Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Associations between Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010, Body Composition, Osteoarthritis Severity, and Interleukin-6 in Older Overweight and Obese African American Females with Self-Reported Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of immobility in the United States and is associated with older age, inflammation, and obesity. Prudent dietary patterns have been associated with disease prevention, yet little evidence exists describing diet quality (DQ) in older overweight or obese African American (AA) adults with OA and its relation to body composition. We conducted a secondary data analysis of a dataset containing alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010), body composition, OA severity, and serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) data from 126 AA females (aged 60⁻87 years) with OA to examine the relationships between these variables. Our sample had poor DQ and reported having higher OA severity as measured by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Interleukin-6 was negatively correlated with AHEI-2010, and AHEI-2010 and the WOMAC physical function subcategory (WOMACpf) were significant predictors of IL-6 (odds ratio (OR): 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.92⁻0.99 and 1.04, 95% CI 1.01⁻1.07, respectively, p < 0.05) but not body composition. In conclusion, AHEI-2010 and WOMACpf were significant predictors of inflammation (IL-6) and AHEI-2010 accounted for ~16% of the variation of IL-6 (inflammation) in this sample.
Plasma Cells Are the Most Abundant Gluten Peptide MHC-expressing Cells in Inflamed Intestinal Tissues From Patients With Celiac Disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Development of celiac disease is believed to involve the transglutaminase-dependent response of CD4+ T cells toward deamidated gluten peptides in the intestinal mucosa of individuals with specific HLA-DQ haplotypes. We investigated the antigen presentation process during this mucosal immune response. METHODS We generated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for the peptide-MHC (pMHC) complex of HLA-DQ2.5 and the immunodominant gluten epitope DQ2.5-glia-α1a using phage display. We used these mAbs to assess gluten peptide presentation and phenotypes of presenting cells by flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immune absorbent spot (ELISPOT) in freshly prepared single-cell suspensions from intestinal biopsies from 40 patients with celiac disease (35 untreated and 5 on a gluten-free diet) as well as 18 subjects with confirmed noninflamed gut mucosa (controls, 12 presumed healthy, 5 undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy, and 1 with potential celiac disease). RESULTS Using the mAbs, we detected MHC complexes on cells from intestinal biopsies from patients with celiac disease who consume gluten, but not from patients on gluten-free diets. We found B cells and plasma cells to be the most abundant cells that present DQ2.5-glia-α1a in the inflamed mucosa. We identified a subset of plasma cells that expresses B-cell receptors (BCR) specific for gluten peptides or the autoantigen transglutaminase 2 (TG2). Expression of MHC class II (MHCII) was not restricted to these specific plasma cells in patients with celiac disease but was observed in an average 30% of gut plasma cells from patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS A population of plasma cells from intestinal biopsies of patients with celiac disease express MHCII; this is the most abundant cell type presenting the immunodominant gluten peptide DQ2.5-glia-α1a in the tissues from these patients. These results indicate that plasma cells in the gut can function as antigen-presenting cells and might promote and maintain intestinal inflammation in patients with celiac disease or other inflammatory disorders.
Sex Work and Drug Use in a Subculture of Violence

This article examines the subculture of violence thesis as it relates to female street sex workers in Miami. Interview and focus group methods were used to study the intersections of childhood trauma, drug use, and violent victimization among 325 women. Using targeted sampling, crack- and heroin-using sex workers were recruited through street outreach into an HIV-prevention research program. Interviews used standard instrumentation and focused on drug-related and sexual risk for HIV, sex work, violence, childhood trauma, and health status. Nearly half of the respondents reported physical (44.9%) and/ or sexual (50.5%) abuse as children, and over 40% experienced violence from clients in the prior year: 24.9% were beaten, 12.9% were raped, and 13.8% were threatened with weapons. Consistent relationships between historical and current victimization suggest that female sex workers experience a continuing cycle of violence throughout their lives. The policy and research implications of these findings are discussed.
Cutaneous wound healing activity of a herbal ointment containing the leaf extract of Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae)

Summary: Herbal ointment containing methanol leaf extract of Jatropha curcas L. was formulated and tested for pro-wound healing activities. The extract (0.5, 1.0. and 1.5 g) was incorporated into 10 g of a simple ointment base by melting and trituration to give three batches of the ointment formulation. Excision wound measuring about 177 mm 2 was created on the albino rats placed in groups (n = 5) and the ointment applied topically on the wounded area which was measured at intervals of 3 days until epithelialization and complete wound closure. Blank ointment base and Gentamycin ointment (1 %) served as the control and standard treatments, respectively. Topical application of the methanol leaf extract of J. curcas incorporated into an ointment base on the excision wound in rats caused a significantly (P<0.05) higher rate of wound healing and reduced the epithelialization period in a dose–related manner. Application of the ointment batch containing the highest concentrations of J. curcas extract (1.5 g/10g ointment) showed the highest rate of wound closure reducing the epithelialization period to 14.8 days compared to the blank ointment treatment with epithelialization period of 18.8 days. We conclude that formulating J. curcas extract as ointment is effective in wound care and should be explored in harnessing the potentials of the plant in the treatment of topical diseases. Industrial relevance : This work portends great industrial value in that a demonstration of the effectiveness of J. curcas -based herbal ointment formulations in wound repair will stimulate commercial interest in harnessing this plant as an ingredient for the production of topical preparations. This is more so given that the plant has previously demonstrated other properties relevant in treatment of topical infections and blemishes.
Sickle Cell Carrier Frequency and the Need for Genetic/ Pre-marital Counseling among Students of a Nigerian University

Aims: To determine the sickle cell carrier frequency among undergraduate students of a Nigerian University with a view to evaluate the need to institute genetic and premarital counseling program. Methodology: This was a retrospective study and record of haemoglobin electrophoresis results of students screened between May 2010 and April 2011 was obtained from Ebonyi State University Medical Center. Data was analyzed using Epi info software, version 3.5. 4. Results: Three thousand, two hundred and eighty three results were obtained comprising 1749 (53.3%) males. The age of the students ranged from 16 – 47 years with mean age of 22 ±5 years. Among the population studied, haemoglobin AA was 74.47%, AS 25.19%, SS 0.18%, AC 0.06%, SC 0.10%. Conclusion: Sickle cell carrier frequency was found to be high among the study population. There is need to institute genetic and pre-marital counseling program among the students in order to help Original Research Article Ugwu NI and Udeh JN; IBRR, 6(3): 1-4, 2016; Article no.IBRR. 29431 2 them take informed decision concerning their marriage so as to prevent procreation of children affected with sickle cell disease.
Exercise Intensity Influences NEAT in Overweight and Obese Adults

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of acute bouts of moderate- and high-intensity walking exercise on non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) in overweight and obese adults. ---------- METHOD: 16 participants performed a single bout of either moderate-intensity walking exercise (MIE) or high-intensity walking exercise (HIE) on two separate occasions. The MIE consisted of walking for 60 minutes on a motorized treadmill at 6 km.h. The 60-minute HIE session consisted of walking in 5-min intervals at 6 km.h and 10% grade followed by 5-min at 0% grade. NEAT was assessed by accelerometer on three days before, the day of, and three days following the exercise sessions. ---------- RESULTS: There was no significant difference in NEAT vector magnitude (counts.min) between the pre-exercise period (days 1-3) and the exercise day (day 4) for either MIE or HIE protocol. In addition, there was no change in NEAT during the three days following the MIE session, however NEAT increased by 16% on day 7 (post-exercise) compared with exercise day (P = 0.32). However during the post-exercise period following the HIE session, NEAT was increased by 25% on day 7 compared with the exercise day (P = 0.08), and by 30-33% compared with pre-exercise period (day 1, day 2 and day 3); P = 0.03, 0.03, 0.02, respectively. ---------- CONCLUSION: A single bout of either MIE or HIE did not alter NEAT on the exercise day or on the first two days following the exercise session. However, monitoring NEAT on a third day allowed the detection of a 48-h delay in increased NEAT after performing HIE. A longer-term intervention is needed to determine the effect of accumulated exercise sessions over a week on NEAT.
Multiple Antenna Systems With Hardware Impairments: New Performance Limits

In this paper, we accurately model the impact of aggregate hardware impairments (HWIs) in communication systems as improper Gaussian signals (IGS), which can describe the asymmetric characteristics of different HWI sources. The proposed model encourages us to adopt the IGS scheme for transmission that represents a general signaling scheme compared with the conventional scheme, proper Gaussian signaling (PGS). First, we express the achievable rate of multiple-input and multiple-output system suffering from various HWIs employing PGS and IGS schemes, when the aggregate effect of HWI is modeled as IGS. Moreover, we tune the transmit IGS statistical characteristics to maximize the achievable rate for the HWI single-input and multiple-output system with two receiver combining schemes. Then, we propose an adaptive scheme to switch between maximal IGS and PGS schemes under certain conditions to improve the system performance with least computational/optimization overhead. Finally, we validate the analytic expressions through numerical and simulation results and quantify the gain reaped from adopting the IGS scheme compared with the PGS scheme.
Pre-emptive Use of Riboflavin in a Rat Model of Bilateral Cavernous Nerve Injury

effects of riboflavin (Rb) on bilateral CNI in a rat model. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four male rats were divided into four groups: control (C), patients with bilateral CNI, those with CNI receiving postoperative Rb treatment (CNI+Rb), and those with CNI receiving preand post-operative Rb treatment (Rb+CNI+Rb). Bilateral CNI was performed in all groups except for C. The CNI+Rb group was treated with 30 mg/kg Rb daily after CNI for two weeks; the Rb+CNI+Rb group was treated with 30 mg/kg Rb daily one week before CNI and then for two weeks after injury. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and intracavernosal pressure (ICP) were measured 14 days after CNI in all groups. Tissue malondialdehyde, cyclic guanosine monophosphate, nerve growth factor, superoxide dismutase and total nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activities, neuronal NOS (nNOS) and inducible NOS (iNOS) were analyzed. Results: ICP/MAP ratio was significantly lower in the CNI (p<0.01) and CNI+Rb groups (p<0.05) compared to the control group, however, the Rb+CNI+Rb group had results comparable to the C group in terms of nNOS and iNOS expression in the Western Blot analysis. Conclusion: Rb exerted anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects on CNI in a CNI rat model. Rb can be a potential beneficial agent to improve erectile function in nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy patients as a preemptive penile rehabilitation strategy, although further clinical studies are needed.
Hyperparameter Optimization Of Deep Convolutional Neural Networks Architectures For Object Recognition

iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . vi TABLE OF CONTENTS . vii LIST OF TABLES . x LIST OF FIGURES . xii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Research Problem and Scope . 3 1.2 Motivation behind the Research . 4 1.3 Contributions . 4 CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW. 6 2.1 Deep Learning . 6 2.2 Backpropagation and Gradient Descent . 7 2.3 Convolutional Neural Networks . 9 2.3. 1 Convolutional Layers . 10 2.3. 2 Pooling Layers . 12 2.3. 3 Fully-connected Layers . 13 2.4 CNN Architecture Design . 14 2.4. 1 Literature Review on CNNN Architecture Design . 16 2.5 Regularization . 19 2.6 Weight initialization . 19 2.7 Visualizing and Understanding CNNs . 20 2.8 Similarity Measurements between Images . 21 2.9 Sparse Autoencoder . 22
Visual Patterns in the Perception of Abstract and Social Stimuli

This thesis investigated with regard to the perception of abstract and social stimuli: (1) What constitutes a visual pattern? (2) Whether people possess a proclivity towards one particular pattern type. (3) When is patterning imposed or detected by the visual system? The abstract stimuli consisted of checkerboard patterns and the social stimuli consisted of faces or social groups. Initially the term "pattern" was defined as an image that contains redundant information. This was illustrated by a bias when defining patterns by members of the public towards images that contain both repeated and reflective symmetry, or a low number of possible variants and therefore reduced information content, i. e. more redundancy. Similarly reflective symmetry was identified as a key property in defining faces. The effect of symmetry type on early visual processing was investigated further in a series of backward masking experiments on both abstract and facial stimuli (Chapters 6& 7). The results of the masking experiments suggest a bias during early visual processing for patterns that contain symmetry (i. e. repetition or reflection), or share common fate compared with randomly generated patterns or distorted faces. A top-hemifield and LVF bias was observed in the early detection of patterns. Patterns that take advantage of these properties such as the eyes within the face were suggested as having a perceptual advantage. Patterning appears to be imposed at all stages of visual processing. At early stages of visual processing, repetition (and in the face the eyes) was observed as having an early perceptual advantage over reflection (and in the face the mouth). However at later stages of processing repetition appeared to be processed serially and no longer had a perceptual advantage over reflection (ISIs >42ms). Reflection was suggested as having a perceptual advantage post V1 (ISIs >96ms). Patterning continues throughout a visual scene from the local level to the global level, as such both the human face and human social groups can be perceived as patterns. This was illustrated by a series of experiments investigating the effect of patterning on the perception of images presented in the periphery of a scene (Chapter 8).
MODEL PEMBELAJARAN INSIDE OUTSIDE CIRCLE (IOC)) UNTUK MENINGKATKAN HASIL BELAJAR SISWA DALAM PROSES PEMBELAJARAN

ABSTRAK Kegiatan proses pembelajaran di sekolah yang hanya terpusatkan pada guru, mengakibatkan kurang efektif dan kurang mencapai sasaran pencapaian tujuan pembelajaran serta masih belum tercapainnya hasil belajar siswa yang maksimal dan memenuhi standar kkm 75. Untuk itu berbagai upaya harus dilakukan untuk mencapai kegiatan belajar yang efektif, terarah dan bermanfaat. Upaya praktis yang mungkin dapat dilakukan yakni penggunaan model pembelajaran Model pembelajaran yang merupakan salah satu komponen utama dalam menciptakan suasana pembelajaran yang aktif, inovatif dan menyenangkan. Model pembelajaran yang menarik dan variatif akan berimplikasi pada minat maupun motivasi peserta didik dalam mengikuti proses pembelajaran di kelas. Model pembelajaran Inside Outside Circle memiliki struktur yang jelas, siswa juga dapat bekerja dengan sesama siswa dengan suasana gotong –royong dan mempunyai banyak kesempatan untuk mengolah informasi dan meningkatkan keterampilan berkomunikasi. Model pembelajaran inside outside circle dalam pembelajaran mampu meningkatkan hasil belajar siswa dengan didukung sikap siswa yang setuju pada penggunaan model pembelajaran inside outside circle. Kata kunci : model pembelajaran, inside outside circle , hasil belajar.
Visual Thinking for Design

Increasingly, designers need to present information in ways that aid their audience's thinking process. Fortunately, results from the relatively new science of human visual perception provide valuable guidance. In Visual Thinking for Design, Colin Ware takes what we now know about perception, cognition, and attention and transforms it into concrete advice that designers can directly apply. He demonstrates how designs can be considered as tools for cognition - extensions of the viewer's brain in much the same way that a hammer is an extension of the user's hand. Experienced professional designers and students alike will learn how to maximize the power of the information tools they design for the people who use them. Presents visual thinking as a complex process that can be supported in every stage using specific design techniques. Provides practical, task-oriented information for designers and software developers charged with design responsibilities. Includes hundreds of examples, many in the form of integrated text and full-color diagrams. Steeped in the principles of "active vision," which views graphic designs as cognitive tools.
Modelling of vital-sign data from post-operative patients

Thousands of in-hospital deaths each year in the UK are potentially preventable, being often preceded by physiological deterioration. The current standard of clinical practice for patient monitoring on general wards is the periodic observation of vital signs by nursing staff. The use of early warning score (EWS) systems should enable a more timely response to, and assessment of, acutely ill patients. The investigations described in this thesis seek to apply principled approaches based on machine learning to the analysis of vital-sign data from patients who are recovering from major surgery. A dataset comprising observational vital-sign data from 407 post-operative patients taking part in a two-phase clinical trial in the Oxford Cancer Centre is introduced. A second independent dataset collected from clinical data obtained from 24,212 patients admitted to the Medical Assessment Unit of a different hospital is used for validation purposes. When applied to post-operative patients, currently-used EWS systems achieve values of Area Under the Receiver-Operating Characteristic curve (AUROC) that range from 0.717 to 0.841 for predicting a composite outcome of death, emergency admission to the Intensive Care Unit, and cardiac arrest within 24 hours. We also demonstrate that the method of recording vital signs on the ward plays a fundamental role in the design and performance of EWS systems. Using the same set of physiological variables, kernel density estimators and support vector machines give equivalent results to those of EWS systems which have been carefully optimised by trial and error. A method for describing the physiological trajectories of post-operative patients is developed using machine learning techniques. We further introduce the concept of variability of vital signs over a 24-hour period, and propose a strategy for incorporating this information into the machine learning models studied. The resulting model leads to an improvement in performance (AUROC = 0.856). An approach based on Gaussian processes is then discussed for exploring and representing patterns of vital-sign time-series data. The approach allows different types of normal physiological trends to be identified in patients recovering from surgery. Knowledge of different patterns among hospitalised patients and their incorporation in monitoring systems improves early-warning scoring systems for the identification of physiological deterioration in specific patient groups.
ABO and rhesus blood groups among blood donors in Kano, North-Western Nigeria

Background: The need for blood and blood products requires an efficient blood transfusion service. This study was undertaken to provide pro data on the distribution of ABO and Rhesus blood groups that would assist in planning and coordinating blood transfusion services for the cosmopolitan city of Kano. Materials and Methods: A total of 5000 consecutive blood donor samples were grouped for ABO and Rhesus 'D' antigen by tile and tube methods at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) over a one-year period. Results: Blood group O had the highest prevalence of 2860 (57.2%) followed by blood group B of 1035 (20.7%), then A of 1025 (20.5%) and the lowest being AB of 80 (1.6%). A total of 4741 (94.8%) of the study group were Rhesus 'D' positive while 259 (5.2%) were Rhesus 'D' negative. Conclusion: The ABO blood group had blood group O as the most prevalent blood group in the study population while the lowest was AB. The Rhesus blood group positive was 94.8% while Rhesus negative blood group was 5.2%.
Le gisement paléolithique moyen de Beauvais (Oise)

RESUME Situe au pied d'une butte tertiaire residuelle, le gisement de Beauvais a livre de nombreux vestiges, lithiques et osseux, d'une occupation du Paleolithique moyen sur une superficie de 763 m2. Les caracteristiques sedimentolo- giques et la structure des depots de sables eoliens contenant le materiel archeologique, indiquent des conditions froides et seches et un milieu steppique fortement ouvert. Le cortege faunique, domine par le Renne, evoque egalement des conditions climatiques rigoureuses. L'industrie lithique est caracterisee par l'emploi d'un mode de debi- tage s'inscrivant dans un concept general discoide et contient de nombreux eclats debordants et pointes pseudo-Levallois. L'outillage est domine par les racloirs simples, les couteaux a dos et les eclats portant une courte retouche marginale. Des datations actuellement en cours permettront d'attribuer cette occupation au stade isotopique 6 ou au stade 4 ; le gisement de Beauvais constitue ainsi un des rares exemples de la frequentation de ces regions durant une phase pleniglaciaire.
Levantamento etnobotânico de plantas popularmente utilizadas como antiúlceras e antiinflamatórias pela comunidade de Pirizal, Nossa Senhora do Livramento-MT, Brasil

An ethnobotanical survey was conduced to study the vegetal species from Pantanal, in the district of Pirizal-MT, popularly used as anti-inflammatory and anti-ulcer. Ethnobotanical data were collected through open interviews and ethnopharmacology questionnaire with 38 local informers, in the age group of 25 to 75 years old. The local name, the part normally used, the mode of preparation and the administration route were asked to them. A bibliographic review of the plants most cited in the study was carried out using the conventional databases. A total of 49 species were cited belonging to 47 genera and 32 families, with emphasizing the Fabaceae family. The plants most cited were Lafoensia pacari St. Hil (9.2%), Hyptis crenata Pohl (8.8%), Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit (6.7%), Stachytarpheta cayenensis (L.C.Rich) Vahl (5.8%), Waltheria indica L. (5%), Strychnos pseudoquina St.Hil (4.2%) and Vatairea macrocarpa (Benth.) Ducke (3.3%). The part of the plant most cited was the leaf (57.1%), the most used administration route in the treatment of ulcers was oral (100%), in the form of teas (75%), while in the inflammations, topical baths were preferentially used (60%). The literature review indicated the need for further chemical-pharmacological studies on Vatairea macrocarpa (Benth.) Ducke and Hyptis crenata Pohl.