Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mitigation of starch and glucose-induced postprandial glycemic excursion in rats by antioxidant-rich green-leafy vegetables’ juice

Objective: Consumption of green-leafy vegetables is being advocated beneficial for type 2 diabetes mellitus individuals possibly because they are cost effective source of potent biological antioxidants. This research analyzed various phytochemicals, free radicals scavenging antioxidant potentials and starch digesting enzymes inhibitory activities in fresh juice of nine green-leafy vegetables. Furthermore, this study also investigated influence of these vegetables juice on starch and glucose induced postprandial glycemic load. Materials and Methods: Phytochemical constituents, in vitro free radicals scavenging antioxidant and enzymes inhibitory activities were evaluated applying various reported methods. Post-prandial glycemic excursion was induced in rats pretreated with vegetables juice by oral administration of starch and glucose. Results: All the leafy vegetables juice displayed potent free radicals scavenging activities. Juice of amaranthus, rumex, palak and raphanus displayed potential anti-oxidative property by reducing H2O2 induced hemolysis in rats red blood cells RBCs. Ajwain and rumex juice showed pancreatic α-amylase inhibitory activity. Alternanthera, ajwain, methi, amaranthus and sowa leaves juice displayed intestinal α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Juice of raphanus, ajwain and sowa significantly mitigated starch-induced postprandial glycemic load. Amaranthus leaves juice potently mitigated glucose-induced postprandial glycemic load and also reduced hemoglobin glycation induced by glucose in vitro. Conclusions: This investigation finds that juice of leafy vegetables is potent source of biological antioxidants. In addition, juice of raphanus, ajwain and sowa leaves possess capacity to mitigate starch induced postprandial glycemic burden and amaranthus leaves’ juice can reduce glucose induced postprandial glycemic excursion.
The effects of lumbar extensor strength on disability and mobility in patients with persistent low back pain.

BACKGROUND It is assumed that low back pain patients who use pain-avoiding immobilizing strategies may benefit from specific back flexion and extension exercises aimed at reducing sagittal lumbar hypomobility. The aim of this study was to test this potential working mechanism in chronic low back pain patients undergoing lumbar extensor strengthening training. METHODS A single-group prospective cohort design was used in this study. Patients with persistent low back complaints for at least 2 years were recruited at a specialized physical therapy clinics center. They participated in a progressive 11-week lumbar extensor strength training program, once a week. At baseline, sagittal lumbar mobility in flexion and extension was measured with a computer-assisted inclinometer. Self-rated pain intensity was measured using a visual analogue scale, back-specific functional status was assessed with the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale and the Patient Specific Complains questionnaire. RESULTS Statistically significant improvements were found in pain (28% decrease) and functional disability (23% to 36% decrease). Most progress was seen in the first 5 treatment weeks. Lumbar mobility in flexion showed non-significant increases over time (+12%). Pre-post treatment changes in flexion and extension mobility did not contribute significantly to the models. The retained factors together explained 15% to 48% of the variation in outcome. CONCLUSIONS Specific lumbar strengthening showed clinically relevant improvements in pain and disability in patients with persistent chronic low back pain. These improvements did not necessarily relate to improvements in lumbar mobility. Parameters representing other domains of adaptations to exercise may be needed to evaluate the effects of back pain management.
Effect of major depression on cognitive performance among treatment-seeking adolescents

We investigated the association between cognitive performance and major depressive disorder (MDD) in adolescents seeking outpatient treatment. We used several tests comparing cognitive capacities between 16 adolescents with MDD and 25 adolescents not diagnosed as suffering from psychiatric illness according to the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID). No difference in neuropsychological test performance was found between adolescents with MDD and those without psychiatric diagnosis. Logistic regression analysis showed the only independent factor associated with MDD to be Emotional Tone (S2; odds ratio 1.13). The specific effects of MDD on the adolescents were restricted to the emotional area and were expressed as a broad deterioration in psychosocial functioning.
The antiphospholipid syndrome

The antiphospholipid syndrome in obstetrics represents a striking model of maternofetal pathology related to systemic and intraplacental thrombosis. Two pro-coagulant antibodies are now well known: lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibody. Therapy is preventive and efficient. It is based on a cautious choice from three drugs: aspirin, heparin, and corticosteroids.
Endothelial Progenitor Cells Are Related toGlycemicControl inChildrenWithType 1 DiabetesMellitus Over Time

RESULTSdEPCs were significantly reduced in T1DM children versus CO (609 6 359 vs. 1,165 6 484, P , 0.001). Multivariate regression modeling revealed that glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was the strongest independent predictor of EPCs (b =20.355, P, 0.001). Overall glycemic control at the beginning and end of study did not differ (7.86 1.2 vs. 7.86 1.2 relative %, P = NS), but we observed individual HbA1c changes of24.30/+3.10 relative %. The strongest EPC increase was observed in the patients with the most favorable HbA1c lowering during the 1-year follow-up. Accordingly, the strongest EPC decrease was demonstrated in the patients with the strongest HbA1c worsening during the time period.
Poincaré and logarithmic Sobolev constants for metastable Markov chains via capacitary inequalities

We investigate the metastable behavior of reversible Markov chains on possibly countable infinite state spaces. Based on a new definition of metastable Markov processes, we compute precisely the mean transition time between metastable sets. Under additional size and regularity properties of metastable sets, we establish asymptotic sharp estimates on the Poincar\'e and logarithmic Sobolev constant. The main ingredient in the proof is a capacitary inequality along the lines of V. Maz'ya that relates regularity properties of harmonic functions and capacities. We exemplify the usefulness of this new definition in the context of the random field Curie-Weiss model, where metastability and the additional regularity assumptions are verifiable.
Frequent clonal expansion of peripheral T cells in patients with autoimmune diseases: A novel detecting system possibly applicable to laboratory examination

To investigate T cell involvement in antigen‐specific immune responses, it is important to detect accumulating T cells at a clonal level in vivo. However, thus far the clinical application of such analyses has been limited. Here we have established novel primers to anneal with T cell receptor (TCR) β genes of multiple Vβ families and applied them to reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction‐single strand conformation polymorphism (RT‐PCR‐SSCP) analysis to evaluate peripheral T cell clonality of autoimmune disease patients. As a result, the new Vβ primers could detect accumulating T cell clones in the periphery of healthy individuals and patients. It was revealed that patients with autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) had a larger number of clonal accumulations of peripheral T cells compared with normal individuals. Thus, the RT‐PCR‐SSCP system using the new multifamily Vβ primers is the first such laboratory examination to detect T cell clonal expansion, and will provide a simple and sensitive tool to aid in the diagnosis and also in the investigation of the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 12:162–167, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
ersonality and gene expression : Do ndividual differences exist in the leukocyte ranscriptome ?

School of Medicine, Division of Primary Care, Tower Building (Room 1305), University of Nottingham, niversity Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK Department of Psychology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA School of Medicine, Division of Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, D floor, East Block QMC, niversity of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University f California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Disorders of arousal and the relaxation response: speculations on the nature and treatment of stress-related diseases.

The classification of diseases represents an important, yet often enigmatic, process. This is especially true in the case of stress-related diseases. Until the 1980s, stress-related diseases were categorized on the basis of the target organ system affected. A merger of 20 years of clinical data with research and theoretical formulations from the neurosciences gave us the opportunity to reformulate, or at least add a fresh perspective to, the understanding of the nature and treatment of stress-related diseases. Based upon over two decades of research and clinical trials, one such reformulation is presented here. It is contended that many psychiatric and somatic stress-related diseases are but manifest variations on a theme of limbicogenic neurological hypersensitivity and resultant pathogenic arousal. The resultant stress-related diseases are, therefore, viewed as "disorders of arousal. " From the reformulation offered herein emerges a neurologically-based rationale for the clinical use of the "relaxation response" in the treatment of stress-related diseases.
Fetal Jaw Movement Affects Condylar Cartilage Development

Using a mouse exo utero system to examine the effects of fetal jaw movement on the development of condylar cartilage, we assessed the effects of restraint of the animals’ mouths from opening, by suture, at embryonic day (E)15.5. We hypothesized that pre-natal jaw movement is an important mechanical factor in endochondral bone formation of the mandibular condyle. Condylar cartilage was reduced in size, and the bone-cartilage margin was ill-defined in the sutured group at E18.5. Volume, total number of cells, and number of 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine-positive cells in the mesenchymal zone were lower in the sutured group than in the non-sutured group at E16.5 and E18.5. Hypertrophic chondrocytes were larger, whereas fewer apoptotic chondrocytes and osteoclasts were observed in the hypertrophic zone in the sutured group at E18.5. Analysis of our data revealed that restricted fetal TMJ movement influences the process of endochondral bone formation of condylar cartilage.
Big Hits

T here aren't many sports articles in the journal Science, so it was with great interest that I read " A Late Hit for Pro-Football Players " by Greg Miller (www. sciencemag.org). 3 This article is a very interesting compilation of recent research and developments in the area of sports-related concussion. The article highlights the efforts of Chris Nowinski, a former Harvard football standout who reached stardom as a professional wrestler. His fame and fortune were cut short by a series of concussions which forced him into early retirement. Disturbed by the chronic symptoms related to his head trauma and the lack of medical research in the area, Nowinski co-founded The Sports Legacy Institute (www. sportslegacy.org), a nonprofit dedicated to research of sports-related head injuries. A partner in the effort is Ann McKee, a neuropathologist at Boston University, who has researched the processes of neurodegeneration in diseases such as Alzheimer's. The institute's goal is to understand the relationship between contact sports and the disturbing pathology found to date in some former athletes. Obviously, there are thousands of former athletes who played contact sports who are not walking around " punch drunk " and do not appear to have suffered any ill effects from their athletic endeavors. In fact, knowing the profiles of many of the stars on today's sports pages, some may say that the games they played actually knocked some sense into them. All kidding aside, even if the feared degeneration is not detectable in most players, the preliminary evidence is serious enough that all involved should take a hard look at these findings. Considering the fact that there are over 300 000 sports-related concussions annually in the United States, 1 even if only a small percentage develops long term problems, this could represent a major challenge for our health care system. The relationship between sports head trauma and neurodegeneration is strongest in boxing. In 1928, Harrison Martland, a pathologist, wrote of his studies of battered boxers and their subsequent brain damage. The syndrome " Dementia Pugilistica " evolved which demonstrated Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) at autopsy. Fast forward to 2005, when Bennet Omalu reports the first case of neurodegeneration in a young National Football League (NFL) player. 5 Omalu, the Chief Medical Examiner for San Joaquin County, California, examined the brain of Michael Webster (Iron Mike), a veteran Pittsburgh Steeler star of 17 NFL seasons, who died at …
Consolidation of learning strategies during spatial working memory task requires protein synthesis in the prefrontal cortex

Working memory is a temporary memory store where information is held briefly until the appropriate behavior is produced. However, the improvement in the performance of working memory tasks with practice over days points to the existence of a long-lasting component associated with learning strategies that lead to optimal performance. Here we show that the improvement in the performance of mice in a radial maze working memory task required the integrity of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). We further demonstrate that this improvement of working memory performance requires the synthesis of de novo proteins in the mPFC. We suggest that in addition to storing memory briefly the mPFC is also involved in the consolidation and storage of the long-term learning strategies used in working memory.
Are nature lovers happy? On various indicators of well-being and connectedness with nature

Connectedness with nature (CN) is seen as a personal disposition relevant for environmental as well as human health. In five questionnaire studies (N = 547) we systematically investigated the relationship between various operationalizations of well-being and CN. CN was assessed with two different tools in parallel. All significant correlations were controlled for the effects of age and gender. Psychological well-being, meaningfulness and vitality were found to be robustly correlated with CN. We highlight the relevance of CN with respect to human health and further discuss conceptual differences unraveled by the concurrent application of two CN-tools.
New synthesis of cis 5‐tert‐butyl‐L‐proline via cuprate. Evaluation as a cis proline mimetic in a biological active octapeptide

cis 5‐tert‐butyl‐L‐proline (Cbp) was prepared rapidly and efficiently by the addition of low‐valent tert‐butyl cuprate to an aminal derived from proline. [Cbp2, D‐Leu5]‐OP was then synthesized, showing a predominant cis peptide bond conformation, as confirmed by NMR. Copyright © 2005 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ecohydrological interactions in a degraded two‐phase mosaic dryland: implications for regime shifts, resilience, and restoration

In the semi‐arid rangelands of north central Kenya, the abundance of grasses has declined over recent decades. Concomitantly, the native succulent herb Sansevieria volkensii has greatly proliferated in many areas. Landscape structure has thus shifted from contiguous herbaceous cover to large, dense stands of S. volkensii with interpatches of bare or sparsely vegetated ground. Local pastoralists view this transition as highly undesirable; understanding the mechanisms and reversibility of the transition is necessary to develop management options. Because water availability is a key driver in this dryland ecosystem, we assessed the ecohydrological dynamics that may govern the vegetative spread of S. volkensii patches in a communal landholding in Laikipia District, Kenya. We assessed surface water flow patterns, soil moisture, S. volkensii proliferation, and adjacent vegetation density along the margins of dense patches of S. volkensii. We found that run‐on zones along patch margins had greater soil moisture than runoff zones following a rain event. These run‐on zones also had significantly higher S. volkensii ramet density, more new ramets, and greater leaf water content. New ramet density was negatively affected by the density of adjacent interpatch vegetation. We interpret these findings in the context of scale‐dependent feedbacks and the cusp catastrophe model of ecosystem transitions. We hypothesize that the amount and spatial heterogeneity of plant available moisture governs the reversibility of transitions in this system and discuss the implications of this finding for management and restoration. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Oxidative stress in the hippocampus after pilocarpine‐induced status epilepticus in Wistar rats

The role of oxidative stress in pilocarpine‐induced status epilepticus was investigated by measuring lipid peroxidation level, nitrite content, GSH concentration, and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in the hippocampus of Wistar rats. The control group was subcutaneously injected with 0.9% saline. The experimental group received pilocarpine (400 mg·kg−1, subcutaneous). Both groups were killed 24 h after treatment. After the induction of status epilepticus, there were significant increases (77% and 51%, respectively) in lipid peroxidation and nitrite concentration, but a 55% decrease in GSH content. Catalase activity was augmented 88%, but superoxide dismutase activity remained unaltered. These results show evidence of neuronal damage in the hippocampus due to a decrease in GSH concentration and an increase in lipid peroxidation and nitrite content. GSH and catalase activity are involved in mechanisms responsible for eliminating oxygen free radicals during the establishment of status epilepticus in the hippocampus. In contrast, no correlations between superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were observed. Our results suggest that GSH and catalase activity play an antioxidant role in the hippocampus during status epilepticus.
Quality of life in people with insomnia.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether subjects with insomnia report greater reductions in quality of life (QoL) than subjects without insomnia when assessed with self-report instruments. METHODS Questionnaires were completed by individuals recruited through media advertisements and screened with a structured telephone interview. Data obtained from 261 individuals with insomnia (INS group) were compared with those of 101 individuals with no sleep complaint, or controls (CTL group). RESULTS Subjects in the INS group obtained lower mean sum scores on the Medical Outcomes Study Cognitive Scale than did subjects in the CTL group (25.34 +/- 0.34 vs 31.91 +/- 0.58, t = 9.53, p < 0.0001). The INS group also obtained lower mean scores on all subscales of the SF-36 Questionnaire compared with those in the CTL group (each, p < 0.0001 or lower), indicating impairments across multiple QoL domains. Psychiatric assessment revealed that subjects in the INS group obtained significantly higher mean item scores than subjects in the control group on the Zung Depression Scale (2.22 +/- 0.03 vs. 1.52 +/- 0.03, p < 0.0001) and the Zung Anxiety Scale (1.96 +/- 0.02 vs. 1.40 +/- 0.04, p < 0.0001). In addition, subjects in the INS group reported significantly greater impairments in specific QoL domains on the QoL inventory, and the Work and Daily Activities Inventory. No differences were observed between subjects in the INS group who were receiving treatment for insomnia versus those who were untreated. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study indicate that significant QoL impairments are associated with insomnia.
An Evaluation of Customer Relationship Management at Information Technology Industry in India *

Customer Relationship Management is now actively considered by organizations across the globe as an integration of database marketing with technology enabled strategy. This macro marketing view has led to look at database for building strategic links for the benefit of the organization and customer in the face of rising costs and competition. The modern information technology allows larger organizations to individualize their products and services as per the varying needs of the customers. Customer Relationship Management is the establishment, development, maintenance and optimization of long term mutually valuable relationships between consumers and the organizations. CRM builds on the philosophy of relationship marketing that aims to create, develop and enhance relationships with carefully targeted customers to maximize customer value, corporate profitability and thus shareholders value. Customer relationship management can be beneficial to both the firm and the customer. From the firm’s point of view, providing services to a client on a long-term basis cuts down customer acquisition costs drastically. It has been found that, loyal customers not only generate more revenue for more years, but also frequently cost less than acquiring new customers. Globalization and deregulation combined with advances in information technology have radically changed the managerial context of service industries. Success of a service provider is dependent on long term relationships that develop between the provider and customer of the service. services typically are produced and consumed simultaneously means it is common for customers to have a direct input to service provision. Customers who have developed a relationship with a service business expert expect to receive satisfactory delivery of core service. The industry scenario in India saw a rapid increase in the various sectors. But the striking factor was observed in the Information Technology (IT) Industry sector. The IT has potential to raise the long-term growth prospects through increased productivity in almost every sector of the economy. The Indian IT industry comprises of a diverse group of companies associated with Information Technology.