Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Shell Collecting. On 17th-Century Conchology, Curiosity Cabinets And Still Life Painting

Shell collections in baroque curiosity cabinets came to form the basis for the science of conchology. This chapter sketches some interrelations between the passion for shell collecting in the Baroque era, the beginnings of conchology as a discipline, and the birth of shell still life painting. The initial connections can be found in the 17th-century's intense preoccupation with shells. The chapter discusses certain aspects of these interrelationships. One of the main focuses is on early depictions of shells in art and the natural sciences, which raises questions regarding the place of these creatures in the baroque biological hierarchy. In the 17th century, the specific structures of shells and whelks were investigated and classified. The chapter also discusses various shell books such as Filippo Buonanni's Ricreatione dell'occhio , Antoni van Leeuwenhoek's Observations on Oysters and Martin Lister's Historia Conchyliorum . Keywords: 17th-century conchology; Baroque era; curiosity cabinets; Historia Conchyliorum ; Observations on Oysters ; Ricreatione dell'occhio ; shell books; shell collections; still life painting
Effect of global postural re-education and isostretching in patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain: a randomized clinical trial

Introduction: Low back pain is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal disorders, but little is known about postural methods in its treatment. Objective: Analyze changes in muscle strength, flexibility, function and pain in patients with chronic low back pain that underwent isostretching and global posture reeducation (GPR). Methods: Thirty-nine patients, aged between 40 and 59 years, were evaluated before and after treatment protocols regarding: flexibility for sit and reach, muscle strength, functional capacity using the Rolland-Morris Questionnaire, and intensity of pain by Visual Analog Scale. The sample was randomized into two groups (1-GPR; 2-Isostretching), all of whom were treated individually through 12 sessions lasting 45 minutes each, twice a week. Results: After treatment, median reduction in pain intensity of 28 mm in group 1 and 32 mm in group 2 was observed, and a median improvement in functional capacity in group 1 of 8.5 points and 7 points in group 2 (p < 0,05). A mean improvement of severn repetitions in trunk extensor muscle strength was observed in group 1 and in group 2; by dynamometry of 10 kg / f in group 1 and 12.5 kg / f in group 2 of ten abdominal repetitions strength in group 1 and four repetitions in group 2 (p < 0.05). In the Sit and Reach, Group 1 had a total mean increase of 3cm, and group 2 had 1.6cm (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Both groups were effective in improvement of muscle strength, flexibility, pain and functional capacity.
On the structuring of discussion transcripts based on utterances automatically classified

This report describes the development of a method of creating argument diagrams of discussions. An argument structure called the Twente Argumenta Schema (TAS) is described together with a corpus of argument diagrams of discussions. Methods are presented to extract values out of several characteristics of utterances in discussions, most of them concerning combinations of words and part of speech tags. Using these values experiments are performed on the classification of utterances in discussions according to TAS. We present several classification results, using as well different values for parameters as different features. Our best performance of 78.52% is a nice improvement over the baseline of classifying utterances according to TAS. Still many improvements can be made, especially in the selection of the right word combinations as characteristics of a class of arguments.
Breast cancer in Indian print media: A case study

The aim of this study is to analyse the portrayal of cancer in print media. The English daily newspapers published from Chandigarh (a Union Territory of India), The Tribune and The Times of India, were selected and a total of 273 articles were analysed in a span of three years. The analysis of data showed various themes such as theories regarding causes and prevention of cancer, risk factors for breast cancer, treatment of breast cancer, and social problems among cancer patients. The liberal use of battle metaphors was also found, along with a number of personal testimonies of breast cancer patients.
Evaluation of machine learning algorithms for detection of road induced shocks buried in vehicle vibration signals

Road surface imperfections and aberrations generate shocks causing vehicles to sustain structural fatigue and functional defects, driver and passenger discomfort, injuries, and damage to freight. The harmful effect of shocks can be mitigated at different levels, for example, by improving road surfaces, vehicle suspension and protective packaging of freight. The efficiency of these methods partly depends on the identification and characterisation of the shocks. An assessment of four machine learning algorithms (Classifiers) that can be used to identify shocks produced on different roads and test tracks is presented in this paper. The algorithms were trained using synthetic signals. These were created from a model made from acceleration measurements on a test vehicle. The trained Classifiers were assessed on different measurement signals made on the same vehicle. The results show that the Support Vector Machine detection algorithm used in conjunction with a Gaussian Kernel Transform can accurately detect shocks generated on the test track with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.89 and a Pseudo Energy Ratio Fall-Out (PERFO) of 8%.
Métodos de sintonización de controladores PID que operan como reguladores

espanolSe presentan varios de los metodos de sintonizacion de controladores PID para lazos de control que operan comoreguladores. Mediante pruebas de simulacion digital se compara el desempeno de los diferentes metodos y se determinala bondad de los mismos con base en criterios de comportamiento y robustez. Finalmente, se ofrecen recomendacionessobre la utilizacion de los metodos probados. EnglishSeveral methods for tuning PID controllers working as regulators are presented. The behavior and goodness of thetuning methods are compared by digital simulation using several performance and robustness criteria.Recommendations for the use of the tested tuning methods are given based on the performance requirements
(Travelocity-Based Detouring)

To enhance web browsing experiences, content distribution net- works (CDNs) move web content "closer" to clients by caching copies of web objects on thousands of servers worldwide. Addi- tionally, to minimize client download times, such systems perform extensive network and server measurements, and use them to redi- rect clients to different servers over short time scales. In this paper, we explore techniques for inferring and exploiting network mea- surements performed by the largest CDN, Akamai; our objective is to locate and utilize quality Internet paths without performing extensive path probing or monitoring. Our contributions are threefold. First, we conduct a broad mea- surement study of Akamai's CDN. We probe Akamai's network from 140 PlanetLab vantage points for two months. We find that Akamai redirection times, while slightly higher than advertised, are sufficiently low to be useful for network control. Second, we em- pirically show that Akamai redirections overwhelmingly correlate with network latencies on the paths between clients and the Akamai servers. Finally, we illustrate how large-scale overlay networks can exploit Akamai redirections to identify the best detouring nodes for one-hop source routing. Our research shows that in more than 50% of investigated scenarios, it is better to route through the nodes "recommended" by Akamai, than to use the direct paths. Because this is not the case for the rest of the scenarios, we develop low- overhead pruning algorithms that avoid Akamai-driven paths when they are not beneficial.
Different patterns of electrophysiological deficit in manifesting and non-manifesting carriers of the DYT1 gene

Summary A mutation in the DYT1 gene on chromosome 9q34 causes early-onset primary torsion dystonia with autosomal dominant inheritance but low phenotypic penetrance. The aim of the present study was to assess the functional consequences of the DYT1 gene, by comparing the electrophysiology of cortical and spinal circuits in clinically affected and unaffected carriers of the DYT1 gene mutation. We assessed intracortical inhibition (ICI), intracortical facilitation (ICF), the cortical silent period (SP) and spinal reciprocal inhibition (RI) in 10 manifesting DYT1 gene carriers (MDYT1), seven non-manifesting DYT1 gene carriers (NMDYT1) and 13 healthy controls. The MDYT1 subjects had abnormalities similar to those seen in previous studies of nongenetically characterized individuals with primary dystonia. They had reduced ICI, shorter SP and absent presynaptic phase of RI compared with the healthy controls. NMDYT1 subjects also had a significant reduction in cortical inhibition (ICI and SP), but their spinal RI was not different from controls. We conclude that clinical expression of dystonia depends on widespread electrophysiological deficits, and the presence of the DYT1 gene mutation itself leads only to a subset of these changes. This is consistent with the hypothesis that additional environmental/genetic insults may be needed to reveal clinical symptoms in DYT1 gene carriers.
A Longitudinal Study of Pro Bono Activities Reported by WPP Group

As organizations formalize their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, many firms are voluntarily disclosing these activities in their annual report. Some advertising agencies, for example, are discovering the benefits of undertaking pro bono work and reporting them in their annual reports. This article uses a longitudinal approach to observe the pro bono activities presented in the annual reports of the largest advertising agency holding company in the world, WPP Group. The amount of “social investment” has been disclosed in the annual reports including details of the financial cost of pro bono activities and the types of organizations that are the recipients. This study provides an insight into the disclosed pro bono activities of a major organization across a 10-year period (2000–2009).
Low Serum Tryptophan Levels as an Indicator of Global Cognitive Performance in Nondemented Women over 50 Years of Age

Aging is a physiological decline process. The number of older adults is growing around the world; therefore, the incidence of cognitive impairment, dementia, and other diseases related to aging increases. The main cellular factors that converge in the aging process are mitochondrial dysfunction, antioxidant impairment, inflammation, and immune response decline, among others. In this context, these cellular changes have an influence on the kynurenine pathway (KP), the main route of tryptophan (Trp) catabolism. KP metabolites have been involved in the aging process and neurodegenerative diseases. Although there are changes in the metabolite levels with age, at this time, there is no study that has evaluated cognitive decline as a consequence of Trp catabolism fluctuation in aging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between the changes in Trp catabolism and cognitive impairment associated with age through KP metabolites level alterations in women over 50 years of age. Seventy-seven nondemented women over 50 years old were examined with a standardized cognitive screening evaluation in Spanish language (Neuropsi), Beck anxiety inventory (BAI), and the geriatric depression scale (GDS). Also, serum levels of Trp, kynurenine (Kyn), kynurenic acid (KYNA), and 3-hydroykynurenine (3-HK) and the glutathione ratio (GSH/GSSG) were measured. Results showed a negative correlation between age and Trp levels and a positive correlation between age and KYNA/Trp and 3-HK/Trp ratios. The level of cognitive impairment showed a significant positive association with age and with kynurenine pathway activation and a significant negative correlation with Trp levels. The GSH/GSSG ratio correlated positively with Trp levels and negatively with Kyn/Trp and 3-HK/Trp ratios. The depression score correlated negatively with Trp and positively with the 3-HK/Trp ratio. We concluded that KP activation increases with age and it is strongly associated with the level of cognition performance in nondemented women over 50 years of age.
MiR-411 suppresses the development of bladder cancer by regulating ZnT1

Background At present, the molecular genetics of the development and progression of bladder cancer are still unclear. In recent years, the pathological relevance and significance of microRNAs (miRNAs) in bladder cancer have attracted increasing attention. Methods The expressions of miR-411 and zinc transporter 1 (ZnT1) in bladder cancer were determined by western blot and real-time PCR. Biological software, luciferase reporter gene, Western blot and real-time PCR were used to determine the regulatory effect of miR-411 on ZnT1. MTT and transwell were used to confirm the regulatory effect of miR-411 on bladder cancer cells. MTT and transwell were used to find how miR-411 modulated the biological activity of bladder cancer cells by regulating ZnT1. Results The expression of miR-411 was low in bladder cancer and was negatively correlated with ZnT1. MiR-411 can inhibit the activity and the expression of ZnT1. MiR-411 can inhibit the growth and metastasis of bladder cancer cells. MiR-411 inhibited the growth and metastasis of bladder cancer cells by targeting ZnT1. Conclusion The miR-411 target ZnT1 may provide a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of bladder cancer.
Screening for Circulating MiR-208a and -b in Different Cardiac Arrhythmias of Dogs

Abstract Introduction In recent years, the high sensitivity and specificity of novel miRNA biomarkers have been utilised for early diagnosis and treatment monitoring of various diseases. Previous reports showed that abnormal expression of miR-208 in mice resulted in the development of an aberrant cardiac conduction system and consecutive arrhythmias. On the other hand, a study on infarcted human heart tissue showed upregulation of miR-208a in subjects with ventricular tachyarrhythmias compared to healthy controls. We prospectively investigated the expression of miR-208a and -208b in the serum of dogs presenting different cardiac arrhythmias. Material and Methods A total of 28 dogs with atrial fibrillation (n = 8), ventricular premature contractions (n=6), conduction system disturbances (n = 7), and free of heart conditions (as controls) (n = 7) were enrolled in the study. Total RNA was extracted from serum samples and miR-208a and -b, miR-16 as well as a cel-miR-39-5p spike-in were analysed with qPCR and ddPCR. Results miR-208a and miR-208b were not expressed in any of the samples. The calculated ddPCR miR-16 relative expression (normalised with cel-miR-39 spike-in) showed a good correlation (r = 0.82; P < 0.001) with the qPCR results. Conclusion This outcome warrants further investigation, possibly focusing on tissue expression of miR-208 in the canine heart.
Safety Evaluation of Nano-Liposomal Formulation of Amphotericin B (Sina Ampholeish) in Animal Model as a Candidate for Treatment of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Background Development of a topical treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is an important step in the improvement of lesion management. Amphotericin B (AmB) is effective against Leishmania species but it is toxic, a Nano-liposomal form of AmB with a size of about 100nm (Lip-AmB) was developed and showed to be effective against Leishmania major, and Leishmania tropica in vitro and against L. major in vivo in animal model. This study was designed to check the irritancy Draize test in rabbits and was completed in the Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, TUMS, in 2012. Methods Twenty rabbits in 3 steps were housed individually with artificial lighting (12/12h light/dark). SinaAmpholeish cream or empty liposomes (prepared under GMP condition at Minoo Company, Tehran, Iran), was applied on a gauze patch and the patches were placed on the designated sites of the skin in the back of the rabbits. At 48 and 72h later, the erythema and oedema were checked, scored and recorded. Results The erythema score in rabbits was 0.83+0.41 for the SinaAmpholeish and 0.5+0.55 for empty liposomes (P= 0.16). The average score for oedema was 0.67+0.52 for SinaAmpholeish and 0.33+0.52 for empty liposomes (P= 0.16). Conclusion Based on skin irritancy reactions the topical formulation of SinaAmpholeish is safe and could be further checked in human trials.
Nucleoredoxin-Dependent Targets and Processes in Neuronal Cells

Nucleoredoxin (Nrx) is an oxidoreductase of the thioredoxin family of proteins. It was shown to act as a signal transducer in some pathways; however, so far, no comprehensive analysis of its regulated substrates and functions was available. Here, we used a combination of two different strategies to fill this gap. First, we analyzed the thiol-redox state of the proteome of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells depleted of Nrx compared to control cells using a differential thiol-labeling technique and quantitative mass spectrometry. 171 proteins were identified with an altered redox state; 161 of these were more reduced in the absence of Nrx. This suggests functions of Nrx in the oxidation of protein thiols. Second, we utilized the active site mutant Cys208Ser of Nrx, which stabilizes a mixed disulfide intermediate with its substrates and therefore trapped interacting proteins from the mouse brain (identifying 1710 proteins) and neuronal cell culture extracts (identifying 609 proteins). Profiling of the affected biological processes and molecular functions in cells of neuronal origin suggests numerous functions of Nrx in the redox regulation of metabolic pathways, cellular morphology, and signal transduction. These results characterize Nrx as a cellular oxidase that itself may be oxidized by the formation of disulfide relays with peroxiredoxins.
Characteristics of 2017 GOLD COPD group A: a multicenter cross-sectional CAP study in Japan

Purpose The 2017 GOLD ABCD classification shifts patients from groups C–D to A–B. Group A was the most widely distributed group in several studies. It would be useful to understand the characteristics for group A patients, but little has been reported concerning these issues. Patients and methods This was a multicenter cross-sectional study using the COPD Assessment in Practice study database from 15 primary or secondary care facilities in Japan. We investigated the clinical characteristics of group A by stratification according to a mMRC grade 0 or 1. Results In 1,168 COPD patients, group A patients accounted for approximately half of the patients. Compared with the groups B–D, group A was younger and had a higher proportion of males, higher pulmonary function, and higher proportion of monotherapy with long-acting muscarinic antagonist or long-acting β-agonist. The prevalence of mMRC grade 1 patients was about two-thirds of group A. Compared with the mMRC 0 patients, mMRC 1 patients showed a tendency to have a higher proportion of exacerbations (P=0.054) and had a significantly lower pulmonary function. Regardless of the mMRC grade, 60% of group A patients were treated with monotherapy of long-acting muscarinic antagonist or long-acting β-agonist. Conclusion Group A patients accounted for approximately half of the patients, and they were younger, had higher pulmonary function, and had lower pharmacotherapy intensity compared with groups B–D. By stratifying according to the mMRC grade 0 or 1 in group A patients, there were differences in the exacerbation risk and airflow limitation.
Neurogenic bowel dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis: prevalence, impact, and management strategies

Bowel dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is highly prevalent. Constipation and fecal incontinence can coexist and alternate, impacting on the patient's quality of life and social interactions, as well as burdening the caregivers. The cost for the health care providers is also significant, with increased number of hospital admissions, treatment-related costs, and hospital appointments. The origin is multifactorial, and includes alteration of neurological pathways, polypharmacy, behavioral elements, and ability to access the toilet. Every patient with MS should be sensitively questioned about bowel function, and red flag symptoms should prompt adequate investigations. Manipulation of life style factors and establishment of a bowel regime should be attempted in the first place, and if this fails, other measures such as biofeedback and transanal irrigation should be included. A stoma can improve quality of life, and is not necessarily a last-ditch option. Antegrade colonic enemas can also be an effective option, whilst neuromodulation has not proved its role yet. Effective treatment of bowel dysfunction improves quality of life, reduces incidence of urinary tract infection, and reduces health care costs.
Validity and reliability of a Turkish pediatric oral health-related quality of life measure

Purpose This study aimed to develop Turkish measures for Pediatric Oral Health-related Quality of Life (POQL) and evaluate their reliability and validity for use in Turkish children aged 8–14 years (Child Self-Report measure; CSR) and their caregivers (Parent Report-on-Child measure; PRC). Materials and methods The English POQL was translated into Turkish, adapted for the Turkish culture, and tested in 149 children and their caregivers attending the Çukurova University Pediatric Dentistry clinics to assess the reliability, internal consistency, and discriminant and convergent validity of the Turkish version. Results The internal consistency of the Turkish POQL evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha was 0.905 for CSR and 0.887 for PRC. To determine the test–retest reliability, the Turkish POQL was administered to a sub-sample (n=16) a second time 2 weeks after the first survey administration. Intraclass correlation coefficient values of the individual items were 0.895 for CSR and 0.992 for PRC. For total scores, there was a significant difference based on clinical caries status and perceived oral health in both CSR and PRC. Conclusion The Turkish POQL is a valid and reliable measure of the perceived impact of oral conditions on children’s lives.