Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A belief rule-based expert system to diagnose influenza

Influenza is a viral disease that usually affects the nose, throat, bronchi, and seldom lungs. This disease spreads as seasonal epidemics around the world, with an annual attack rate of estimated at 5%-10% in adults and 20%-30% in children. Thus, influenza is regarded as one of the critical health hazards of the world. Early diagnosis (consisting of determination of signs and symptoms) of this disease can lessen its severity significantly. Examples of signs and symptoms of this disease consist of cough, fever, headache, bireme, nasal congestion, nasal polyps and sinusitis. These signs and symptoms cannot be measured with near-100% certainty due to varying degrees of uncertainties such as vagueness, imprecision, randomness, ignorance, and incompleteness. Consequently, traditional diagnosis, carried out by a physician, is unable to deliver desired accuracy. Hence, this paper presents the design, development and application of an expert system to diagnose influenza under uncertainty. The recently developed generic belief rule-based inference methodology by using the evidential reasoning (RIMER) approach is employed to develop this expert system, termed as Belief Rule Based Expert System (BRBES). The RIMER approach can handle different types of uncertainties, both in knowledge representation, and in inference procedures. The knowledge-base of this system was constructed by using records of the real patient data along with in consultation with the Influenza specialists of Bangladesh. Practical case studies were used to validate the BRBES. The system generated results are effective and reliable than from manual system in terms of accuracy.
Altered Mucin and Glycoprotein Expression in Dry Eye Disease

Purpose Mucins are among the many important constituents of a healthy tear film. Mucins secreted and/or associated with conjunctival goblet cells, ocular mucosal epithelial cells, and the lacrimal gland must work together to create a stable tear film. Although many studies have explored the mechanism(s) whereby mucins maintain and protect the ocular surface, the effects of dry eye on the structure and function of ocular mucins are unclear. Here, we summarize current findings regarding ocular mucins and how they are altered in dry eye. Methods We performed a literature review of studies exploring the expression of mucins produced and/or associated with tissues that comprise the lacrimal functional unit and how they are altered in dry eye. We also summarize new insights on the immune-mediated effects of aqueous tear deficiency on ocular surface mucins that we discovered using a mouse model of dry eye. Results Although consistent decreases in MUC5AC and altered expression of membrane-bound mucins have been noted in both Sjögren and non-Sjögren dry eye, many reports of altered mucins in dry eye are contradictory. Mechanistic studies, including our own, suggest that changes in the glycosylation of mucins rather than the proteins themselves may occur as the direct result of local inflammation induced by proinflammatory mediators, such as interleukin-1. Conclusions Altered expression of ocular mucins in dry eye varies considerably from study to study, likely attributed to inherent difficulties in analyzing small-volume tear samples, as well as differences in tear collection methods and disease severity in dry eye cohorts. To better define the functional role of ocular mucin glycosylation in the pathogenesis of dry eye disease, we propose genomic and proteomic studies along with biological pathway analysis to reveal novel avenues for exploration.
Application of Bacteriocins in Food Preservation and Safety

Recent developments in the application of bacteriocin-producing bacteria to preserve food and maintain its safety are reviewed. The aim is to create a comprehensive compilation of advances in the applications of bacteriocins or the bacteria that produce them. Bacteria reviewed possess genetic mechanisms to produce, modify and export bacteriocins as well as genetic mechanisms to avoid self destruction by the bacteriocins produced. The actual role of these mechanisms in nature remains unclear. It is hypothesized that there is competitive advantage over bacteria that do not produce bacteriocins, but this has not been convincingly demonstrated. Nevertheless food grade bacteria possessing these mechanisms have been used in food to improve safety and extend shelf life. Driven by increasing consumer demand for more natural yet safer food, research on bacteriocins has yielded several bacteriocins and innovated commercial applications for them. Success in bacteriocin research has initiated commercial, regulatory and consumer acceptance similar or in some cases superior to that of chemical food preservatives currently in use.
Metformin in normal-weight hirsute women with polycystic ovary syndrome with normal insulin sensitivity

Fifteen normal-weight (body mass index (BMI) 21.50 ± 1.65 kg/m2) hirsute women with polycystic ovary syndrome and normal insulin sensitivity were treated with 850 mg metformin orally, three times daily, for 4 months. Before and at the end of the treatment, clinical data as well as serum concentrations of sex steroid hormones, gonadotropins, fasting plasma glucose and insulin, insulin resistance – homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR), carbohydrate tolerance and the area under the curve for insulin (AUCinsulin) were analyzed. Three patients withdrew from the study. Seven of the remaining 12 patients presented menstrual pattern improvement, followed by ovulatory cycles at the end of the treatment period. There were no changes in BMI and hirsutism score. A significant (p < 0.05) decrease in luteinizing hormone (LH) (from 8.18 ± 4.34 to 5.05 ± 1.53 IU/ml), testosterone (from 104.66 ± 27.54 to 82.00 ± 23.05 ng/dl), fasting insulin (from 9.66 ± 4.79 to 7.83 ± 3.06 µIU/ml), AUCinsulin (from 9239 ± 3285 to 7660 ± 2565 µUI/ml × min) and HOMA-IR (from 2.15 ± 1.2 to 1.67 ± 0.74), and a significant increase in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (from 4.05 ± 1.53 to 5.96 ± 2.13 IU/ml), were observed at the end of the treatment period. A higher LH and a lower FSH predicted clinical improvement, while basal insulin and AUCinsulin showed lower predictive value.
A Comparative Study of the Antibacterial Activity of Piliostigma reticulatum Bark Extract with Some Antibiotics

Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Piliostigma reticulatum, a herb widely used for the treatment of diarrhea in southwest Nigeria, was challenged with clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The ethanol extract exhibited the highest activity against the test organisms with zones of inhibition ranging from 16.0 – 20.0 mm, followed by the hot aqueous extract and the cold aqueous extracts, with zones of inhibition ranging between 8.0 – 10.0 mm and 4.0 – 7.0 mm respectively. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) ranged between 0.025 – 0.25% w/v and photochemical analysis showed that the plant possesses saponins, tanins, phenolics, phlobatinins and glycosides. A comparative analysis of the extract with some conventional antibiotics namely; Chloramphenicol, Ampicillin and Tetracycline showed that there was significant difference in the antibacterial activity of the bark extract and the antibiotic standard (P<0.05).
Haemosporidian Blood Parasites in European Birds of Prey and Owls

Avian blood parasites have been intensively studied using morphological methods with limited information on their host specificity and species taxonomic status. Now the analysis of gene sequences, especially the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of the avian haemosporidian species of Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon, offers a new tool to review the parasite specificity and status. By comparing morphological and genetic techniques, we observed nearly the same overall prevalence of haemosporidian parasites by microscopy (19.8%) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (21.8%) analyses. However, in contrast to the single valid Leucocytozoon species (L. toddi) in the Falconiformes we detected 4 clearly distinctive strains by PCR screening. In the Strigiformes, where the only valid Leucocytozoon species is L. danilewskyi, we detected 3 genetically different strains of Leucocytozoon spp. Two strains of Haemoproteus spp. were detected in the birds of prey and owls examined, whereas the strain found in the tawny owl belonged to the morphospecies Haemoproteus noctuae. Three Plasmodium spp. strains that had already been found in Passeriformes were also detected in the birds of prey and owls examined here, supporting previous findings indicating a broad and nonspecific host spectrum bridging different bird orders.
Serum Lipid Profile in Iraqi patients with Breast Cancer

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is a type of cancer originating from breast tissue, Lipid profile seems to influence the development of female breast cancer, especially in the presence of an increased body mass index so.Objective: to explore the status of lipid profile in women with breast cancer.Subjects and methods: the present study is a cross-sectional study (2010/2011) done at Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital. Includes measurement of LP in sera of postmenapausal newly diagnosed women with BC in comparison with healthy control women. This measurement was done using colorimetric method. In The results of this study include a total of 100 patients with BC were involved in this study, they were classified as newly diagnosed postmenopausal women with BC G1: (n=100); together with 100 healthy Postmenopausal women as a control group G2: (n=100). Results: Serum LP was significantly altered in newly diagnosed BC groups whom receive no therapy (G1) [P < 0.001] when compared with control group (G2): this alteration was in term of significant increment in TC, TG, LDL and VLDL accompanied by elevation of HDL which was significant [P < 0.05]Conclusion: level of LP was significantly elevated in BC group suggesting atherosclerosis.
Steroid-Induced Iatrogenic Glaucoma

Steroids in susceptible individuals can cause a clinical condition similar to primary open-angle glaucoma. Five percent of the population are high steroid responders and develop an intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation of more than 15 mm Hg above baseline. IOP elevation may occur as early as 1 day to as late as 12 weeks after intravitreal triamcinolone in 20–65% of patients. On average, 75% of eyes with steroid implants require IOP-lowering therapy at some point within 3 years of follow-up. The exact mechanism of steroid-induced glaucoma is not totally understood, but decreased trabecular meshwork outflow is regarded as the main cause of IOP elevation. High-risk patients who receive steroids should be monitored closely and if they develop elevated IOP, steroids with lower potency or steroid-sparing agents should be used. The IOP usually returns to normal within 2–4 weeks after stopping the steroid. About 1–5% of patients do not respond to medical therapy and need surgery. Trabeculectomy, trabeculotomy, shunt surgery, and cyclodestructive procedures are among the methods employed. Removal of residual sub-Tenon or intravitreal steroids may help hasten the resolution of the steroid response. Early results with anecortave acetate, an analog of cortisol acetate with antiangiogenic activity, in controlling IOP have been promising.
Incidence, etiology and timing of infections following azacitidine therapy for myelodysplastic syndromes

Abstract We examine the infective complications occurring during azacitidine (AZA) therapy in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). A retrospective review of patients receiving ≥1 cycle of AZA for MDS or AML was performed. Patient demographics, infection prophylaxis/episodes and outcomes were evaluated. Sixty eight patients received 884 AZA cycles. Bacterial infections occurred in 25% of cycle-1 and 27% of cycle-2 AZA therapy. Febrile neutropenia complicated 5.3% of AZA cycles, bacteremia 2% and invasive Aspergillosis 0.3%. Using Poisson modeling, a very high IPSS-R (RR 10.26, 95% CI 1.20, 87.41, p= .033) was identified as an independent risk factor for infection. Infection-related attributable mortality was 23%. The burden of infection is high in AZA-treated patients, associated with high attributable mortality. Over 25% of AZA cycles 1 and 2 were complicated by infection, predominantly bacterial, rates dropping to <10% after cycle-5.
Changes in the effects of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α on platelet activation in early pregnancy

Platelets are known to be activated in normal pregnancy, and are further activated in pathological pregnancy states, such as preeclampsia. The factors controlling platelet activation are unknown, but cytokines, such as interleukin 1 β (IL-1 β ) and tumor necrosis- α (TNF- α ) have been found to affect platelet function and are believed to be involved in early pregnancy. We assessed the effects of these cytokines on platelets from women at various stages of pregnancy. We compared two methods: platelet in vitro aggregation by aggregometry, and platelet P-selectin expression by flow cytometry. IL-1 β and TNF- α had no effect on the in vitro aggregation and P-selectin expression of platelets from women in the first trimester of pregnancy as compared to the inhibitory effects of both in late pregnancy. We conclude that maternal platelet function undergoes a marked change throughout pregnancy.
Inland Ertebølle Culture: the importance of aquatic resources and the freshwater reservoir effect in radiocarbon dates from pottery food crusts

1. AMS 14C Dating Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University. Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark & Museum Lolland-Falster, Gl. Badevej 2E, 4970 Rodbyhavn, Denmark. 2. Zentrum fur Baltische und Skandinavische Archaologie, Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen, Schloss Gottorf, 24837 Schleswig, Germany & Christian-Albrechts-Universitat zu Kiel, Leibniz-Labor fur Altersbestimmung und Isotopenforschung, Max-Eyth-Str. 11-13, 24118 Kiel, Germany. Email: jmeadows@leibniz.uni-kiel.de)
Retrospective evaluation of clinical outcomes in subjects with split‐thickness skin graft: comparing V.A.C.® therapy and conventional therapy in foot and ankle reconstructive surgeries

This retrospective study compared the clinical outcomes of negative pressure wound therapy with reticulated open cell foam (NPWT/ROCF) as delivered by Vacuum‐Assisted Therapy® (V.A.C.® Therapy, KCI Licensing Inc., San Antonio, TX) to non‐NPWT/ROCF conventional therapy (CT) in split‐thickness skin graft (STSG) survival in all patients to determine whether NPWT/ROCF affects the outcome of the graft survival, in terms of overall graft take, duration of graft take, repeated grafts and complications.
Effect of ageing on hypoxic exercise cardiorespiratory, muscle and cerebral oxygenation responses in healthy humans

What is the central question of this study? This study aimed to determine the effect of ageing on cardiorespiratory and tissue oxygenation responses to hypoxia during maximal incremental exercise. What is the main finding and its importance? Older healthy subjects had preserved hypoxic cardiorespiratory and tissue oxygenation responses at rest and during moderate exercise. At maximal exercise, they had a reduced hypoxic ventilatory response but similar maximal power output reduction compared with young individuals. This study suggests that until moderate exercise, hypoxic responses are preserved until the age of 70 years and therefore that ageing is not a contraindication for high‐altitude sojourn.
Role of the vascular endothelium in the contractile response to prostacyclin in the isolated rat aorta.

Prostacyclin (PGI2) relaxes vascular smooth muscle in several species but, in high doses, PGI2 has been reported to contract several isolated arteries. Vascular endothelium is known to be obligatory for the vasodilatory responses to acetylcholine and several other substances. We therefore investigated the contractile effect of various prostanoids on rat abdominal aorta in which the endothelium was left intact or was removed. PGI2 (4-2000 ng/ml), 6-keto-prostaglandin (PG) E1, PGE1 and PGE2 (4-800 ng/ml) contracted both intact and de-endothelialized aortic segments in a dose-dependent manner. PGI2 (8-2000 ng/ml) increased the force generated by aortic rings with intact endothelium from 77.3 +/- 24.6 to 685 +/- 99.2 mg. The response to similar doses of PGI2 in aortic rings with the endothelium removed was reduced significantly (22.7 +/- 14.1 to 260 +/- 116.4 mg). This contractile response to PGI2 in both intact and de-endothelialized aortic rings was abolished by indomethacin pretreatment (20 micrograms/ml for 30 min) and was also blocked completely by the thromboxane receptor antagonist SQ 29548 (100 ng/ml). In contrast, the thromboxane synthase inhibitor OKY 1581 (2.5 micrograms/ml) did not significantly reduce the contractile response to PGI2. Unlike PGI2, the force generated by PGE2 (4-800 ng/ml) in aortic rings with intact endothelium (0-550.0 +/- 107.2 mg) was not significantly different from that generated by aortic rings without endothelium (35.0 +/- 23.6 to 650.0 +/- 193.2 mg). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Expected / Beneficial flora Commensal ( Imbalanced ) flora Dysbiotic flora 3 + Bacteroides fragilis group 3 + Alpha hemolytic strep 3 + Escherichia coli ESBL

0001420 Expected /Beneficial bacteria make up a significant portion of the total microflora in a healthy & balanced GI tract. These beneficial bacteria have many health-protecting effects in the GI tract including manufacturing vitamins, fermenting fibers, digesting proteins and carbohydrates, and propagating antitumor and anti-inflammatory factors. Clostridia are prevalent flora in a healthy intestine. Clostridium spp. should be considered in the context of balance with other expected/beneficial flora. Absence of clostridia or over abundance relative to other expected/beneficial flora indicates bacterial imbalance. If C. difficile associated disease is suspected, a Comprehensive Clostridium culture or toxigenic C. difficile DNA test is recommended. Commensal (Imbalanced) bacteria are usually neither pathogenic nor beneficial to the host GI tract. Imbalances can occur when there are insufficient levels of beneficial bacteria and increased levels of commensal bacteria. Certain commensal bacteria are reported as dysbiotic at higher levels. Dysbiotic bacteria consist of known pathogenic bacteria and those that have the potential to cause disease in the GI tract. They can be present due to a number of factors including: consumption of contaminated water or food, exposure to chemicals that are toxic to beneficial bacteria; the use of antibiotics, oral contraceptives or other medications; poor fiber intake and high stress levels.
Testing Asymmetric-Information Asset Pricing Models

Modern asset pricing theory is based on the assumption that investors have heterogeneous information. We provide direct evidence of the importance of information asymmetry for asset prices and investor demands using three natural experiments that capture plausibly exogenous variation in information asymmetry on a stock-by-stock basis for a large set of U.S. companies. Consistent with predictions derived from an asymmetric-information rational expectations model with multiple assets and multiple signals, we find that prices and uninformed investors' demands fall as information asymmetry increases. In the cross-section, these falls are larger, the more investors are uninformed, the larger and more variable is stock turnover, the more uncertain is the asset's payoff, and the more precise is the lost signal. We show that at least part of the fall in prices is due to expected returns becoming more sensitive to liquidity risk. Our results confirm that information asymmetry has a substantial effect on asset prices and imply that a primary channel linking asymmetry to prices is liquidity.
A Simple Spacer Technique to Fabricate Poly-Si TFTs With 50-nm Nanowire Channels

In this letter, polycrystalline-silicon thin-film transistors (poly-Si TFTs) with 50-nm nanowire (NW) channels, which are fabricated without advanced photolithography by using a sidewall spacer-formation technique, are proposed for the first time. Because the polygate electrode is perpendicularly across poly-Si NW channels to form a trigatelike structure, the proposed poly-Si NW TFT owns outstanding gate controllability. In summary, a simple and low-cost scheme is proposed to fabricate high-performance poly-Si NW TFT suitable for future display manufacturing and practical applications.
The Effects of Long-Term Diabetes on Ghrelin Expression in Rat Stomachs.

BACKGROUND Ghrelin is a hormone which has effects on the secretion of growth hormone, the gastrointestinal system, the cardiovascular system, cell proliferation and the reproductive system. OBJECTIVES This study focused on relative ghrelin and GHS-R1a gene expression in the stomach of long-term diabetic rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 36 male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups: a control group, one-month diabetic rats, two-month diabetic rats and three-month diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin STZ (40 mg/kg i.p). The rats were decapitated under ketamine anesthesia and their stomach tissues were removed. Tissue ghrelin expression, ghrelin and GHS-R mRNA levels were then compared using immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR. RESULTS After one month of diabetes, the number of ghrelin-immunopositive cells decreased significantly compared to those of the control rats. However, the ghrelin-immunopositive cells increased numerically in the two- and three-month diabetic rats compared to those of the control rats. It was also observed that there were high levels of ghrelin mRNA in the one- and two-month diabetic rats, and a subsequent decrease of ghrelin mRNA levels in the three-month diabetic rats compared to the control rats. However, ghrelin receptor mRNA expression levels decreased in the one-month diabetic rats, and ghrelin levels subsequently increased in the two- and three-month diabetic rats compared to the control rats. CONCLUSIONS The two- and three-month diabetic rats became cachectic due to the large amount of weight lost. The authors therefore concluded that ghrelin-immunopositive cells increased in these rats due to their cachectic state.
The impact of childhood sexual abuse on dental fear.

OBJECTIVE Dental fear is a risk factor for poor oral health. Thus, treatment of dental fear is a challenge to dentists. The consequences of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) may include dental fear. A history of CSA complicates dental fear treatment, and it is often a secret. The aim of this study was to explore differences in subjective evaluations of use of dental services, experiences of dental treatment situations, dental appearance and dental problems in women who report both CSA and dental fear, and women who report dental fear only. METHODS In an anonymous survey, 58 women with dental fear and a history of CSA were compared with 25 women with dental fear without CSA. Twenty-five women without dental fear acted as a control group. RESULTS No differences between dental fear patients with and without a history of CSA were found in subjective evaluations of use of dental services, dental appearance and dental problems, or in the scores on the Dental Fear Scale (DFS). Women who reported a history of CSA and dental fear had statistically significant higher scores on the Dental Belief Scale (DBS). CONCLUSION The results suggest that women who report dental fear and a history of CSA assess interpersonal factors concerning communication, trust, fear of negative information and lack of control as more fear evoking than women who report dental fear without a history of CSA.