Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recombinant human interferon beta in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis: a review of the major clinical trials

The beneficial effects of interferon beta (IFN‐β) on disease activity in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) have been confirmed in several clinical trials. Three IFN‐β products are currently available and licensed for use in RRMS at different dosages and with different routes of administration. For the prescribing physician, therefore, questions remain about the effect these differences may have on the success of therapy. This paper reviews the four large placebo‐controlled clinical trials that have been conducted with IFN‐β in patients with RRMS. The evidence available indicates that optimal results are likely to be achieved with the highest tolerable dosage of IFN‐β. Furthermore, as inflammatory brain lesions in MS have been shown to exhibit more extensive and early axonal damage than previously suspected, early treatment may be advisable in order to delay disease progression in RRMS.
pKa shift‐associated effects in enantioseparations by cyclodextrin‐mediated capillary zone electrophoresis

Enantioselective migration of dansylated (Dns) amino acids in the presence of hydroxypropylated‒β‒cyclodextrin under acidic conditions near the pI value of the analytes was investigated by means of capillary zone electrophoresis. Based on the migration data, the pH dependence of the complexation constants was evaluated, as well as the variation of the complex mobilities with pH. As a result of these data, the migration behavior in the pH region near the pI could be understood, which, in some instances, includes the reversal of migration order upon variation of selector concentration. The enantioselective pKa shifts upon complexation could be quantitated for the carboxylic and the amino group separately. pKa shifts were found in the order of 0.8 pI units, the differences between the enantiomers being up to 0.25 pH units. These data were in agreement with the pI shifts reported from isoelectric focusing experiments. The accurate determination of the pI values of the Dns amino acids makes it possible to calibrate the pI scale in isoelectric focusing in the presence of chiral selectors.
Success Factors in Cooperative Online Marketplaces: Trust as the Social Capital and Value Generator in Vendors-Exchange Relationships

The business reliance on cooperative online exchanges for business-to-business transactions is on the rise. This paper examines the factors contributing to the success of vendor-exchange relationships in this type of marketplace. We use a Critical Realism approach to identify constructs salient to vendors-exchange relationships. A synthesis of value creation, social capital, and trust theories is used for conceptualizing the model. The model is tested using the data from a survey of vendors participating in a cooperative exchange. Results indicated that value creation was the main source of continuance in vendors-exchange relationship. However, the perception of value depended to a larger degree on the relationship quality and to a lesser degree on transactional exchanges (using the exchange's technology solutions as the sources of transaction), indicating the strength and extent of vendors-exchange relationship is an intangible asset for the exchange company. We also found that the exchange company's innovativeness was critical to the perceived quality of transactional exchanges, whereas perception of unfair treatment and communication quality influenced relationship quality. The results also indicated that trust was the main source for the social capital that contributed to perceived value of relationship. The ability of the exchange company to build a community was another factor contributing to the success of this relationship.
Influence of probiotics on rat liver biotransformation enzymes.

OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to find, whether probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 O6:K5:H1 (EcN) influence the amount and activity of cytochromes P450 (CYP) in rat liver. DESIGN Live bacterial suspension of EcN was applied to the female Wistar rats in single dose or for 14 days consecutively. The bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) isolated by phenol extraction from the EcN was given to the rats for 14 days as well. Control rats were treated with the saline solution daily for 14 days. Relative amount of CYP2C6, CYP2C9 (corresponding to rat CYP2C11), CYP3A1 and CYP1A2 protein expression in rat liver microsomes was determined by Western blotting. For the determination of six CYP activities (corresponding to human CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2B6, CYP3A4, CYP2C9 and CYP2D6) fluorescence, luminescence or absorbance detection was used. RESULTS The data presented show that the changes of the total content of the CYP enzymes in rat liver are not significant after administration of the probiotic for 1 or 14 days as well as of the LPS. Western blots revealed a slight increase in CYP2C6 protein expression; level of another rat CYP2C protein (readings with anti-human CYP2C9 antibody corresponding to the rat CYP2C11) as well as of CYP1A2 was elevated after administration of LPS; a small decrease was observed with CYP3A1 protein. Changes in activities of CYP forms are not significant, only the activity of rat CYP2C forms in liver microsomal samples of rats given free LPS appeared to exhibit a small, but significant tendency to increase. CONCLUSION The results show that the p.o. administration of probiotics to rat does not markedly influence the rat hepatic CYP enzymes.
The laparoscopically harvested omentum as a free flap for autologous breast reconstruction

In autologous breast reconstruction, abdominal based flaps are by far the most common choice from the wide range of free flaps available. In selected cases, a laparoscopically harvested omental free flap (LHOFF) can be used. Patient satisfaction has not been reported until now. In this article, we report our experience using LHOFF in breast reconstruction including our technique, patient satisfaction, and donor/recipient site complications.
The influence of pressure relaxation on the structure of an axial vortex

Governing equations including the effects of pressure relaxation have been utilized to study an incompressible, steady-state viscous axial vortex with specified far-field circulation. When sound generation is attributed to a velocity gradient tensor-pressure gradient product, the modified conservation of momentum equations that result yield an exact solution for a steady, incompressible axial vortex. The vortex velocity profile has been shown to closely approximate experimental vortex measurements in air and water over a wide range of circulation-based Reynolds numbers. The influence of temperature and humidity on the pressure relaxation coefficient in air has been examined using theoretical and empirical approaches, and published axial vortex experiments have been employed to estimate the pressure relaxation coefficient in water. Non-equilibrium pressure gradient forces have been shown to balance the viscous stresses in the vortex core region, and the predicted pressure deficits that result from this non.
Conformational transitions in N-linked oligosaccharides.

An assignment strategy involving 1H-1H correlated spectroscopy (COSY), relayed correlation spectroscopy (RECSY), nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY), and triple quantum filtered correlated spectroscopy (TQCOSY) is described for six related N-linked oligosaccharides. These are of three "types", i.e., complex, bisected complex, and oligomannose. Using spin-spin coupling constant data derived from these assignments, together with semiempirical quantum mechanical energy calculations, we have examined the rotamer distributions at the Man alpha 1-6Man beta-linkage in each structure, and additionally at the Man alpha 1-6Man alpha-linkage in oligomannose oligosaccharides. We show that while several primary sequence differences are "passive", certain key residues modulate the orientation of the alpha 1-6 arms. These residues may be proximal or distal to the site of the conformational change. There is no direct correlation between these perturbations and the oligosaccharide type. These data are discussed in terms of the proposed recognition function of oligosaccharides in biological systems.
What We Have Learned about Cachexia in Gastrointestinal Cancer

It is appreciated widely by clinicians that significant malnutrition accompanies malignant processes in approximately 50% of patients and eventually leads to severe wasting which accounts for approximately 30% of cancer-related deaths overall, 30–50% of deaths in patients with gastrointestinal tract cancers, and up to 80% of deaths in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The body wasting known as cancer cachexia is a complex syndrome characterized by progressive tissue depletion and decreased nutrient intake that is manifested clinically as inexplicable, recalcitrant anorexia and inexorable host weight loss. Decreased nutritional intake, increased metabolic expenditure and dysfunctional metabolic processes, including hormonal and cytokine-related abnormalities, all appear to play roles in the development of cancer cachexia. Although this condition of advanced protein-calorie malnutrition, sometimes described as the cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome, is not entirely understood, it appears to be multifactorial, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients, and ultimately leads to death. Therapeutic interventions have met with little success, and, regardless of tremendous efforts throughout the decades, the exact nature of the mediators responsible for cancer cachexia remain elusive. The pathogenesis of cancer cachexia appears to be related to proinflammatory cytokines, alterations in the neuroendocrine axis and tumor-derived catabolic factors. Despite trials of conventional and/or aggressive nutritional support by a myriad of feeding techniques, patients with cancer cachexia have failed to gain consistent significant benefits in terms of weight gain, functional ability, quality of life or survival. Additionally, attempts to ameliorate the abnormal clinical and metabolic features of cancer cachexia with a variety of pharmacologic agents have met with only limited success. Either until cancer of the gastrointestinal tract can be cured or until it is possible to identify the exact causes and mechanisms of the cancer cachexia syndrome, the most realistic and practical options currently are directed toward minimizing adverse gastrointestinal side effects or complications of the malignant process and/or therapy, as well as increasing appetite, food intake and nutrient utilization in an effort to enhance quality of life and improve survival.
Experimental violation of Bell's inequality based on phase and momentum.

Two-color photon pairs are selected by two double apertures placed to satisfy the phase-matching conditions at a down-conversion crystal. The different wavelengths are superposed at spatially separated points on a beamsplitter and coincident two-photon detections are measured. On adjusting phase plates in the beams before the beamsplitter an apparent nonlocal fourth-order interference effect is seen which violates Bell's inequality by several standard deviations.
Visibility and Findability of the Nursing Home Compare Website

Nursing Home Compare (NHC) is a federal government website providing information for selecting a nursing home. However, not many consumers were aware of or can locate the site. This study analyzed 50 official state and District of Columbia websites from September through December 2013. Using Google “inlink:” operator, this study evaluated the visibility and findability of NHC links in each state-level website. The results show that a link to NHC is available in all states except for Connecticut, Florida, and Michigan. Although it took only 4.7 clicks on average to the page with a NHC link, consumers may still have difficulty to find NHC from a state website. This article provides a snapshot of the visibility and findability of NHC and indicates a need for further investigation of promising website dissemination strategies not yet adequately evaluated.
Characteristics of Dispositional Mindfulness in Patients With Severe Cardiac Disease

The characteristics of dispositional mindfulness have rarely been explored in unhealthy populations. The authors sought to evaluate its association(s) with psychological morbidity and disease severity in 30 outpatients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators who were naïve to mindfulness training. They used the Five Facets of Mindfulness and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to measure dispositional mindfulness and anxiety/depression, respectively. Associations were estimated using linear regression models. Higher dispositional mindfulness was observed in patients with lower anxiety scores (β = −1.10, CI = −1.71, −0.49) and no history of depression (β = −7.95; CI = −14.31, −1.6) by univariate analysis. No associations were observed with disease severity or other covariates. In conclusion, psychological well-being and psychological morbidity, and not disease severity, appear to be associated with dispositional mindfulness in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators. Further research is needed to confirm these findings. Accepted for publication March 8, 2011.
Perceived Value of Social Media: An empirical investigation

This research reports on a value-based empirical investigation of the adoption of Twitter social media application. A cross-sectional survey-based study conducted through the web site of a North-American university revealed that people familiar with Twitter see more value in the hedonic side and less value in the social side, both in comparison to the utilitarian value of this social media. The study looked with magnifying lens at social factors and found that influence from significant other people and social image of Twitter users favor the adoption, whereas perceived critical mass and perceived social presence do not count statistically in the equation. Overall, the study opens the door for investigating user perceptions on popular social media applications in an effort to understand the unparalleled success of these services in recent years.
The relevance bias: Valence-specific, relevance-modulated performance in a two-choice detection task

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that relevance modulates subsequent non-emotional behaviour, using a personalised mental-imagery-cued relevance manipulation paradigm. Participants had to build positive, negative and neutral mental images based on personalised scenarios that had been selected during an earlier picture-cued imagery phase. Participants imagined situations that were highly relevant for them and situations that were moderately relevant for them, depending on the effects the situations could exert on them. After each mental image, the effect of the relevance manipulation was tested in a two-choice detection task. The interaction of relevance and valence was found to be predictive of the response times. Moreover, in the high-relevance condition, longer response times were observed for positive scenarios compared to negative ones, whereas in the low-relevance condition, shorter response times were observed for positive scenarios compared to negative ones. Results are consistent with the motivational theory of emotions, which posits that low-relevance stimuli trigger valence-specific attention modulations, whereas high-relevance stimuli trigger valence-specific action tendencies.
Electronic and optical properties of CeS under pressure.

Etude de la structure de bande du compose par la methode autocoherante lineaire de l'onde plane amelioree, dans l'approximation de densite locale. La densite des etats et le nombre d'occupation partiel sont presentes en fonction du parametre cristallin afin d'estimer la variation de la valence avec la pression. On calcule le coefficient de la chaleur specifique lineaire, la partie imaginaire de la fonction dielectrique, et la partie reelle de la conductivite optique
Evolutionary Algorithms Applied to Agribusiness Scheduling Problem

This paper addresses a scheduling problem in agribusiness context, especifically about chicken catching. To solve that problem, memetic algorithms combined with local search in a two-phase algorithm were proposed and investigated. Four versions of memetic algorithms were implemented and compared. Also, to apply local search, k-swap and SRP is proposed and experimented. At last we analyze the results, comparing performances. The obtained results show a good improvement in solutions, especially when compared to the manual scheduling actually performed by the company that provides the data to this study.
GraphTiles: Visualizing graphs on mobile devices

Our society will soon generate and consume over one zettabyte of information each year [1]. A great deal of this information is consumed using mobile devices, which unlike PCs are always with us. We often use mobile devices to explore graphs: for example IMDb [2] links movies to actors to movies, Pandora [4] links songs to artists to songs, and LinkedIn [3] connects professionals. Existing techniques for graph visualization are not a good fit for mobile devices, which have very limited input and output surfaces, and which typically support light interactions like casual browsing or answering fairly specific questions. In this paper, we introduce GraphTiles, a visual interface supporting mobile information seeking behavior on graphs. Starting from a central location accessed using search, GraphTiles lets users browse the surrounding graph neighborhood. It displays nodes using small thumbnails or icons, and arranges them into a gridded layout with each column representing an increasing number of links away from the central location. As a testbed for design and evaluation, we used IMDb. Our design study evaluated several explicit link representations, finding that lines support information seeking better than other representations. Our summative evaluation found that users can find information much more quickly with GraphTiles than with IMDb’s mobile site. IMDb’s movie-to-actor graph is bipartite. To demonstrate GraphTiles’ use with a non-bipartite graph, we also show visualizations of the Seattle Band Map’s [5] band-to-band graph.
The Effects of Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) on Levels of CD4+ and CD8+ in Patients with Epithelial Ovarian Cancer or Peritoneal Cancer Receiving Platinum Based Chemotherapy

Background: Adjuvant chemotherapy is a required treatment for most patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) or peritoneal cancer. However, it has many adverse events which may affect oncologic outcomes. Active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) has been reported to be an immunoenhancer to decrease adverse events of chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: Patients were randomized and allocated to receive either AHCC three grams/day (500mg/capsule) or placebo. These drugs were administrated as two capsules orally three times a day throughout six cycles of chemotherapy. The primary outcome was a change of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell lymphocytes in peripheral blood samples from baseline to completion of chemotherapy. Secondary outcomes were rate of bone marrow suppression, adverse events and quality of life (QOL) as assessed by Thai version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G). Results: Study outcomes were analyzed in 28 patients, 14 patients in each group. Changes in CD4+ and CD8+ T cell lymphocytes levels were not significantly different between AHCC and placebo group; 43.5/ul (-237.5, 143.3) versus -69.5 /ul (-223.8, 165) for CD4+ level, p=0.61 and 49.5. 0 /ul (-80, 153.3) versus 4.0 /ul (-173, 62.5) for CD8+ level, p=0.19. However, CD8+ levels were significantly higher in the AHCC group at the sixth cycle of chemotherapy; 392.5. 0 /ul (310.8, 598) versus 259.5 /ul (170.5, 462.3), p=0.03. There was no difference in bone marrow suppression and QOL between the two groups. Adverse events in terms of nausea and vomiting significantly decreased but muscle pain significantly increased in the AHCC group. Conclusions: Changes in CD4+ and CD8+ T cell lymphocytes from baseline were not significantly increased in AHCC group. However, CD8+T cell lymphocytes levels were significantly higher in the AHCC group at the sixth cycle of chemotherapy.
An Investigation Into Competence in TCM of BSN Graduates From Technological Universities in Taiwan

&NA; The purpose of this study was to determine what competences in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) should be possessed by Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduates from technological universities in Taiwan. There were two phases in this study: focus groups and expert panel discussion. First, we held four focus groups, and interviewed 31 participants, including consumers, nursing staff and clinical nursing faculty. The interview tapes were transcribed verbatim, were proofed for accuracy and the content was analyzed. The results were then discussed by four academic experts in a panel discussion. Results indicated that the TCM competences of BSN graduates from technological universities should include the following: (1) to understand the basic concepts of TCM, including Yin/Yang, the Five Evolutive Phases, holistic view, the Five Viscera and Six Bowels, Meridians, etiology, and concepts of therapy and health preservation; (2) to recognize the cold and hot nature of food; (3) to illustrate the common dietetic care for immune enhancement in the four seasons, and the foods that help postnatal and postoperative physical regeneration; (4) to illustrate the properties, indications, and administration of common Chinese medicines, including: Ginseng, Lycium, Astragalus, Angelica sinensis (danggui), Chrysanthemum, Pinellia, Zizyphi fructus; (5) to describe the properties, indications, adverse effects, and administration of Siwutang and Shenghuatang; (6) to describe basic principles of administering both Chinese medicine and Western medicine; (7) to describe the indications and cautions of the following techniques: acupuncture, scraping therapy, and cupping; (8) to implement acupressure as a measure for promoting comfort under the following conditions: pain, vomiting, insomnia, palpitations; and (9) to demonstrate an open mind and cautious attitude to respect consumers using TCM. Results of the study can serve as a reference for nurse educators when training BSN graduates from technological universities in TCM competences.