Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome: a Double Blind Placebo-controlled Randomized Trial.

AIM to evaluate potential improvement effect for probiotic E. coliNissle 1917 in the management of refractory IBS in an Iranian population. METHODS a double blind placebo controlled approach has been used in the current clinical trial. 139 confirmed IBS patients were included into the study, and were given probiotic E.coli Nissle 1917 for 6 weeks. 11 items Birmingham IBS Symptom Questionnairehas been used for evaluation of changes in the symptoms every 2 weeks. RESULTS sixty eight subjects (49%) were males. Mean±SD age of the participants was 38±13.3 years. 49(35.3%) of the patients were diarrhea-predominant. The total scores showed no significant difference between the intervention vs. control group(-6.7±6.8 vs. -6.7±6.5, respectively; p=0.95); neither did any of the questionnaire items any significant alterations in the two groups. After stratification of patients based on their IBS type, diarrhea-predominant patients showed a positive response to the probiotic improving their sleep (p=0.05 and 0.03 at weeks 2 and 6, respectively). Patients with constipation-predominant IBS showed no response to the probiotic; while patients with diarrhea-constipation mixed IBS showed unfavorable response to the probiotic in the need for strain to pass a motion compared to the placebo (p=0.03 and 0.02 at weeks 4 and 6, respectively). CONCLUSION probiotic therapy with E.coli Nissle 1917 was not able to induce significant improvement in the symptoms of patients with non-categorized IBS. Nevertheless, when IBS patients were recategorized to subgroups according to their main symptoms, evaluation of the efficacy of the probiotic on some individual items in the symptom list reached the significance level. Prospective clinical trials are recommended to confirm our findings.
Self-Organized Cooperation Policy Setting in P2P Systems Based on Reinforcement Learning

In this paper, we have developed a self-organized approach to cooperation policy setting in a system of rational peers that have only partial views of the whole system in order to improve the overall welfare as a system-wide performance metric. The proposed approach is based on distributed reinforcement learning and sets cooperation policies of the peers through their self-organized interactions. We have analyzed this approach to demonstrate that it results in Pareto optimality in the system by disseminating the local value functions of the peers among the neighbors. We have also experimentally verified that this approach outperforms the other commonly used approaches in the literature, in terms of the performance of the system.
Repeatability of the KT-1000 arthrometer in a normal population

Despite its popularity, the MEDmetric KT-1000 arthro meter's reliability remains inadequately documented. We conducted this study to determine the magnitude of trial-to-trial (within installation), installation-to-instal lation (within day), and day-to-day (between day) vari ability of anterior/posterior translation measurements in normal knees. We selected six normal subjects, three males and three females, and tested each on 6 consecutive days with three separate installations per day. We recorded the total anterior/posterior translation at ±89 and ±134 N force at 25° of flexion during three consecutive trials in a single installation. Analysis of variance showed that no significant differ ence existed between trials (within installation) or be tween installations (within day) for all parameters. How ever, we did find a significant difference between days for individual right and left knee translation measure ments at 89 and 134 N force. More importantly, no significant difference existed between days for right to left differences at both force levels. The magnitude of the expected measurement varia bility was expressed by computing 90% confidence limits for total anterior/posterior translation at ±89 N force. These were ±1.5 mm for the right knees, ±1.4 mm for the left knees, and ±1.6 mm for the right-left differences. Fischer's protected least significant differ ence post hoc test revealed that for all parameters, the 1 st day measurements were significantly less than those on following days, suggesting that patient and examiner adjust to the testing procedure. We conclude that the standard KT-1000 evaluation should report paired differences rather than individual knee measurements. Additionally, initial evaluation should be supplemented by follow-up examinations for verifying translation values.
The Effects of a Walking Exercise Program on Fatigue in the Person with COPD

PURPOSE The aim of the study was to assess the effect of a walking exercise program, three times a week for 8 weeks, on fatigue in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). DESIGN This study was a randomized controlled trial. METHODS Walking exercise was applied to the intervention group three times a week for 8 weeks; no exercise was applied to the control group. FINDINGS No difference was seen between the points of pretest fatigue of the intervention and control groups (t = -0.788, p = .434). However, according to the posttest, the intervention group's point of fatigue was lower than the control groups, and this difference was statistically significant (t = -3.924, p = .001). CONCLUSION It was found that a walking exercise program applied to patients with COPD affected the fatigue symptom positively. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Walking exercises programme can be used by nurses as a reference to monitor chronic obstructive pulmoner disease patients' health status.
Hydrophilic Extracts of the Bark from Six Pinus Species

1) Pine barks are important biomass resources because they are utilised in the production of pine wood and rosins. However, no chemical study has been conducted on the hydrophilic status of pine barks in Indonesia. This aim of this study is to explore the hydrophilic extracts of the barks from six Pinus species (P. elliotii, P. caribeae, P. oocarpa, P. merkusii P. montezumae, and P. insularis). The hydrophilics of pine barks were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The presence of polyphenol contents in the ethanol extracts obtained from the barks of six Pinus species was determined using the tannin-formaldehyde method, Folin-Cioucalteu assay, and vanillin-HCl assay. The ethanol and hot water soluble extractives derived from inner barks were higher in quantity when compared to those derived from the outer bark samples. The polyphenol measurement showed that the highest value of total phenol content was derived from the outer bark of P. montezumae whereas those of the total phenol and tanninformaldehyde contents were derived from the inner and outer barks of P. oocarpa. GC-MS analysis revealed that nitrogenous compounds are dominant constituents in the inner and outer barks of the six species, followed by sugars and monophenolics, respectively.
Relationship between the parameters of retinal circulation measured by laser Doppler velocimetry and a marker of early systemic atherosclerosis.

PURPOSE To examine the relation between intima-media thickness (IMT) in the common carotid artery, which is generally recognized as a marker of early atherosclerosis, and retinal circulatory parameters. METHODS The vessel diameter and blood velocity of retinal arterioles were measured with laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) in 33 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), because they were thought to have general atherosclerosis. The retinal blood flow (RBF) and wall shear rate (WSR), an index of wall shear stress in retinal vessels, were calculated from the two parameters. The carotid IMT was evaluated with B-mode ultrasonography. RESULTS The patients were divided into two groups: those with an IMT >0.70 mm and those with an IMT < or =0.70 mm. The blood velocity, WSR, and upstroke time in the retinal arterioles were significantly higher in the group with an IMT >0.70 mm compared with the group with an IMT < or =0.70 mm. There were no significant differences in vessel diameter and RBF between the groups. Positive correlations were found between the carotid IMT and blood velocity (r = 0.51, P = 0.002) and WSR (r = 0.60, P = 0.0001). Multiple regression analysis showed that the retinal WSR and blood velocity correlated independently with the IMT in patients with CAD. CONCLUSIONS The present findings from this pilot study suggest that the retinal circulatory parameters measured by LDV may be associated with systemic atherosclerosis. These results support recent studies showing an association between retinal microvascular changes and cardiovascular disease.
The Information Revolution and Small Business Lending: The Missing Evidence

This paper provides empirical confirmation for Petersen and Rajan’s (J Finance 57:2533–2570, 2002) widely accepted conjecture that information technology was the primary driver of the observed increase in small business borrower-lender distances in the U.S. in recent years. Using a different data source for small business loans, we show that annual increases in borrower-lender distances were slow and steady prior to 1993 (the end point in Petersen and Rajan’s data) but accelerated rapidly after that. Importantly, we are able to assign at least half of this acceleration to the adoption of credit scoring technologies by the lending banks. Our tests also reveal strong statistical associations between lending distances and borrower characteristics, lender characteristics, market conditions, regulatory constraints, moral hazard incentives, and principal-agent incentives.
Differential and Age‐Dependent Effects of Maternal Deprivation on the Hypothalamic‐Pituitary‐Adrenal Axis of Brown Norway Rats from Youth to Senescence

In this study, the hypothesis was tested that infants deprived from maternal care show persistent changes in hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal activity. For this purpose, we studied the effect of maternal deprivation in one cohort of the healthy ageing Brown Norway rat strain showing still more than 80% survival rate at 32 months of age. Three‐day‐old male Brown Norway rats were either maternally deprived for 24 h or remained with the dam. In 3, 12 and 30–32 months (young, adult, senescent) deprived rats and their nondeprived littermates (controls), we determined basal resting and stress‐induced plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone as well as corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA expression in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. Mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) in hippocampus and PVN were also assessed using in vitro cytosol binding and in situ hybridization. The effect of ageing per se showed that in the control nondeprived Brown Norway rats, basal corticosterone and ACTH concentrations did not change during life. However, with age, the corticosterone response to novelty stress became progressively attenuated, but prolonged, while there was an age‐related increase in the ACTH response. CRH mRNA expression in PVN decreased with age. Hippocampal MR binding and MR mRNA expression in the dentate gyrus were reduced at senescence, as were the GR binding capacities in hippocampus and hypothalamus. Maternal deprivation did not affect survival rate, body weight, nor adrenal weight of the ageing Brown Norway rats. Basal corticosterone and ACTH levels were not affected by deprivation, except for a rise in basal corticosterone concentrations at 3 months. At this age, the corticosterone output in response to novelty was attenuated in the deprived rats. In contrast, a striking surge in novelty stress‐induced corticosterone output occurred at midlife while, at senescence, the corticosterone and ACTH responses were attenuated again in the deprived animals, particularly after the more severe restraint stressor. CRH mRNA expression was reduced only during adulthood in the deprived animals. After maternal deprivation, the MR mRNA in dentate gyrus showed a transient midlife rise. GR binding in hypothalamus and hippocampus GR binding was reduced in young rats while, in the senescent deprived animals, a reduced GRmRNA expression was observed in PVN and hippocampal CA1. In conclusion, in the Brown Norway rat, ageing causes a progressive decline in corticosterone output after stress, which is paralleled at senescence by decreased MR and GR mRNA expression in hippocampus and hypothalamus. The long‐term effects of maternal deprivation become manifest differently at different ages and depend on test conditions. The deprivation effect culminates in a midlife corticosterone surge and results at senescence in a strongly reduced corticosterone output.
Dryland continental mudstones: Deciphering environmental changes in problematic mudstones from the Upper Triassic (Carnian to Norian) Mercia Mudstone Group, south‐west Britain

The sedimentology, petrography and mineralogy of the seemingly monotonous Late Triassic Mercia Mudstone Group across the Severn Basin and Bristol Channel region reveals a bipartite division of mudrock facies above and below the Arden Sandstone Formation. Frequently cryptic sedimentary and pedogenic features reveal diverse alluvial, aeolian, playa‐lacustrine and pedogenic processes operating at different times, locations and scales probably in response to climate change. The current study found no evidence of significant marine influence in either of the two mudrock facies associations that are described here. Blocky claystones dominate the lower Mercia Mudstone Group (Sidmouth Mudstone Formation), with pedogenic features such as slickensides, mottling, tubules and carbonate/sulphate nodules common and widespread. The claystones are of alluvial/lacustrine origin with subordinate sheet sandstones, themselves overprinted by pedogenic features, reflecting occasional high intensity rainfall events. These facies reflect a seasonal (wet/dry) semi‐arid climate favouring development of transformed/neoformed (smectite‐rich) clay minerals of intrabasinal origin. Massive to weakly stratified silty mudstones dominate the upper Mercia Mudstone Group (Branscombe Mudstone Formation). Commonly conchoidally weathered, locally gypsiferous, but with distinct sedimentary structures scarce, they alternate with subordinate blue‐grey laminated silty mudstones. Together they reflect fluctuating hydrological conditions within extensive saline mudflats and ephemeral playa lakes, with laminated facies deposited under subaqueous conditions during more humid phases whereas massive mudstones reflect modification through interstitial growth/dissolution of sulphates and deflation of surface sediments during drier episodes. These facies reflect increased aridity during deposition of the upper Mercia Mudstone Group compared with the lower Mercia Mudstone Group, favouring development of detrital/transformed (illite–chlorite) clay minerals of extrabasinal origin. The described facies associations and the sedimentary fabrics and structures that characterize them, occur widely in the Mercia Mudstone Group across the United Kingdom and comparable facies associations may be anticipated in other fine‐grained red bed successions. Recognition of these facies may aid palaeoenvironmental interpretation of such sequences on Earth and, potentially, on Mars also.
Complications and Costs Associated with Initiation of Anti-coagulation Therapy Using Warfarin--An Observation Study

: To evaluate the safety and cost of anticoagulation therapy in patients newly initiated on warfarin in two institutions in Singapore. All patients newly started on warfarin between December 2011 and May 2012 were recruited and followed up for a period of 6 months. All hospitalization attributed to complications of warfarin therapy, number of INR (international normalized ratio) greater than 4 and total cost of warfarin therapy were collected and analysed. A total of 321 patients were newly initiated on warfarin for standard indications were recruited. At the end of 6 month period, 8.4% of patients were hospitalized for complication related to warfarin therapy. For patients who had stable INR while on warfarin, this rate was almost 2 times lower (3.8% vs 8.4%). In our study group, patients started on warfarin as inpatients had higher rates of bleeding (15.1% vs 6.7%) and more INRs greater than 4 (0.7 per patient vs 0.11 per patient). The cost of initating warfarin was USD660 over the first 6 months of therapy. Patients newly initiated on warfarin were at a heightened risk of bleeding complications as compared to patients already stable on warfarin therapy. This also translates to considerable costs of warfarin initiation.
High avidity chimeric monoclonal antibodies against the extracellular domains of human aquaporin‐4 competing with the neuromyelitis optica autoantibody, NMO‐IgG

Most of the cases of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) are characterized by the presence of an autoantibody, NMO‐IgG, which recognizes the extracellular domains of the water channel, aquaporin‐4. Binding of NMO‐IgG to aquaporin‐4 expressed in end‐feet of astrocytes leads to complement‐dependent disruption of astrocytes followed by demyelination. One therapeutic option for NMO is to prevent the binding of NMO‐IgG to aquaporin‐4, using high‐avidity, non‐pathogenic–chimeric, monoclonal antibodies to this water channel. We describe here the development of such antibodies.
Treatment of Fibromyalgia Syndrome Using Low-Intensity Neurofeedback with the Flexyx Neurotherapy System: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

SUMMARY Background. Treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) remains a clinical challenge. Pain, somatic and cognitive symptoms may be due to neurosensitization involving CNS-activated autonomic and musculoskeletal reactions, associated with EEG abnormalities that may respond to brainwave-based stimulation biofeedback. This study's objective was to examine the efficacy and safety of a novel EEG neurobiofeedback treatment, the Flexyx Neurotherapy System® (FNS), and electrophysiological responses in persons with fibromyalgia. Methods. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted in two private practices: a free-standing neurobiofeedback center and a rheumatologist's office at an academic medical center. Sixty-four participants with FMS (American College of Rheumatology criteria; Wolfe et al., 1990) for at least three years and symptoms for at least 48 months with no recent remission were randomized to treatment. A total of 22 treatment sessions were administered over at least .
Pharmacokinetic modeling of gentamicin in treatment of infective endocarditis: Model development and validation of existing models

Gentamicin shows large variations in half-life and volume of distribution (Vd) within and between individuals. Thus, monitoring and accurately predicting serum levels are required to optimize effectiveness and minimize toxicity. Currently, two population pharmacokinetic models are applied for predicting gentamicin doses in adults. For endocarditis patients the optimal model is unknown. We aimed at: 1) creating an optimal model for endocarditis patients; and 2) assessing whether the endocarditis and existing models can accurately predict serum levels. We performed a retrospective observational two-cohort study: one cohort to parameterize the endocarditis model by iterative two-stage Bayesian analysis, and a second cohort to validate and compare all three models. The Akaike Information Criterion and the weighted sum of squares of the residuals divided by the degrees of freedom were used to select the endocarditis model. Median Prediction Error (MDPE) and Median Absolute Prediction Error (MDAPE) were used to test all models with the validation dataset. We built the endocarditis model based on data from the modeling cohort (65 patients) with a fixed 0.277 L/h/70kg metabolic clearance, 0.698 (±0.358) renal clearance as fraction of creatinine clearance, and Vd 0.312 (±0.076) L/kg corrected lean body mass. External validation with data from 14 validation cohort patients showed a similar predictive power of the endocarditis model (MDPE -1.77%, MDAPE 4.68%) as compared to the intensive-care (MDPE -1.33%, MDAPE 4.37%) and standard (MDPE -0.90%, MDAPE 4.82%) models. All models acceptably predicted pharmacokinetic parameters for gentamicin in endocarditis patients. However, these patients appear to have an increased Vd, similar to intensive care patients. Vd mainly determines the height of peak serum levels, which in turn correlate with bactericidal activity. In order to maintain simplicity, we advise to use the existing intensive-care model in clinical practice to avoid potential underdosing of gentamicin in endocarditis patients.
Cost-Effective Build Outcome Prediction Using Cascaded Classifiers

Software developers use continuous integration to find defects in the early stage and reduce risk. But this process can be resource and time consuming, which decreases the efficiency of development. In this work, we adopt cascaded classifiers to predict the build outcome and study what kinds of attributes are potentially useful for this process. We emphasize on the "failed" instances which bring more cost. Our experiments reveal that our approach outperforms other commonly used classifiers. It reduces 51.7% of the waiting time and server workload while identifying 85.2% of the defective builds.
Correlation Between Dental Caries And Salivary Albumin In Adult Population In Chennai: An In Vivo Study

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between dental caries and levels of salivary albumin in unstimulated saliva of adults between the age group of 18 and 40 years from Chennai with varying caries experience as determined by their Decayed Missing Filled Teeth (DMFT) scores. Material and Methods: The study was conducted on 60 healthy adult subjects with age group between 18 and 40 years. The healthy subjects without any chronic diseases, gingival or periodontal problems were selected. The patients were divided into four groups according to DMFT status as Group 1, DMFT 0; Group2, DMFT 1‑5; Group 3, DMFT 6‑10; and Group 4, as DMFT above 10. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected from each subjects and the salivary albumin levels were estimated using the bromocresol green method (albumin colorimetric test). The obtained data was statistically analysed using one‑way ANOVA and Tukey`s Honestly Significant Difference test. Results: The mean salivary albumin levels for the groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 were . 086 ± . 009 mg/ml, . 083 ±. 006 mg/ml, . 070 ± . 008 mg/ml and . 056 ±. 009 mg/ml respectively. There was an increase in incidence of caries with decrease in salivary albumin level. There was a statistically significant difference among the groups except group 1 and 2. Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between the salivary albumin level and the incidence of dental caries. An increase in incidence of caries with decrease in salivary albumin levels was seen suggestive of its importance in maintenance of tooth integrity.KeywordsCaries; Caries incidence; Dental caries; Salivary albumin; Salivary protein. KeywordsCaries; Caries incidence; Dental caries; Salivary albumin; Salivary protein.