Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY IN WOMEN : A LITERATURE REVIEW

This literature review highlights the current literature on the theories of causes, contributing factors, assessment and diagnosis, comorbid conditions associated with, and current treatments for overweight and obesity. This paper will outline current tools used to assess and identify those who are or are at risk for overweight and obesity. The current gold standard for assessing and diagnosing overweight and obesity is the body mass index (BMI). Current treatment options include lifestyle modification, behavior therapy, pharmacologic treatment, and surgery. The theoretical underpinning for counseling patients about weight issues is the Health Belief Model, will be discussed in Chapter 2. Obesity is a growing epidemic that affects women more often than men. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among women in the United States has reached the point where it is more common than a normal body weight. The combined prevalence of overweight and obesity in women over the age of twenty years is about 51%. Studies have shown that many overweight and obese patients are not counseled to lose weight and are not counseled about the health consequences of obesity and overweight. The recommendation made by the author in this project is that all healthcare providers should assess all women for overweight and obesity using the BMI, and offer appropriate counseling as needed at each patient encounter, regardless of the presenting problem.
Causes of Mortality in Commercial Organic Layers in Denmark

Abstract A longitudinal study investigated the courses of mortality in commercial free-range organic layer flocks in Denmark. In total, 15 organic egg-producing flocks from 11 farms were randomly selected among 80 farms registered in Denmark. Four farms with confined egg production on deep litter were included for comparison. Flock sizes ranged from 2260 to 5940 layers. The flocks were monitored from introduction to the layer farm until slaughter. Flock mortalities ranged from approximately 2% to 91%, with a mean of 20.8% for organic flocks compared with 7% for confined flocks on deep litter. In total, 4608 layers were submitted for postmortem examination, representing >40% of all the dead layers in the investigated flocks. Outbreaks of erysipelas (Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae) and fowl cholera (Pasteurella multocida) were observed in two and three organic flocks, respectively. The mortality rate reached 91% in one organic flock dually affected by erysipelas and fowl cholera. In six organic flocks, outbreaks of blackhead were diagnosed. Concurrent infections of erysipelas and blackhead were diagnosed in one organic flock. Escherichia coli infections in the form of septicemia were identified in all organic flocks. In addition, cannibalism and constipation contributed significantly to the mortality in some organic flocks. In the confined deep litter flocks, E. coli infection, constipation, and cannibalism represented the most common causes of mortality.
El tiempo productivo, reproductivo y de ocio en las parejas de doble ingreso

A pesar de que la incorporacion de la mujer al mundo laboral rompe con el principio mas elemental del male breadwinner model, algunas de sus caracteristicas siguen vigentes. Para abordar con mas detalle esta vigencia, y a partir de la Encuesta de Empleo del Tiempo 2002-2003, el articulo compara el reparto del tiempo cotidiano que tiene lugar en las parejas de doble ingreso y el que tiene lugar en las parejas donde solo trabaja el varon. Esta comparacion permite concluir que, a pesar de que, en las parejas de doble ingreso, los hombres ya no son los unicos breadwinner ni las mujeres las unicas cuidadoras, siguen siendo los principales. Ademas, la aportacion respectiva de unos y otras al trabajo no remunerado y remunerado es muy desigual, una desigualdad que comporta una fuerte diferencia en el tiempo de ocio. Solamente las parejas de doble ingreso de caracteristicas muy concretas han conseguido cierto grado de equidad: parejas jovenes, cohabitantes, sin hijos y que el trabajo de la mujer le aporta cierto poder adquisitivo. El simple cambio en alguna de estas categorias comporta un elevado grado de desigualdad, y es la presencia de hijos en el hogar la caracteristica mas determinante. En el caso concreto de la edad, se destaca que las parejas jovenes son mas igualitarias, no por pertenecer a una generacion que acepta mas facilmente la igualdad, sino por las caracteristicas asociadas a la edad, una conclusion nada esperanzadora de cara a una mayor equidad futura entre hombres y mujeres.
Atomistic study of non-Schmid effects in the plastic yielding of bcc metals

Abstract In this paper we investigate by computer modelling, using many-body central force potentials, the response of the core of ½[111] screw dislocations in bcc transition metals to externally applied stresses. The objective is to identify those components of the applied stress tensor which play the main role in the breakdown of the Schmid law and to establish the dependence of the critical stress needed for dislocation motion upon these stress components. This development lays the ground for constitutive relations that reflect correctly the non-Schmid character of plastic flow in bcc metals that are needed in continuum approaches to plasticity of these materials. First, we investigate the effect of pure shear stress acting parallel to the Burgers vector. This study involves calculation of the critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) for various orientations of the maximum resolved shear stress plane. The results show the dependence on the sense of shearing, exhibit the so-called twinning-antitwinning asymmetry and reveal quantitatively the overall deviation from the Schmid law. The next step is investigation of the effect of tensile and compressive stresses for a number of differently oriented tension or compression axes. These calculations demonstrate that shear stresses parallel to the Burgers vector are not sufficient to explain the variation in the CRSS with the orientation of the loading axis and suggest that other components of the stress tensor are affecting the dislocation behaviour. Finally, a combined effect of the shear stresses parallel and perpendicular to the Burgers vector is investigated. The resultant dependence of the CRSS on the shear stress perpendicular to the Burgers vector explains the orientation dependence found in the tension and compression studies. The present atomistic calculations establish that gliding of the ½[111] screw dislocation in bcc metals depends on shear stresses both parallel and perpendicular to the Burgers vector that act not only in the slip plane but all three {110} and also {112} planes of the [111] zone. The results of these calculations determine the functional dependence of the CRSS on these shear stresses.
Protocol proposal for, and evaluation of, consistency in nicotine delivery from the liquid to the aerosol of electronic cigarettes atomizers: regulatory implications.

AIMS To propose a protocol and evaluate the consistency in nicotine delivery to the aerosol of different types of electronic cigarette (EC) atomizers, as required by regulatory authorities. DESIGN Three cartomizer and four tank-type atomizer products were tested (three samples per product). The aerosol from three 20-puff sessions from each sample was collected using a smoke machine. Three cartridges from a nicotine inhaler and three tobacco cigarettes were also tested. SETTING Analytical laboratory in Greece. MEASUREMENTS Aerosol nicotine levels were measured. Relative standard deviation (RSD, i.e. coefficient of variation) was calculated separately for each cartomizer and replacement atomizer head sample (intrasample RSD) and between different samples (intersample RSD). The percentage difference from the mean, which is used to assess the quality of medicinal nebulizers, was also calculated. FINDINGS The aerosol nicotine levels were 1.01-10.61 mg/20 puffs for ECs, 0.12-0.18 mg/20 puffs for the nicotine inhaler and 1.76-2.20 mg/cigarette for the tobacco cigarettes. The intrasample RSDs were 3.7-12.5% for ECs and 14.3% for the nicotine inhaler and 11.1% for the tobacco cigarettes. The intersample RSDs were higher in cartomizers (range: 6.9-37.8%) compared with tank systems (range: 6.4-9.3%). All tank-type atomizers and one cartomizer were within 75-125% of the mean, as dictated for medicinal nebulizers. CONCLUSIONS Electronic cigarettes that use tank-type atomizers appear to deliver nicotine in more consistent quantities (within the acceptable limits for medicinal nebulizers and similar to the nicotine inhaler) than electronic cigarettes that use cartomizers. The protocol for testing nicotine delivery consistency described in this paper could be used effectively for regulatory purposes.
The Effect of the ApoE ϵ4 Allele on Recognition Memory for Olfactory and Visual Stimuli in Patients with Pathologically Confirmed Alzheimer’s Disease, Probable Alzheimer’s Disease, and Healthy Elderly Controls

Episodic recognition memory for odors, faces, and unfamiliar symbols was assessed in apolipoprotein ϵ4 positive and ϵ4 negative individuals with pathologically-confirmed Alzheimer’s disease (AD), individuals diagnosed with probable AD, and healthy age-and gender-matched controls. The analyses revealed significant differences in performance between the AD patients and nondemented elderly controls based on the presence of the ϵ4 allele and the modality of the stimulus to be remembered. Measures of hits did not discriminate among groups but an analysis of false positive errors revealed significant differences, particularly for olfactory stimuli. Nondemented ϵ4 negative controls committed fewer false positive errors for olfactory stimuli compared to all other groups. In contrast, nondemented ϵ4 positive controls committed false positive errors for olfactory stimuli at rates similar to the AD patients. The performance of ϵ4 positive and ϵ4 negative controls was indistinguishable on the visual recognition memory tasks suggesting the particular vulnerability of olfactory memory to the early neuropathology of AD resulting in false positive errors in recognition memory for olfactory stimuli. The results of the present study offer new insight into how recognition memory is affected by AD, the ϵ4 allele, and the modality of the stimulus to be remembered.
Influence of Antisocial Personality Subtypes on Drug Abuse Treatment Response

This methodological study examined the impact of antisocial personality disorder (APD) and other psychiatric comorbidity on drug use and treatment retention in 513 new admissions to methadone maintenance treatment. Patients were classified into one of four groups: APD ONLY, APD plus other psychiatric disorder (APD MIXED), other psychiatric disorder, and no psychiatric disorder. Patients completed research assessments and were then followed for 1 year of treatment. Patients with APD had longer histories of heroin and cocaine use than non-APD patients and were more likely to meet criteria for cocaine dependence. Distinct clinical profiles emerged that differentiated APD ONLY from APD MIXED. APD ONLY patients exhibited higher rates of cocaine and heroin use, whereas those with APD MIXED exhibited higher rates of benzodiazepine use. Self-report measures supported urinalysis results, but group differences did not affect treatment retention. These differences in clinical profiles should be considered when evaluating treatment performance in substance abusers with APD.
Redox Signaling in Cardiac Physiology and Pathology

Redox signaling refers to the specific and usually reversible oxidation/reduction modification of molecules involved in cellular signaling pathways. In the heart, redox signaling regulates several physiological processes (eg, excitation-contraction coupling) and is involved in a wide variety of pathophysiological and homoeostatic or stress response pathways. Reactive oxygen species involved in cardiac redox signaling may derive from many sources, but NADPH oxidases, as dedicated sources of signaling reactive oxygen species, seem to be especially important. An increasing number of specific posttranslational oxidative modifications involved in cardiac redox signaling are being defined, along with the reactive oxygen species sources that are involved. Here, we review current knowledge on the molecular targets of signaling reactive oxygen species in cardiac cells and their involvement in cardiac physiopathology. Advances in this field may allow the development of targeted therapeutic strategies for conditions such as heart failure as opposed to the general antioxidant approaches that have failed to date.
A multi-agent and distributed ruler based approach to production scheduling of agile manufacturing systems

A multi-agent and distributed ruler based approach to production scheduling in agile manufacturing systems is proposed in this paper. Considering special and complex requirements of the agile manufacturing, a function-based decomposition method is suggested to fulfil the agent-based system modelling process, where a real industrial system can be turned into a multi-agent system (MAS). Three classes of agents are defined, which populate the production-scheduling environment: Management agents, resource agents and part agents. All these agents are arranged on the heterarchical framework. Consequently, with the distribution of agents, the complicated scheduling problem is divided into several sub-problems, such as the self-supporting and decision-making of each agent for the local near-optimal schedule and the cooperating or coordinating between agents for system global performance. A ruler-based decision making mechanism is proposed to ensure orderly agent running, and the ability to respond to customer's needs or environmental changes rapidly. Meanwhile the heterarchical MAS architecture offers regroup capabilities that support those rulers to be reconfigured and reused flexibly. Case studies illustrate the feasibility and efficiency of the approach.
CSF serotonin metabolite (5-HIAA) studies in depression, impulsivity, and violence.

A neuroanatomical central nervous system (CNS) mechanism for the expression of emotions and behaviors in animals has now been proposed for over 50 years. More specifically, alterations in CNS serotonin associated with aggressive behavior in certain animal models have been among the most frequent, reliable, and replicable findings. Because alterations in CNS monoamines, i.e., catechols and indols, have been related to hypotheses for affective disorders and associated with both suicidal and aggressive behaviors, human clinical implications have emerged. The original studies, which reported an association between low cerebrospinal fluid 5-hydroxyindole-acetic acid concentration and impulsive, destructive behaviors, particularly where aggression and violence are involved, have now been replicated rather consistently in a number of countries and cultures.
In Vino Veritas: Alcohol and Heart Disease

Numerous epidemiological studies, numbering nearly 100, have documented an inverse association between alcohol consumption and vascular risk. The preponderance of evidence supports an independent beneficial effect of mild-to-moderate alcoholic beverage consumption on risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). However, it is important to remember that observational data cannot prove causation; unmeasured or incompletely controlled confounding factors cannot be excluded. That said, most authorities now attribute a causal role to the relationship: moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of CHD, and current research centers on the mechanistic underpinnings and whether patterns of drinking are important. Here, I review the association between alcohol use and CHD risk, explore putative mechanisms, and make recommendations.
Egress from Host Cells Prison Break: Pathogens' Strategies To

Summary: A wide spectrum of pathogenic bacteria and protozoa has adapted to an intracellular life-style, which presents several advantages, including accessibility to host cell metabolites and protection from the host immune system. Intracellular pathogens have developed strategies to enter and exit their host cells while optimizing survival and replication, progression through the life cycle, and transmission. Over the last decades, research has focused primarily on entry, while the exit process has suffered from neglect. However, pathogen exit is of fundamental importance because of its intimate association with dissemination, transmission, and inflammation. Hence, to fully understand virulence mechanisms of intracellular pathogens at cellular and systemic levels, it is essential to consider exit mechanisms to be a key step in infection. Exit from the host cell was initially viewed as a passive process, driven mainly by physical stress as a consequence of the explosive replication of the pathogen. It is now recognized as a complex, strategic process termed "egress," which is just as well orchestrated and temporally [. ] FRIEDRICH, Nikolas, et al. Prison break: pathogens' strategies to egress from host cells. Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, 2012, vol. 76, no. 4, p. 707-20 DOI : 10.1128/MMBR.00024-12
When Self-Interest and Age Stereotypes Collide: Elders Opposing Increased Funds for Programs Benefiting Themselves

Abstract Elders tend to be portrayed by the media as selfishly promoting programs that benefit the old. We predicted, however, that older individuals who choose positive stereotypes about the young over positive stereotypes about the old would oppose an increase in spending on these programs. By analyzing the responses of 1656 individuals, we found: (1) older participants were more likely than younger participants to oppose increased funding of Social Security, Meals on Wheels, and Medicare; and (2) this opposition to increased funding for Social Security and Meals on Wheels was predicted by a stereotype of aging based on a more favorable perception of the capabilities of the young than of the old. Our findings suggest that elders' evaluation of programs that benefit their age group may be more influenced by stereotypes internalized decades earlier than by their current group interests.
Randomized phase III study of gemcitabine plus S-1 (GS) versus S-1 versus gemcitabine (GEM) in unresectable advanced pancreatic cancer (PC) in Japan and Taiwan: GEST study.

4007 Background: S-1, an oral fluoropyrimidine, is one of the key drugs for PC in Japan. Phase II studies of S-1 alone as well as those of GS have shown high efficacy against the tumor as the first-line treatment of metastatic PC. METHODS The GEST study was a randomized, prospective, open-label, 3-arm, phase III study. Chemotherapy-naive patients with unresectable advanced PC, an ECOG PS of 0-1, with adequate organ functions were randomly assigned to receive GEM (1000 mg/m2, iv, d1, 8 and 15, q4w), S-1 (80/100/120 mg/day based on BSA, po, d1-28, q6w) or GS (GEM 1000 mg/m2, iv, d1 and 8 plus S-1 60/80/100 mg/day based on BSA po, d1-14, q3w). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS) to assess the non-inferiority of S-1 alone and the superiority of GS to GEM, with a 90% power and a 1-sided alpha value of 0.0125 for each multiplicity-adjusted comparison. Secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), response rate (RR), safety, and quality of life (EQ-5D). RESULTS A total of 834 patients were enrolled from July 2007 to October 2009. We conducted this analysis after confirming over 680 events as expected. Demographic factors were well balanced. S-1 was confirmed to be non-inferior to GEM with respect to OS. There was no significant difference in OS between GEM and GS, while PFS differed significantly between these arms. (4.1M/5.7M, p value<0.0001) RR was 13.3%, 21.0%, and 29.3% in GEM, S-1, and GS respectively. Grade 3/4 toxicities (%) in GEM/S-1/GS were neutropenia 41.0/8.8/62.2, thrombocytopenia 11.0/1.5/17.2, anorexia 7.3/11.4/9.4, diarrhea 1.1/5.5/4.5. EQ-5D QOL score in S-1 was similar to GEM (p value=0.67), and that in GS was significantly better than that in GEM (p value=0.003). CONCLUSIONS Without compromising QOL, oral S-1 provided similar efficacy and tolerable toxicity to GEM as the first-line treatment for PC. Our results suggested that GS contribute better QOL than GEM. Further clinical investigation might be needed to ensure the efficacy of GS. [Table: see text].
Interleukin-1beta stimulates the production of extracellular matrix in cultured human peritoneal mesothelial cells.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) on the production of extracellular matrix in cultured human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs). DESIGN Cultured HPMCs were treated with or without IL-1beta. Cell morphology was observed. The expression of fibronectin, alpha1(I) procollagen, and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGFbeta1) mRNAs was measured by Northern blot analysis. The cell surface expression of fibronectin and type I collagen was evaluated by immunofluorescent staining. Fibronectin and type I collagen in culture supernatant were measured by inhibition ELISA. RESULTS Interleukin-1beta induced morphologic change in HPMCs from a cuboidal epithelioid shape into an elongated fibroblastoid shape. The elongated cells were positive for cytokeratin although they had a fibroblastoid appearance. Treatment of HPMCs with IL-1beta resulted in increased expression of both fibronectin and alpha1(I) pro-collagen mRNA in dose- and time-dependent manners. Immunofluorescent staining showed strong and diffuse cytoplasmic expression of fibronectin and type I collagen in the cells treated with IL-1beta, whereas only weak perinuclear cytoplasmic staining was noted in the cells on media alone. The concentrations of secreted fibronectin and type I collagen in culture supernatant were significantly higher in the cells treated with IL-1beta than in the control cells. IL-1beta also stimulated the expression of TGFbeta1 mRNA. However, IL-1beta-induced fibronectin mRNA expression was only partially blocked by neutralizing anti-TGFbeta antibody. CONCLUSION Interleukin-1beta stimulated the production of extracellular matrix in cultured HPMCs along with the induction of morphologic changes. This may play a role in the development of peritoneal fibrosis caused by peritonitis or bioincompatible dialysate in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients.