Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Type‐2 Diabetes Time Since Diagnosis on Elderly Women Gait and Functional Status

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The gait, mobility and lower-limb strength alterations of diabetic elderly women without symptoms of diabetic neuropathy in different periods of the chronic disease can contribute to an early functional diagnosis, allowing prevention of adverse outcomes like falls and disability. This could also contribute to the development of interventions, cures and physiotherapy practice for this population. The aim of this study was to verify the impact of type-2 diabetes mellitus time since diagnosis on gait and functional status of elderly women. METHODS Eighty-two diabetic elderly women without neuropathic symptoms participated and divided in two groups: 1) 49 elderly (71.4 ± 4.8 years) with less than 10 years of type-2 diabetes mellitus diagnosis, and 2) 33 elderly (70 ± 4.5 years) with 10 or more years of type-2 diabetes mellitus diagnosis. Outcomes were spatiotemporal gait parameters (speed, cadence, step length, base of support, stance time, swing time, and double support time) assessed through GAITRite® system, and functional status assessed using the Timed Up and Go test and five times sit-to-stand test. To compare spatiotemporal gait variables and performance on functional tests between groups, multivariate analysis of variance and Mann-Whitney test were performed, respectively. RESULTS The group with 10 or more years of diagnosis showed lower gait speed and smaller step length (112.3 cm/s; 59.2 cm) compared with the group with less than 10 years of diagnosis (122.9 cm/s; 62.4 cm). In relation to Timed Up and Go test and five times sit-to-stand test, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups. CONCLUSION Type-2 diabetes mellitus time since diagnosis has a negative impact on gait speed and step length, but not on functional status of the elderly women. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Purification of Citrobacter freundii DNA gyrase and inhibition by quinolones

DNA gyrase is a bacterial enzyme which catalyzes the ATP-dependent negative supercoiling of DNA. It is the accepted target of quinolones. The enzyme from Citrobacter freundii IID976 was purified by affinity chromatography on novobiocin-Sepharose and heparin-Sepharose. It had two subunits, designated A and B, which closely resembled those of the enzyme from Escherichia coli and Micrococcus luteus in enzymatic requirements. The inhibitory effects of the quinolones on the supercoiling activities of the enzyme correlated with their antibacterial activities. New quinolones were better inhibitors of DNA gyrase than nalidixic acid and pipemidic acid. We also purified DNA gyrase from a spontaneous nalidixic acid-resistant mutant (M2-5). The gyrases from IID976 and M2-5 were defined as mixtures of subunits As+Bs (s, susceptible) and Ar+Br (r, resistant), respectively. The supercoiling activities of reconstituted Ar+Br and Ar+Bs were more resistant to quinolones than As+Bs and As+Br. These findings indicate that one mechanism of C. freundii resistance against quinolones is resistance modification of the A subunit protein.
Hepatoprotective, Antioxidant, and Ameliorative Effects of Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and Vitamin E in Acetaminophen Treated Rats

ABSTRACT Ginger is a remedy known to possess a number of pharmacological properties. This study investigated efficacy of ginger pretreatment in alleviating acetaminophen-induced acute hepatotoxicity in rats. Rats were divided into six groups; negative control, acetaminophen (APAP) (600 mg/kg single intraperitoneal injection); vitamin E (75 mg/kg), ginger (100 mg/kg), vitamin E + APAP, and ginger + APAP. Administration of APAP elicited significant liver injury that was manifested by remarkable increase in plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), arginase activities, and total bilirubin concentration. Meanwhile, APAP significantly decreased plasma total proteins and albumin levels. APAP administration resulted in substantial increase in each of plasma triacylglycerols (TAGs), malondialdhyde (MDA) levels, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). However, ginger or vitamin E treatment prior to APAP showed significant hepatoprotective effect by lowering the hepatic marker enzymes (AST, ALT, ALP, and arginase) and total bilirubin in plasma. In addition, they remarkably ameliorated the APAP-induced oxidative stress by inhibiting lipid peroxidation (MDA). Pretreatment by ginger or vitamin E significantly restored TAGs, and total protein levels. Histopathological examination of APAP treated rats showed alterations in normal hepatic histoarchitecture, with necrosis and vacuolization of cells. These alterations were substantially decreased by ginger or vitamin E. Our results demonstrated that ginger can prevent hepatic injuries, alleviating oxidative stress in a manner comparable to that of vitamin E. Combination therapy of ginger and APAP is recommended especially in cases with hepatic disorders or when high doses of APAP are required.
Optimization of acyclovir oral tablets based on gastroretention technology: Factorial design analysis and physicochemical characterization studies

The purpose of this research was to prepare a floating drug delivery system of acyclovir. Floating matrix tablets of acyclovir were developed to prolong gastric residence time and increase its bioavailability. The tablets were prepared by direct compression technique, using polymers such as hydroxypropylmethylcellulose 4000, Compritol 888. Sodium bicarbonate was used as a gas-generating agent. A 32 factorial design using the Design Expert Software (version 7.1.6) was applied to optimize the drug release profile systematically. The amounts of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose 4000 (X1) and Compritol 888 (X2) were selected as independent variables and the percentage drug released in 1 (Q1), 6 (Q6), and 12 (Q12) h as dependent variables. The results of factorial design indicated that a high level of both hydroxypropylmethylcellulose 4000 (X1) and Compritol 888 (X2) favors the preparation of floating controlled-release of acyclovir tablets. Also, a good correlation was observed between predicted and actual values of the dependent variables chosen for the study. By fitting the data into zero-order, first-order, and Higuchi models, we concluded that the release followed Higuchi diffusion kinetics. Storage of the prepared formulations at 40°C/75% relative humidity for 3 months showed no significant change in drug release profiles and buoyancy of the floating tablets. We can conclude that a combination of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose 4000, Compritol 888, and sodium bicarbonate can be used to increase the gastric residence time of the dosage form up to 12 h. These floating tablets seem to be a promising gastroretentive drug delivery system.
AGE-DEPENDENT FLEA (SIPHONAPTERA) PARASITISM IN RODENTS: A HOST'S LIFE HISTORY MATTERS

We studied age-dependent patterns of flea infestation in 7 species of rodents from Slovakia (Apodemus agrarius, A. flavicollis, A. sylvaticus, A. uralensis, Clethrionomys glareolus, Microtus arvalis, and M. subterraneus). We estimated the age of the host from its body mass and expected the host age-dependent pattern of flea abundance, the level of aggregation, and prevalence to be in agreement with theoretical predictions. We expected that the mean abundance and the level of aggregation of fleas would be lowest in hosts of smallest and largest size classes and highest in hosts of medium size classes, whereas pattern of variation of prevalence with host age would be either convex or asymptotic. In general, mean abundance and species richness of fleas increased with an increase in host age, although the pressure of flea parasitism in terms of number of fleas per unit host body surface decreased with host age. We found 2 clear patterns of the change in flea aggregation and prevalence with host age. The first pattern demonstrated a peak of flea aggregation and a trough of flea prevalence in animals of middle age classes (Apodemus species and C. glareolus). The second pattern was an increase of both flea aggregation and flea prevalence with host age (both Microtus species). Consequently, we did not find unequivocal evidence for the main role of either parasite-induced host mortality or acquired resistance in host age-dependent pattern of flea parasitism. Our results suggest that this pattern can be generated by various processes and is strongly affected by natural history parameters of a host species such as dispersal pattern, spatial distribution, and structure of shelters.
A two-target paradigm for an auditory brain-computer interface: A preliminary study

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI), which are capable of operating external devices using human brain activity, have recently been actively studied. Previous studies have developed an auditory BCI using event-related potential (P300) for estimating the single target of a sound source direction to which the subjects pay attention. In this study, we proposed a new paradigm using two targets instead of a conventional one-target paradigm and examined whether it was possible to increase the information transfer rate using this two-target paradigm. We conducted experiments adopting proposed two-target paradigm where two out of six sound directions were defined as a target. Considering the conditions obtained more than 70 % of identification rate of the target direction of sound, results for two-target paradigm showed higher information transfer rates than that for a conventional one-target paradigm for three out of five subjects. From the above, increasing of the target direction might be an effective means to increase information transfer rate of auditory BCI.
Do Institutional Quality and Oil Prices Matter for Economic Growth in Russia: An Empirical Study

In this article we aim to assess the impact of institutional quality and world oil prices on performance of Russian manufacturing sector. Based on the data for the period 1996-2017 for Russia we explore the relationship between institutional quality, measured by the corruption perception index, world oil prices (Brent) and performance of Russian GDP using a VEC framework. For detecting the casual relationship, Granger causality test is applied. The results of the study show that oil prices, institutional quality and economic growth in Russia are cointegrated in the long-run. Yet short-run effects are statistically insignificant. Results of Granger causality test show unidirectional causality running from oil prices and institutional quality to economic growth.
Phenotypic Modulation of Smooth Muscle Cells after Arterial Injury Is Associated with Changes in the Distribution of Laminin and Fibronectin

Earlier in vitro studies suggest opposing roles of laminin and fibronectin in regulation of differentiated properties of vascular smooth muscle cells. To find out if this may also be the case in vivo, we used immunoelectron microscopy to study the distribution of these proteins during formation of intimal thickening after arterial injury. In parallel, cell structure and content of smooth muscle α-actin was analyzed. The results indicate that the cells in the normal media are in a contractile phenotype with abundant α-actin filaments and an incomplete basement membrane. Within 1 week after endothelial denudation, most cells in the innermost layer of the media convert into a synthetic phenotype, as judged by loss of actin filaments, construction of a large secretory apparatus, and destruction of the basement membrane. Some of these cells migrate through fenestrae in the internal elastic lamina and invade a fibronectin-rich network deposited on its luminal surface. Within another few weeks a thick neointima forms, newly produced matrix components replace the strands of fibronectin, and a basement membrane reappears. Simultaneously, the cells resume a contractile phenotype, recognized by disappearance of secretory organelles and restoration of α-actin filaments. These findings support the notion that laminin and other basement membrane components promote the expression of a differentiated smooth muscle phenotype, whereas fibronectin stimulates the cells to adopt a proliferative and secretory phenotype.
A bibliometric analysis of tuberculosis research indexed in PubMed, 1997-2006.

OBJECTIVE To describe a bibliometric review of the literature on tuberculosis (TB) research indexed in PubMed over a 10-year period. METHODS Medline was used via the PubMed online service of the US National Library of Medicine from 1997 to 2006. The search strategy was: [(tuberculosis) OR (tuberculous) in all fields]. RESULTS A total of 35 735 references were located. The average annual growth rate was +4.7%. The articles were published in 2874 scientific journals. Sixteen journals contained 25% of the TB journal literature. The main journal was the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. Western Europe was the most productive region, with 31.1% of the articles. The USA ranked second (21%) and Asia third (19.9%). The USA is the predominant country, followed by India, Japan and the United Kingdom. When normalised by population, the order of prominence is Switzerland, New Zealand and Denmark. Normalised by GDP, Gambia, Malawi and Guinea-Bissau were the most productive countries. Normalised by estimated number of TB cases, Iceland, Switzerland and Norway were in leading positions. CONCLUSIONS There was increasing research activity in the field of TB during the period 1997-2006. The countries with more estimated cases of TB produced less research in TB than industrialised countries.
Unique distance measure approach for K-means (UDMA-Km) clustering algorithm

Clustering technique in data mining has received a significant amount of attention from machine learning community in the last few years and become one of the fundamental research areas. Among the vast range of clustering algorithms, K-means is one of the most popular clustering algorithms. The basic principle of the K-means algorithm is to know how different distance measure is defined. It is a critical issue for K-means users. For example, how can we select a unique distance measure method for an optimum clustering task? Our research provides a statistical based unique distance measure approach for K- means (UDMA-Km) to this issue. We consider 112 supervised datasets and measure the statistical data characteristics using central tendency measure. Those data characteristics are split using well known entropy method to generate the rules. Finally, the generated rules are used to select the unique distance measure for K-means algorithm. The experiment is conducted within 112 problems and 10 fold cross validation methods. The most significant contribution of our study is that a new algorithm was created and the new algorithm can be used and has been used to solve any clustering tasks very quickly and provide much better optimum performance.
Identification and Characterization of a Fructose Phosphotransferase System in Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003

ABSTRACT In silico analysis of the Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 genome allowed identification of four genetic loci, each of which specifies a putative enzyme II (EII) protein of a phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system. The EII encoded by fruA, a clear homologue of the unique EIIBCA enzyme encoded by the Bifidobacterium longum NCC2705 genome, was studied in more detail. The fruA gene is part of an operon which contains fruT, which is predicted to encode a homologue of the Bacillus subtilis antiterminator LicT. Transcriptional analysis showed that the fru operon is induced by fructose. The genetic structure, complementation studies, and the observed transcription pattern of the fru operon suggest that the EII encoded in B. breve is involved in fructose transport and that its expression is controlled by an antiterminator mechanism. Biochemical studies unequivocally demonstrated that FruA phosphorylates fructose at the C-6 position.
Upfront transection and subsequent ligation of the dorsal vein complex during laparoscopic radical prostatectomy

Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer offers several advantages, including creation of a pneumoperitoneum that results in less blood loss than is seen with the corresponding open procedure. Transection of the deep dorsal vein complex remains among the most challenging aspects, however. Safe and secure completion of this procedure is important to minimize blood loss and maximize the chance of cure. Liberal use of coagulation for hemostasis at the dorsal vein complex (DVC) risks thermal damage to the sphincteric muscle. DVC ligation before transection, though commonly performed, can cause loss of some sphincteric fibers and potentially result in delayed recovery of urinary continence. Furthermore, ligation may at times prove difficult, especially in obese patients with a short and broad DVC, a large prostate gland, and a narrow pelvis. The presence of prominent pubic tubercles may further increase the difficulty. We have found that bleeding from the DVC is easily controlled without suture ligation through a combination of a modest pneumoperitoneum with pinpoint coagulation of one or two small arteries that are consistently found in the superficial layer of the complex. Precise, even‐level transection is possible under direct vision with no more than modest blood loss. A stitch in a Z‐shaped fashion is then applied to the entire transected stump of the DVC. This procedure is simple and easily performed, even by those with limited experience. Here we provide an overview of our current technique.
Extended necrosis by using dual-curved therapeutic transducer for noninvasive HIFU surgery

In noninvasive HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) surgery, a treatment time can be reduced by using a therapeutic transducer capable of enlarging a coagulated lesion per sonication. Currently, most of studies have been focused on the expansion of necrosis in the lateral direction than the axial direction. In this paper, we present a novel HIFU transducer with a dual curved aperture which can extend DOF (Depth of Focus) resulting in a broad necrotic region in the axial direction. A prototype dual-curved transducer was fabricated and its performance was successfully tested by conducting simulation of bioheat transfer/thermal dose, hydrophone measurement, and in vitro test with a beef liver. Although several design parameters for the transducer were not optimized, the DOF of the proposed method was 3.5 times larger than that of the conventional single element transducer with the same dimension. Thus, the dual-curved therapeutic transducer may be a potential method to reduce treatment time of HIFU surgery.
fMRI and EEG Responses to Periodic Visual Stimulation

EEG/VEP and fMRI responses to periodic visual stimulation are reported. The purpose of these experiments was to look for similar patterns in the time series produced by each method to help understand the relationship between the two. The stimulation protocol was the same for both sets of experiments and consisted of five complete cycles of checkerboard pattern reversal at 1.87 Hz for 30 s followed by 30 s of a stationary checkerboard. The fMRI data was analyzed using standard methods, while the EEG was analyzed with a new measurement of activation-the VEPEG. Both VEPEG and fMRI time series contain the fundamental frequency of the stimulus and quasi harmonic components-an unexplained double frequency commonly found in fMRI data. These results have prompted a reappraisal of the methods for analyzing fMRI data and have suggested a connection between our findings and much older published invasive electrophysiological measurements of blood flow and the partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Overall our new analysis suggests that fMRI signals are strongly dependant on hydraulic blood flow effects. We distinguish three categories of fMRI signal corresponding to: focal activated regions of brain tissue; diffuse nonspecific regions of steal; and major cerebral vessels of arterial supply or venous drainage. Each category of signal has its own finger print in frequency, amplitude, and phase. Finally, we put forward the hypothesis that modulations in blood flow are not only the consequence but are also the cause of modulations in functional activity.
Stem Cell Tracking by Nanotechnologies

Advances in stem cell research have provided important understanding of the cell biology and offered great promise for developing new strategies for tissue regeneration. The beneficial effects of stem cell therapy depend also by the development of new approachs for the track of stem cells in living subjects over time after transplantation. Recent developments in the use of nanotechnologies have contributed to advance of the high-resolution in vivo imaging methods, including positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission tomography (SPECT), magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and X-Ray computed microtomography (microCT). This review examines the use of nanotechnologies for stem cell tracking.
Calibration of the Photoplethysmogram to Arterial Blood Pressure: Capabilities and Limitations for Continuous Pressure Monitoring

It is well known that the photoplethysniogram (PPG) is related to the underlying arterial blood pressure (ABP). However, there is ambiguity regarding the precise relationship of these two circulatory signals: some investigators have described a static relationship, while others have used more complex dynamic characterizations. This paper attempts to reconcile these models, employing results obtained from controlled human subject tests. Our data indicate that there is no simple relationship between the continuous PPG and ABP. However, when several serial beats are aggregated, a static, reproducible relationship is observed. This suggests that, in a stable experimental environment, most of the factors that decouple the ABP and PPG operate over short time scales. When these factors are eliminated through beat averaging, calibrated plethysmography offers a near-continuous estimation of ABP. Our data suggest that this PPG/ABP relationship is not stationary, since it is less consistent over time scales greater than 20 minutes. Variable local ABP was generated by raising and lowering the subjects' hands; this method also offered the means for oscillometric BP measurement without any additional actuator such as a conventional pneumatic cuff