Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diabetes mellitus is a recurrence-independent risk factor in patients with hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing resection

Objectives The prognostic impact of diabetes mellitus and its association with virological factors on patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the outcome in HCC patients undergoing resection with and without diabetes mellitus and the interaction with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Methods A total of 239 HCC patients were included. Survival and tumour recurrence were analysed according to the status of diabetes mellitus and viral hepatitis. Results Diabetic patients tended to have an overall decreased survival compared with non-diabetic patients in 32 ± 19 months of follow-up. A total of 113 (47%) patients developed tumour recurrence during the follow-up period. No significant difference of tumour recurrence between diabetic and non-diabetic patients, or between patients seropositive and seronegative for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), was noted. Stratified analysis showed that diabetic patients with HBV but not with HCV infection had a poor long-term outcome. In the HBV group, the one-, three- and five-year survival rates were 83%, 51% and 41% versus 90%, 78% and 73% in diabetic and non-diabetic patients, respectively, compared with 90%, 83% and 42% versus 91%, 73% and 73% in the HCV group with and without diabetes mellitus, respectively. Cox multivariate analysis disclosed that diabetic patients seropositive for HBsAg had a significantly poor survival. Conclusions Diabetes mellitus does not affect the long-term survival in HCV-related HCC but is a recurrence-independent poor prognostic factor for HBV-related HCC.
The Benefits of Combining Lay and Expert Input for Water-Management Planning at the Watershed Level

With the promulgation of the EC Water Framework Directive (WFD), stakeholders’ involvement in water management planning and public consultation has become mandatory for member states. This paper investigates the case of France, where water management has been based on a distinctive form of “participatory democracy” for over 40 years. It first analyses how public participation and expert opinion fit into the water-management planning procedure and compares this to what occurs elsewhere in Europe and the United States. It then proposes an operational method for initiating the participatory process with an analysis of the stakeholders9 viewpoint at the watershed level. The method, which relies on interviews, is applied to two watersheds located in southern France. The results of the two case studies illustrate how the stakeholders9 viewpoint analysis can give access to practical knowledge and experience and to a wider range of perspectives and options. The case studies highlight the idea that the mobilisation of non-scientific (or lay) knowledge, values and preferences can improve the quality of the identification of the issues at stake, the formulation of a generally complex and unstructured problem and the identification of a large panel of alternative solutions. The paper then proposes some recommendations for implementing the provisions of the WFD.
Nicotine dependence, depression, and gender: characterizing phenotypes based on withdrawal discomfort, response to smoking, and ability to abstain.

Smoking is often viewed as a comprehensive phenotype rather than a complex set of traits involving intermediate phenotypes. To explore this issue in a laboratory setting, we tested 69 smokers stratified on depression, nicotine dependence, and gender. On the third day of an initial withdrawal period, we tested for differences among participants in uncued and cued craving and withdrawal; on the fourth day, we exposed them to a controlled dose of smoke and assessed them for physiological and hedonic effects and reduction of craving and withdrawal. Following resumption of smoking for at least a week, we then tested participants on their ability to abstain for an 11-day interval. During the withdrawal test, high-depressed smokers and men exhibited elevated craving and withdrawal scores overall, whereas no differences emerged for dependence. Cue exposure produced significant increases in craving but not withdrawal. During the smoke-exposure test, men were significantly more likely than women, and high-depressed smokers more likely than low-depressed smokers, to show evidence of experiencing pleasurable "buzzes. " High-dependent smokers showed significant increases in diastolic blood pressure, possibly suggestive of greater sensitivity to nicotine. During the quit test, high-dependent smokers had more difficulty abstaining than low-dependent smokers, and women more than men; no differences emerged based on depression. Independently of group membership, inability to abstain was predicted by increased anxiety, depression, and difficulty concentrating in response to cue exposure. These findings provide support for the existence of phenotypes that can be distinguished by withdrawal symptomatology (primarily driven by depression) and ability to remain abstinent (primarily driven by dependence).
The clinicopathological and survival differences between never and ever smokers with non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE Cigarette smoking was regarded as the most important carcinogenic factor of lung cancer, yet in recent years lung cancer in never-smokers is an increasingly prominent public health issue. The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiological and clinicopathological characteristics of never-smoker patients with non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), focusing on clinical risk factors and survival. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 290 NSCLC patients who presented between 2006 and 2011. Differences in clinical features and survival between never- and ever- smoker patients were analyzed. Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test were used to assess the significance of the variables between the groups. Survival curves were calculated using Kaplan-Meier method. Hazard ratio (HR) for death and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated by Cox regression analysis. RESULTS There were 243 (83.8%) ever-smokers and 47 (16.2%) never-smokers. In never-smokers females predominated (80.9%) as well as patients with adenocarcinomas (78.7%). At the time of analysis 143 (49.3%) patients had died. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were not significantly different between never- and ever-smokers (p=0.410) . The median OS of all patients was 26 months (95% CI: 16.8-35.2). The median OS was 23 months (95% CI: 11.8- 34.2) for never-smokers and 30 months ∥95% CI: 19.7-40.3) for ever-smokers (p=0.410). Never-smokers tended to present with more advanced disease than ever-smokers (p<0.004) and also with more advanced age (p<0.001). The HR for death increased with poorer Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group ( ECOG ) performance status (PS) (ECOG 2=3), advanced stage (stage 3=4) and untreated patients. Slightly lower risk for death was registered in patients with adenocarcinoma vs those with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). CONCLUSION Although no difference in survival was seen, definite epidemiologic differences do exist between never- smokers and ever-smokers patients with NSCLC. Future efforts should focus on the underlying biological differences, and on identifying potential non-tobacco related risk factors in order to improve treatment strategies for these two groups of NSCLC patients.
Short‐term Inhibition of Prostaglandin Synthesis has no Effect on the Elevated Glomerular Filtration Rate of Early Insulin‐dependent Diabetes

Glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow (constant infusion technique using 125I‐iothalamate and 131I‐hippuran) were measured twice within a 1‐week interval in nine young males with insulin‐dependent diabetes of short duration (2–5 years). The study was performed in a randomized double‐blind design, with the patients receiving either indomethacin (150 mg/day) or placebo for 3 days before the study. Measures of metabolic control did not change. No differences were found in glomerular filtration rate (144 ± 9 versus 144 ± 9 ml/min × 1.73 m2, mean ± S.E.M.) or renal plasma flow (579 ± 43 versus 560 ± 52 ml/min × 1.73 m2), when measured during placebo or indomethacin treatment, respectively. It is concluded that the steady‐state enhancement of glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow found in early insulin‐dependent diabetes is not due to an excessive activity of the prostaglandin system.
Physical Cues of Ovulatory Status: A Failure to Replicate Enhanced Facial Attractiveness and Reduced Waist-to-Hip Ratio at High Fertility

We investigated women's facial attractiveness and body shape as a function of menstrual cycle phase, with the expectation from previous research that both would be enhanced during the high fertile phase. To control for the effects of women's daily behaviors on their appearance and waistline, we visited 37 normally cycling women twice in their dorm, where we photographed and measured them at low and high fertile days of their cycle immediately upon their waking. Seventy-four judges from a separate institution chose, for each woman, the picture they thought was more attractive. We analyzed a subset of 20 women who, by forward counting, had a High Fertility visit between Days 10–13 and a Low Fertility visit between Days 20–23; and we also analyzed a subsample of 17 women who, by reverse counting, had a High Fertility visit on the days leading to ovulation and a Low Fertility visit one week after ovulation. In neither set of analyses were women's waist-to-hip ratios lower nearer ovulation, and in neither set were women's high fertile pictures chosen at an above-chance rate by either male or female judges. We did not find evidence that facial attractiveness and waist-to-hip ratio are reliable physical cues of ovulatory status.
Snack and Relax®

Purpose and Design: Snack and Relax® (S&R), a program providing healthy snacks and holistic relaxation modalities to hospital employees, was evaluated for immediate impact. A cross-sectional survey was then conducted to assess the professional quality of life (ProQOL) in registered nurses (RNs); compare S&R participants/nonparticipants on compassion satisfaction (CS), burnout, and secondary traumatic stress (STS); and identify situations in which RNs experienced compassion fatigue or burnout and the strategies used to address these situations. Method: Pre- and post vital signs and self-reported stress were obtained from S&R attendees (N = 210). RNs completed the ProQOL Scale measuring CS, burnout, and STS (N = 158). Findings: Significant decreases in self-reported stress, respirations, and heart rate were found immediately after S&R. Low CS was noted in 28.5% of participants, 25.3% had high burnout, and 23.4% had high STS. S&R participants and nonparticipants did not differ on any of the ProQOL scales. Situations in which participants experienced compassion fatigue/burnout were categorized as patient-related, work-related, and personal/family-related. Strategies to address these situations were holistic and stress reducing. Conclusion: Providing holistic interventions such as S&R for nurses in the workplace may alleviate immediate feelings of stress and provide a moment of relaxation in the workday.
Informing Estimates of Program Effects for Studies of Mathematics Professional Development Using Teacher Content Knowledge Outcomes

Mathematics professional development is widely offered, typically with the goal of improving teachers’ content knowledge, the quality of teaching, and ultimately students’ achievement. Recently, new assessments focused on mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) have been developed to assist in the evaluation and improvement of mathematics professional development. This study presents empirical estimates of average program change in MKT and its variation with the goal of supporting the design of experimental trials that are adequately powered to detect a specified program effect. The study drew on a large database representing five different assessments of MKT and collectively 326 professional development programs and 9,365 teachers. Results from cross-classified hierarchical growth models found that standardized average change estimates across the five assessments ranged from a low of 0.16 standard deviations (SDs) to a high of 0.26 SDs. Power analyses using the estimated pre- and posttest change estimates indicated that hundreds of teachers are needed to detect changes in knowledge at the lower end of the distribution. Even studies powered to detect effects at the higher end of the distribution will require substantial resources to conduct rigorous experimental trials. Empirical benchmarks that describe average program change and its variation provide a useful preliminary resource for interpreting the relative magnitude of effect sizes associated with professional development programs and for designing adequately powered trials.
Comparison of nutritional qualities and antioxidant properties of ready-to-eat fruit-enriched corn based breakfast cereals.

INTRODUCTION The study aimed to analyse the nutritional quality, antioxidant components and activity of three varieties of corn based ready-to- eat (RTE) breakfast cereals (BFC) enriched with strawberry, banana and mango. METHODS Fruit-enriched corn based breakfast cereals manufactured in India were purchased and ground to obtain homogeneous samples for analysis. The contents of moisture, protein, total fat, dietary fibre, iron, phosphorous, calcium, vitamin C, total carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, in vitro digestible protein, bioaccessible calcium and iron, and digestible starch fractions were determined. The antioxidant components namely, polyphenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity in different extracts were also determined using total antioxidant, free radical scavenging (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and reducing power assays. RESULTS The protein and dietary fibre contents in all samples ranged between 4.0-4.6 and 6.4-7.6 g/ 100g respectively. Total iron and vitamin C ranged between 10.7-13.3 mg and 33.2-43.6 mg/100g respectively. Cereals with mango had high total carotene in comparison with other samples. In vitro digestible protein of the processed cereals was low, while bioaccessible calcium (50.2-59.5%) and iron (8.5-15.1%) levels were high due to low oxalates and phytic acid contents. The starch profiles of the breakfast cereals showed high rapidly available glucose and starch digestibility index. Fruit-enriched breakfast cereals showed high polyphenol content in methanol extract (48.6-71.3 mg/100g) and high total antioxidant activity in aqueous extracts. Free radical scavenging and reducing power assay showed high activity in 80% methanol extract. CONCLUSION Fruit-enriched breakfast cereals have the potential to be a good source of iron, dietary fibre, vitamin C and total carotene. The fruit-enriched cereals also had high bioaccessible iron and antioxidant activity.
Muscle fatigue, effects of training and disuse

The study of muscle fatigue started about a century ago, when it was proposed that the observed decrease in force during prolonged voluntary contractions resulted from changes in central processes which reduced the motor drive. In the middle of this century it was noticed that this loss of force could not be restored by maximal electrical stimulation of the motor nerve, and thus the importance of peripheral mechanisms, located beyond the motoneuron, was emphasized. However, it was not clear which peripheral site was most important in decreasing the muscle mechanical capacity during fatigue. More recently, the comparison between peripheral failures during sustained and intermittent contractions indicated that recorded mechanical changes underwent deterioration which was not closely related to the recorded electrical changes. It was thus proposed that muscle intracellular processes dominate the force decrease during muscle fatigue. This concept has been substantiated by the study of standard fatigue tests performed in control, trained, and disused human muscles, as reviewed in this paper.
Muscle strength, physical fitness, and weight but not age predict femoral neck bone mass

Hip fractures are the most serious complication of osteoporosis. Although low proximal femoral bone mineral density (BMD) does not cause hip fractures directly, it is clearly a prerequisite for the increased risk associated with aging. To investigate the mechanism of the age‐related decline in proximal femoral bone mineral density, we have examined the relative importance of muscle strength, physical fitness, and body mass index (BMI) in addition to age in the determination of proximal femoral BMD in 73 healthy female volunteers age 20–75 years.
Morphological and anatomical studies on some dicot plant species collected from East Egypt desert

The present study included the whole plant morphology and leaf blade anatomy of four dicot species belonging to four families; Apocynaceae, Geraniaceae, Plantagonaceae and Polygonaceae collected from east Egypt desert during three seasons in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Morphologically, the results obtained show annual habit in three species but Cynanchum acutum found as perennial herb, all species have hairy surface. Stem ranged from erect inPlantago ovate and Rumex vesicarius toclimbing in Cynanchum acutum and prostrate inErodium ciconium . Anatomically, the results showed the presence of compact uniseriate epidermis, thick cuticle in all species. Trichomes varied from simple and glandular hairs in Erodium ciconium, glandular in Plantago ovate and Rumex vesicarius and absent in Cynanchum acutum. Multilayers of palisade tissue were found in all species except Cynanchum acutum. Calcium oxalate crystals were found as druses in all taxa except Plantago ovate. From the above results, morphologically as well as anatomically all studied species were found to be adapted to arid envinorment.
Rhythmicity of the intestinal microbiota is regulated by gender and the host circadian clock

Significance Recent studies of the murine microbiome have revealed circadian behavior and linked it to host feeding time, but the mechanism responsible for rhythmicity has not been fully clarified. Here we report that both the host circadian system and host gender influence the rhythmicity of the total load and taxonomic abundances in the fecal microbiota, and that regulation by the host clock is dominant. Disruption of the host circadian clock by deletion of Bmal1 altered the fecal microbial composition in a gender-dependent fashion. Our analyses suggest the need to consider circadian factors and host gender in the design of microbiome studies, and highlight the importance of analyzing absolute abundance in understanding the microbiota. In mammals, multiple physiological, metabolic, and behavioral processes are subject to circadian rhythms, adapting to changing light in the environment. Here we analyzed circadian rhythms in the fecal microbiota of mice using deep sequencing, and found that the absolute amount of fecal bacteria and the abundance of Bacteroidetes exhibited circadian rhythmicity, which was more pronounced in female mice. Disruption of the host circadian clock by deletion of Bmal1, a gene encoding a core molecular clock component, abolished rhythmicity in the fecal microbiota composition in both genders. Bmal1 deletion also induced alterations in bacterial abundances in feces, with differential effects based on sex. Thus, although host behavior, such as time of feeding, is of recognized importance, here we show that sex interacts with the host circadian clock, and they collectively shape the circadian rhythmicity and composition of the fecal microbiota in mice.
Standardized Patients' Perceptions About Their Own Health Care

Background: There have been detailed descriptions on standardized patient (SP) programs' effects on students, curricula, and faculty, yet little attention has been paid to the consequences of participating on the SP's. Purpose: This study explored the perceptions of SPs toward their own health care in the context of having served as SPs. Method: All 180 SPs participating in Department of Medicine programs at 5 medical schools were surveyed. They completed the survey during SP activities, or it was mailed to them. SPs indicated their level of agreement or disagreement with 11 attitude statements related to their own health care after serving as an SP using a Likert scale, with 1 reflecting the most positive attitude and 5 the least positive. Results: Responses to the attitudinal questions were obtained from 164 SPs (91%). SPs perceived that because of their participation as SPs they had a better understanding about medical history taking and physical examinations (1.90.9), communicated more effectively with their health care provider (1.80.9), and were more comfortable with both health care visits and physical examinations (2.20.9). There were no significant differences in results based on gender, age, race, or school. Conclusions: As a consequence of their participation, the SPs indicated a change in attitudes about their personal health care. They perceived improved understanding and ability to communicate and comfort with their own health care. Participation in SP programs seems to influence SPs by improving perceptions about their own health care interactions.
An evaluation of the dosimetric performance characteristics of N-vinylpyrrolidone-based polymer gels

The aim of this work was to investigate the dosimetric performance properties of the N-vinylpyrrolidone argon (VIPAR) based polymer gel as a dosimetric tool in clinical radiotherapy. VIPAR gels with a larger concentration of gelatin than the standard recipe were manufactured and irradiated up to 68 Gy using a 6 and 18 MV linear accelerator. Using MRI, the R2-dose response was recorded at different imaging sessions within a 34 day time period post-irradiation. The R2-dose response was found to be linear between 5 and 68 Gy. Although dose sensitivity did not show significant variation with time, the measured R2-dose values showed an increasing trend, which was less evident beyond 17 days. At one day post-irradiation, calculated dose standard uncertainties at 20 Gy and 56 Gy were 2.2% and 1.7%, providing a dose resolution of 0.45 Gy and 0.97 Gy, respectively. Although these values fulfilled the 2% limit of ICRU, when gels were imaged at one day post-irradiation, it was shown that the temporal evolution of the R2 values deteriorated the per cent standard uncertainty and the dose resolution by ∼57%, when imaged 17 days post-irradiation. Variation in the coagulation temperature of the gels did not impact the R2-dose sensitivity. This study has shown that the VIPAR gel has the properties of a dosimetric tool required in clinical radiotherapy, especially in applications where a wide dose dynamic range is employed. For results with the lowest per cent uncertainty and the optimum dose resolution, the dosimetry gels used in this work should be MR scanned at one day post-irradiation. Furthermore, a preliminary study on the R2-dose response of a new normoxic N-vinylpyrrolidone-based polymer gel showed that it could potentially replace the traditional VIPAR gel formulation, while preserving the wide dynamic dose response inherent to that monomer.