent method AXGD (Diakonikolas & Orecchia, 2018), and (ii) a theoretical study of accelerated algorithms under noisy and inexact gradient oracles, which is supported by numerical experiments. This study leverages the simplicity of AGDP and its analysis to clarify the interaction between noise and acceleration and to suggest modifications to the algorithm that reduce the mean and variance of the error incurred due to the gradient noise.
Election Score Can Be Harder Than Winner

Election systems based on scores generally determine the winner by computing the score of each candidate and the winner is the candidate with the best score. It would be natural to expect that computing the winner of an election is at least as hard as computing the score of a candidate. We show that this is not always the case. In particular, we show that for Young elections for dichotomous preferences the winner problem is easy, while determining the score of a candidate is hard. This complexity behavior has not been seen before and is unusual. The easiness of the winner problem for dichotomous Young crucially uses the fact that dichotomous preferences guarantee the transitivity of the majority relation. In addition to dichotomous preferences we also look at single-peaked preferences, the most well-studied domain restriction that guarantees the transitivity of the majority relation. We show that for the three major hard election systems and their natural variants, dichotomous Young is the only case where winner is easy and score is hard. This also solves an open question from Lackner and Peters (AAAI 2017), by providing a polynomial-time algorithm for Dodgson score for single-peaked electorates.
Drivers of atmospheric methane uptake by montane forest soils in the southern Peruvian Andes

Abstract. The soils of tropical montane forests can act as sources or sinks of atmospheric methane (CH4). Understanding this activity is important in regional atmospheric CH4 budgets given that these ecosystems account for substantial portions of the landscape in mountainous areas like the Andes. We investigated the drivers of net CH4 fluxes from premontane, lower and upper montane forests, experiencing a seasonal climate, in south-eastern Peru. Between February 2011 and June 2013, these soils all functioned as net sinks for atmospheric CH4. Mean (standard error) net CH4 fluxes for the dry and wet season were −1.6 (0.1) and −1.1 (0.1) mg CH4-C m−2 d−1 in the upper montane forest, −1.1 (0.1) and −1.0 (0.1) mg CH4-C m−2 d−1 in the lower montane forest, and −0.2 (0.1) and −0.1 (0.1) mg CH4-C m−2 d−1 in the premontane forest. Seasonality in CH4 exchange varied among forest types with increased dry season CH4 uptake only apparent in the upper montane forest. Variation across these forests was best explained by available nitrate and water-filled pore space indicating that nitrate inhibition of oxidation or diffusional constraints imposed by changes in water-filled pore space on methanotrophic communities may represent important controls on soil–atmosphere CH4 exchange. Net CH4 flux was inversely related to elevation; a pattern that differs to that observed in Ecuador, the only other extant study site of soil–atmosphere CH4 exchange in the tropical Andes. This may result from differences in rainfall patterns between the regions, suggesting that attention should be paid to the role of rainfall and soil moisture dynamics in modulating CH4 uptake by the organic-rich soils typical of high-elevation tropical forests.
Prevalence and factors associated with the cooperation of arterial hypertension patients Prevalência e fatores associados a cooperação do paciente portador de hipertensão arterial

DOI http://dx.doi. org/10.1590/19820194201500055 Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Vitória de Santo Antão, PE, Brazil. Conflicts of interest: no conflicts of interest to declare. Abstract Objective: To analyze the prevalence and factors associated with the cooperation of arterial hypertension patients in primary health care. Methods: Cross-sectional study that included 458 hypertensive patients, randomly selected among primary care users. The study variables were socioeconomic, demographic and clinical and the research instruments used were validated. The logistic regression model was used for multivariate statistical analysis. Results: The prevalence rates found for patient cooperation corresponded to 26.6%, 16.6% and 85.6% on the Morisky-Green, Batalla and Haynes-Sackett tests, respectively. The adjusted logistic regression analysis showed economic class and smoking as the independent predictors of hypertensive patients’ cooperation. Conclusion: The prevalence of treatment adherence varied according to the assessment instrument used. The factors associated with treatment adherence were: high socioeconomic class, living with a partner and being eutrophic.
Issues and Challenges in Implementing China’sGreen Public Procurement Program

Sustainable development and environmental protection are the themes of the day. One popular policy tool that government uses to promote sustainable development and to protect the environment is green public procurement. Chinese government established its public procurement system in the late 1990s. It has moved to implement green procurement since 2004. In this paper, the authors will first trace the development of Chinese green public procurement program. The authors will then examine the issues involved in its implementation and make suggestions as to how to make green public procurement program more effective. This is one of the first papers examining China’s green public procurement program.
CRITICAL ORBITS AND ARITHMETIC EQUIDISTRIBUTION

These notes present recent progress on a conjecture about the dynamics of rational maps on P1(C), connecting critical orbit relations and the structure of the bifurcation locus to the geometry and arithmetic of postcritically finite maps within the moduli spaceMd . The conjecture first appeared in a 2013 publication by Baker and DeMarco. Also presented are some related results and open questions. 1 The critical orbit conjecture These lecture notes are devoted to a conjecture presented in Baker and DeMarco [2013] and the progressmade over the past five years. The setting for this problem is the dynamics of rational maps
Mindfulness as a Moderator of the Association Between Eating Disorder Cognition and Eating Disorder Behavior Among a Non-clinical Sample of Female College Students: A Role of Ethnicity

The present cross-sectional study examined whether mindfulness moderated the association between eating disorder cognition and eating disorder behaviors among Asian American, Black American, and White American female college students in the United States. Participants (N = 463, age range = 18–25 years) completed self-report measures online. Results revealed that mindfulness moderated the association between eating disorder cognition and eating disorder behavior in the White American group, but not in Asian American or Black American samples. Future research should replicate these differential findings across ethnic groups and investigate the factors that may contribute to this group difference.
Insights into the Early Evolution of the Côte d'Ivoire Margin (West Africa)

Abstract A tectono-stratigraphic analysis of a broadband 3D seismic survey over the outer slope of Côte d'Ivoire margin, west Africa, revealed that Cenomanian and younger strata seal well-developed rift fault blocks up to 15 km across. Growth strata indicate that these were formed during rifting that culminated in seafloor spreading in the late Albian, challenging existing plate reconstructions for the opening of the equatorial Atlantic ocean. A previously unrecognized system of volcanic edifices linked at depth to a network of sill complexes has also been identified. These are aligned along a NE–SW trend, concordant with kilometre-wide ridges, interpreted as folds formed by steep, crustal faults with an oblique-slip component. These trends are similar to those of fracture zones in the region and indicate that the Côte d'Ivoire was a transform margin in the late Albian. These results highlight the potential of offshore Côte d'Ivoire for deep-water rift plays with large traps formed by extensional fault blocks together with prospective Albian reservoirs ponded in their hanging walls. In addition, the volcanoes and ridges generated seabed relief along the newly created transform margin, forming confined basins for potential deposition of Turonian and younger turbidites and the generation of stratigraphic traps.
Sequencing the real time of the elderly: Evidence from South Africa

Background: Understanding how the elderly in developing countries spend their time has received little attention. Moreover, the potential of time use data to discern variation in activity patterns has not been fully realized by methods which use a mean added time approach. Objective: To uncover patterns of time use among the elderly (60 years and older) in South Africa by applying an innovative methodology that incorporates the timing, duration, and frequency of activities in the analysis. Methods: We use sequence analysis, which treats the daily series of activities of each individual as a sequence, and cluster analysis, to group these sequences into common clusters of time use behaviour. We then estimate multinomial logit regressions to identify the characteristics of the elderly which predict cluster membership. Results: We find that the time use behaviour of the elderly in South Africa can be divided into five distinct clusters, according to the relative importance in their day of personal care, household maintenance, work, mass media, and social or cultural activities. In comparison to men, women are overrepresented in the cluster where household work dominates, while they are underrepresented in the cluster of the elderly who engage in production work. A range of other individual and household characteristics are also important in predicting cluster membership. Contribution: Sequence and cluster analysis permit a nuanced examination of the differences and commonalities in time use patterns among the elderly in South Africa. There is considerable potential to extend these methods to other studies of time use behaviour.
The effect of different processing stages of olive fruit on the extracted olive oil polyphenol content

In the present study the distribution of olive fruit polyphenolic fraction through the phases of olive oil extraction by a classical and a centrifugal system has been investigated. Olives of two Cretan origin varieties were used. Consequently, samples from different stages of oil extraction with and without their polyphenols were stored for a month under 64 oC by periodical testing their peroxide value. In olive oils extracted by the centrifugal factory a large reduction of polyphenols content was noticed during their elaboration that reached to the half amount compared with that of classical type. During oven test the control sample of olive oil obtained from the separation phase of centrifugal system was oxidized easier than that of classic one. The variation of polyphenol content as well as of the main olive oil quality characteristics with the temperature and the mixing time was also studied for a period of time.
Effect of Gender on Chronic Intermittent Hypoxic Fosb Expression in Cardiorespiratory-Related Brain Structures in Mice

We aimed to delineate sex-based differences in neuroplasticity that may be associated with previously reported sex-based differences in physiological alterations caused by repetitive succession of hypoxemia-reoxygenation encountered during obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We examined long-term changes in the activity of brainstem and diencephalic cardiorespiratory neuronal populations induced by chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) in male and female mice by analyzing Fosb expression. Whereas the overall baseline and CIH-induced Fosb expression in females was higher than in males, possibly reflecting different neuroplastic dynamics, in contrast, structures responded to CIH by Fosb upregulation in males only. There was a sex-based difference at the level of the rostral ventrolateral reticular nucleus of the medulla, with an increase in the number of FOSB/ΔFOSB-positive cells induced by CIH in males but not females. This structure contains neurons that generate the sympathetic tone and which are involved in CIH-induced sustained hypertension during waking hours. We suggest that the sex-based difference in neuroplasticity of this structure contributes to the reported sex-based difference in CIH-induced hypertension. Moreover, we highlighted a sex-based dimorphic phenomenon in serotoninergic systems induced by CIH, with increased serotoninergic immunoreactivity in the hypoglossal nucleus and a decreased number of serotoninergic cells in the dorsal raphe nucleus in male but not female mice. We suggest that this dimorphism in the neuroplasticity of serotoninergic systems predisposes males to a greater alteration of neuronal control of the upper respiratory tract associated with the greater collapsibility of upper airways described in male OSA subjects.
TMS Motor Thresholds Correlate With TDCS Electric Field Strengths in Hand Motor Area

Transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) modulates cortical activity and influences motor and cognitive functions in both healthy and clinical populations. However, there is large inter-individual variability in the responses to TDCS. Computational studies have suggested that inter-individual differences in cranial and brain anatomy may contribute to this variability via creating varying electric fields in the brain. This implies that the electric fields or their strength and orientation should be considered and incorporated when selecting the TDCS dose. Unfortunately, electric field modeling is difficult to perform; thus, a more-robust and practical method of estimating the strength of TDCS electric fields for experimental use is required. As recent studies have revealed a relationship between the sensitivity to TMS and motor cortical TDCS after-effects, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether the resting motor threshold (RMT), a simple measure of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) sensitivity, would be useful for estimating TDCS electric field strengths in the hand area of primary motor cortex (M1). To achieve this, we measured the RMT in 28 subjects. We also obtained magnetic resonance images from each subject to build individual three-dimensional anatomic models, which were used in solving the TDCS and TMS electric fields using the finite element method (FEM). Then, we calculated the correlation between the measured RMT and the modeled TDCS electric fields. We found that the RMT correlated with the TDCS electric fields in hand M1 (R2 = 0.58), but no obvious correlations were identified in regions outside M1. The found correlation was mainly due to a correlation between the TDCS and TMS electric fields, both of which were affected by individual's anatomic features. In conclusion, the RMT could provide a useful tool for estimating cortical electric fields for motor cortical TDCS.
A Soil Quality Index to Evaluate the Vermicompost Amendments Effects on Soil Properites

The aims of this work were 1) to evaluate the changes in soil properties with the application of different amounts of vermicompost (10 and 20 Mg? ha–1), and 2) to construct a soil quality index that allows the evaluation of changes in the most sensitive soil parameters. The study was carried out in a cattle field of General Alvear, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vermicompost application showed a positive effect on most of the chemical and biological soil properties evaluated, especially with the higher dose (20 Mg? ha–1). There were slight but significant increases in electrical conductivity and soil pH with the higher dose of vermicompost. Physical soil properties were not affected by the vermicompost amendment. The SQI showed a significant increase of soil quality with the vermicompost dose of 20 Mg? ha–1, especially by enhancing the biochemical and biological properties.
Steady Capillary Driven Flow

A steady capillary driven flow is developed for a liquid index in a circular tube which is partially coated with a surface modifier to produce a discontinuous wetting condition from one side of the tube to the other. The bulk flow is novel in that it is truly steady, and controlled solely by the physics associated with dynamic wetting. The influence of gravity on the flow is minimized through the use of small diameter tubes approximately O(1 mm) tested horizontally in a laboratory and larger tubes approximately O(10 mm) tested in the low gravity environment of a drop tower. Average steady velocities are predicted and compared against a large experimental data set which includes the effects of tube dimensions and fluid properties. The sensitivity of the velocity to surface cleanliness is dramatic and the advantages of experimentation in a microgravity environment are discussed.
Is It Necessary to Intubate the Cecum to Examine the Whole Colorectum During Endoscopic Polypectomy?

Background The official guidelines are unclear about whether endoscopic polypectomy should intubate the whole cecum or just intubate the location of the endoscopy inspection. Therefore, the objective of this study was to provide a new perspective of assisting endoscopists make better decisions and decrease the missing detection rate in clinical practice. Material/Methods We retrospectively reviewed records of 8923 patients who underwent endoscopic polypectomy, and 394 participants were included after screening by inclusion and exclusion criteria. We collected and analyzed data on the size, shape, and location of polyps and the clinical experience level of endoscopists in this retrospective study. Results Among the 394 cases, 152 (38.6%) had additional lesions detected through the second endoscopic polypectomy after the first colonoscopy was performed, showing statistically significant differences between the missing group and non-missing group on actual polys (P<0.05). No significant differences were detected between the 2 groups (P>0.05) in age, sex, withdrawal time, and examination period. Regarding the location, 50.4% of the missing lesions were found on the relatively proximal colon of the detected polyps in the first colonoscopy. In addition, the level of experience of endoscopists was significantly different between the missing group and the non-missing group (P<0.05). Conclusions The characteristics of polyps and the level of endoscopist experience play important roles in the detection of polyps in the colorectum. Moreover, it may be necessary to intubate the cecum to examine the whole colorectum during endoscopic polypectomy.
Nutritional Status of Depressive Patients

Depression is a multifactorial disease and nutrition is an important environmental factor in its development and progression. Methods: This is a retrospective study of 50 depressed patients recruited from the outpatient department of psychiatry in Tunisia, as well as 50 controls. Both groups were matched for age and sexResults: A pathological waist circumference was found in 84% of cases against 78% of controls p=0.02. Our patients had a significantly higher intake of carbohydrates and sucrose compared to controls p=0.0001, p=0.02, and significantly lower protein intake (p=0.0001), lipids (p=0.0001), SFA (p=0.01), MUFA (p=0.003), EPA (p=0.02), fibers (p=0.05 ), iron (p=0.0001), zinc (p=0.02), vitamin B9 (p=0.0001), vitamin B1 (p=0.02) vitamin C (p=0.02), calcium (P=0.004). In addition, controls consumed significantly more blue fish, hard cheeses and Olive oil than the patients respectively. Plus the depression was severe, according to the PHQ9 score, plus the intakes were significantly lower in: proteins, carbohydrates, alpha linoleic acid Calcium, consumption of butter and cheese spread, and when depression was certain, according to the HAD, intakes of protein, w3, alpha linoleic acid, corn oil and soybean were low.Conclusions: Our study revealed a very frequent deficit in micro and macronutrients in depressed patients. Some of these deficits, in particular Omega 3, were significantly associated with the severity of depression.