Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Screening of Radical-Scavenging Natural Neuroprotective Antioxidants from Swertia chirayita

To detect and identify natural antioxidants in Swertia chirayita with protective effect against cerebral infarction, a screening method, using column chromatography and cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat, was developed. Seventeen compounds were purposefully separated and identified by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Ultraviolet Spectrum, and Mass Spectrometry. The purified compounds were further screened by radical scavenging activity and cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats. Two compounds showed apparent radical scavenging activity and neuroprotective activity. The two compounds were identified as 1-hydroxy-2,3,4,6-tetramethoxyxanthone and 1,5,8-trihydroxy-3-methoxy xanthone, and were preliminarily considered as primary natural neuroprotective antioxidants in Swertia chirayita . These two compounds (20 mg kg^−1) markedly decreased infarct size to below 5%, and also caused a significant improvement of activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) (92.90 ± 11.19 U ml −1 ), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) (122.58 ± 12.31 μmol mg −1 ) and a decrease in the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) (3.98 ± 2.00 nmol ml −1 ) in serum. The two compounds showed strong capability for protective effects against cerebral damages induced by ischemia-reperfusion, and the protective effect may be related to the inhibition of lipid peroxidation. The use of the screening method based on tracing separation and ischemia reperfusion would provide a new way for detection of radical-scavenging and natural neuroprotective compounds from Swertia chirayita or complex matrices.
Pregel: a system for large-scale graph processing - "ABSTRACT"

Many practical computing problems concern large graphs. Standard examples include the Web graph and various social networks. The scale of these graphs—in some cases billions of vertices, trillions of edges—poses challenges to their efficient processing. Despite the ubiquity of large graphs and their commercial importance, we know of no scalable general-purpose system for implementing graph algorithms in a distributed environment. To address distributed processing of real-life graphs, we defined a model of computation and realized it through a scalable and fault-tolerant system called Pregel, with an expressive and flexible API. The high-level organization of Pregel programs is inspired by Valiant’s Bulk Synchronous Parallel model. Pregel computations consist of a sequence of iterations, called supersteps. During a superstep the framework invokes a userdefined Compute() function for each vertex, conceptually in parallel. The function specifies behavior at a single vertex v and a single superstep S. It can read messages sent to v in superstep S − 1, send messages to other vertices that will be received at superstep S + 1, and modify the state of v and its outgoing edges. Messages are typically sent along outgoing edges, but a message may be sent to any vertex whose identifier is known. A program terminates when all vertices declare that they are done. The input and output are both directed graphs. They are often but not always isomorphic, because vertices and edges can be added and removed during computation. Userdefined handlers are applied to resolve conflicts for concurrent mutations. The vertex-centric flavor of programming in Pregel is similar to the MapReduce model in that programmers focus on a local action, processing a single item at a time, which the system then lifts to computation on a large dataset. The synchronicity of the Pregel model simplifies writing correct programs and simplifies reasoning about the inter-
Syphilis and HIV coinfection - Hungarian Sexually Transmitted Infection Centre Experience between 2005 and 2013.

BACKGROUND STIs like HIV and syphilis are acquired as comorbidities by high risk populations and may influence their original course and prognosis. METHODS Between January of 2005 and 2013 data of syphilis and HIV patients were collected at the Department of Dermatology of Semmelweis University, Budapest. Diagnostic procedures included clinical analysis and screening of serum samples for Treponema pallidum and HIV antibodies. RESULTS A total of 1,401 new syphilitic and 338 new HIV infections were diagnosed. In syphilis patients 86.58% had monoinfection,7.92% already had an HIV infection and 5.5% had acquired syphilis and HIV infection simultaneously, so 22.78% of the new HIV patients acquired the infection with syphilis together. Male gender, MSM (men who had sex with men) orientation and positive past venerological history were dominant in all groups. Most patients were diagnosed in a latent infectious stage based on the result of a serological check-up. Secondary stage and neurosyphilis were more common in coinfections. CONCLUSION (i) male gender, MSM orientation, and positive venerological history are risk factors for acquiring new STIs, (ii) clinical course were different in HIV infected patients, (iii) but their timely and regular check-ups resulted in earlier diagnosis of syphilis, suggesting the necessity for frequent screening.
Safe and effective fine-grained TCP retransmissions for datacenter communication

This paper presents a practical solution to a problem facing high-fan-in, high-bandwidth synchronized TCP workloads in datacenter Ethernets---the TCP incast problem. In these networks, receivers can experience a drastic reduction in application throughput when simultaneously requesting data from many servers using TCP. Inbound data overfills small switch buffers, leading to TCP timeouts lasting hundreds of milliseconds. For many datacenter workloads that have a barrier synchronization requirement (e.g., filesystem reads and parallel data-intensive queries), throughput is reduced by up to 90%. For latency-sensitive applications, TCP timeouts in the datacenter impose delays of hundreds of milliseconds in networks with round-trip-times in microseconds. Our practical solution uses high-resolution timers to enable microsecond-granularity TCP timeouts. We demonstrate that this technique is effective in avoiding TCP incast collapse in simulation and in real-world experiments. We show that eliminating the minimum retransmission timeout bound is safe for all environments, including the wide-area.
Why using robots to teach computer science can be successful theoretical reflection to andragogy and minimalism

To help students understand subjects such as theoretical aspects of computation, algorithmic reasoning and intelligence of machines, a number of publications report experiments to teach these topics with the help of Lego Mindstorms robots. In the publications, the researchers report how they have created various ways to approach the issues either in Computer Science or in Artificial Intelligence. The reported results of the experiments are based on the learning outcomes, the feedback from the students, and the perceived informal observations (i.e. "feelings") of the instructors. But can anyone else benefit from the reportedly positive outcomes of the experiments? To give an answer to that question, this paper analyses the reported results through two support theories. The two theories chosen for this, andragogy and minimalism, are concerned with adult learning and how teaching adults should be approached. When reflecting the results of the four teaching experiments to the suggestions drawn from the theories, a more comprehensive answer to why the experiments have been successful can be given. The four teaching experiments analysed here were in many ways similar to each other. A connection to the chosen support theories was straightforward to make. Besides describing the artefacts of teaching with the robots, a deeper discussion on this teaching approach is provided. For an instructor, all these observations offer more concrete evidence about beneficial factors of teaching with robots.
Application of Digital Image Cross Correlation to Study Sinkhole Collapse

This paper presents the results of a study using a transparent soil experimental technique and numerical modeling to detect 3D deformations resulting from submerged cavities that lead to a sinkhole. Excessive deformations from underground activity beneath highway pavements could lead to sinkhole collapse. The formation of a sinkhole is often sudden and can lead to extensive damage and loss of life, especially in urban areas. The use of transparent soils permitted the visualization of internal ground deformations which allowed for comprehensive evaluation of the extension of failure. A series of finite element analyses have also been carried out for the tests conditions. The observed sinkhole, at the surface, is found to be a small indicator of the final size and magnitude of the internal deformations as a subsequent funnel-shaped depression developed with a hole at the center. The modeling results emphasized the need to extend the repair zone following sinkhole collapse by a minimum distance that equals twice the cavity diameter away and ahead of the developed hole. Results of this study are believed to be of practical interest for predicting surface and internal ground deformations following sinkhole collapse which could be useful for the stability assessment of underground utilities and the development of a restoration plan after collapse occurred. The results also provided approximate bounds to areas affected by the sinkhole allowing for collapse risk to be assessed.
Interacting with paper on the DigitalDesk

In the 1970's Xerox PARC developed the " desktop metaphor, " which made computers easy to use by making them look and act like ordinary desks and paper. This led visionaries to predict the " paperless office " would dominate within a few years, but the trouble with this prediction is that people like paper too much. It is portable, tactile, universally accepted, and easier to read than a screen. Today, we continue to use paper, and computers produce more of it than they replace. Instead of trying to use computers to replace paper, the DigitalDesk takes the opposite approach. It keeps the paper, but uses computers to make it more powerful. It provides a Computer Augmented Environment for paper. The DigitalDesk is built around an ordinary physical desk and can be used as such, but it has extra capabilities. A video camera is mounted above the desk, pointing down at the work surface. This camera's output is fed through a system that can detect where the user is pointing, and it can read documents that are placed on the desk. A computer-driven electronic projector is also mounted above the desk, allowing the system to project electronic objects onto the work surface and onto real paper documents — something that can't be done with flat display panels or rear-projection. The system is called DigitalDesk because it allows pointing with the fingers. Several applications have been prototyped on the DigitalDesk. The first was a calculator where a sheet of paper such as an annual report can be placed on the desk allowing the user to point at numbers with a finger or pen. The camera reads the numbers off the paper, recognizes them, and enters them into the display for further calculations. Another is a translation system which allows users to point at unfamiliar French words to get their English definitions projected down next to the paper. A third is a paper-based paint program (PaperPaint) that allows users to sketch on paper using traditional tools, but also be able to select and paste these sketches with the camera and projector to create merged paper and electronic documents. A fourth application is the DoubleDigitalDesk, which allows remote colleagues to " share " their desks, look at each other's paper documents and sketch on them remotely. This dissertation introduces the concept of Computer Augmented Environments, describes the DigitalDesk and applications for it, and …
Acidophilus milk products: Manufacture and therapeutics

Abstract Consumption of acidophilus milk products as a dietary adjunct is considered to impart many health benefits. These include (i) control of intestinal infections, (ii) stabilization of intestinal micro‐flora, (iii) control of serum cholesterol level, (iv) prevention of colon cancer, and (v) enhanced availability of nutrients. However, L. acidophilus grows slowly in milk, which results in overgrowth of other microorganisms present. Hence, acidophilus milk products are characterized by an unpleasant flavor and are not acceptable as a normal component of diet. Attempts have, therefore, been made to manufacture acceptable acidophilus milk products possessing wider consumer appeal. The manufacturing and therapeutical aspects of acidophilus milk products are discussed in this review.
An agent model for the influence of culture on bargaining

Cross-cultural negotiation poses special challenges. In this paper an agent-based simulation model is presented that tackles these challenges. The model represents a trade network for a good with a hidden quality attribute. Agents have culture scripts that are based on Hofstede's dimensions of culture. They have visible group membership and status attributes that are used by their hidden cultural rules of behaviour. They bargain according to the ABMP bargaining model that has a utility function consisting of expected gain, quality, and risk. The paper presents the model and shows results of test runs. These test runs have face validity when compared with real negotiations. Formal tests of correspondence between the model and the trade game on which is it based have yet to be conducted. Extensions will make it a useful tool for training traders who engage in cross-cultural bargaining. The present version is helping to explain the behaviours of actors in international trade networks. It proves that Hofstede's dimensions can be used to generate agents that are believable negotiators.
ANTICONVULSANT EFFECTS OF AQUEOUS AND ETHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF CROCUS SATIVUS L. STIGMAS IN MICE

Background-Crocus sativus L. stigma (CSS) has sedative properties and is used in traditional medicine for its anticonvulsant property. Objective-We studied the anticonvulsant activity of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of CSS in mice in order to evaluate the traditional use of this plant. Methods-The pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and the maximal electroshock seizure (MES) tests were used for assessing the anticonvulsive effects of this plant. Results-In the PTZ test, CSS delayed the onset of tonic convulsions, but failed to produce complete protection against mortality. In the MES test, both extracts decreased the duration of tonic seizures. Conclusion-The results of this study indicate that the extracts of CSS may be beneficial in both absence and tonic clonic seizures.
One size fits all? Promoting condom use for sexually transmitted infection prevention among heterosexual young adults

The aims of this exploratory qualitative study were to increase our understanding of heterosexual young adults? knowledge and beliefs about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) other than HIV, to explore their beliefs about the factors that influence condom use for STI prevention, and to explore their ideas about how best to promote condom use for STI prevention. Data came from a qualitative study that used 11 group discussions with 53 heterosexual men and women aged 18-25. Respondents thought that STI infection and unplanned pregnancy were equally likely, but were less concerned about STIs than unplanned pregnancy. Respondents gave several reasons for their low levels of concern about STIs. They also suggested several means to promote condom use for STI prevention. They supported multi-faceted condom promotion campaigns, using multiple styles of communication and a variety of media. The range of suggestions given by participants suggests that rather than employing a 'one size fits all' strategy, a variety of different approaches are needed to promote condom use for STI prevention.
Quincy: fair scheduling for distributed computing clusters

This paper addresses the problem of scheduling concurrent jobs on clusters where application data is stored on the computing nodes. This setting, in which scheduling computations close to their data is crucial for performance, is increasingly common and arises in systems such as MapReduce, Hadoop, and Dryad as well as many grid-computing environments. We argue that data-intensive computation benefits from a fine-grain resource sharing model that differs from the coarser semi-static resource allocations implemented by most existing cluster computing architectures. The problem of scheduling with locality and fairness constraints has not previously been extensively studied under this resource-sharing model. We introduce a powerful and flexible new framework for scheduling concurrent distributed jobs with fine-grain resource sharing. The scheduling problem is mapped to a graph datastructure, where edge weights and capacities encode the competing demands of data locality, fairness, and starvation-freedom, and a standard solver computes the optimal online schedule according to a global cost model. We evaluate our implementation of this framework, which we call Quincy, on a cluster of a few hundred computers using a varied workload of data-and CPU-intensive jobs. We evaluate Quincy against an existing queue-based algorithm and implement several policies for each scheduler, with and without fairness constraints. Quincy gets better fairness when fairness is requested, while substantially improving data locality. The volume of data transferred across the cluster is reduced by up to a factor of 3.9 in our experiments, leading to a throughput increase of up to 40%.
PREDICTORS OF LIFE SATISFACTION AMONG FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF HOSPITALIZED FIRST-EVER STROKE PATIENTS IN KELANTAN

Objective: The involvement of families in assisting health professionals in providing care for their family members who suffer a stroke during hospitalization is common in Malaysia. Family caregivers are accountable in providing for the first-ever stroke survivor’s needs, including maintaining functional improvements gained in rehabilitation and the long-term well-being of the stroke survivors. The objective of this study was to determine the predictors of life satisfaction among family caregivers of hospitalized first-ever stroke patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional community research design study with purposive sampling. It involved 102 family caregivers of hospitalized first-ever stroke patients of two tertiary hospitals in Kelantan. The Bakas Caregiving Outcomes Score (BCOS) was used to measure life satisfaction. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the predictors of life satisfaction. Results: Out of 102 respondents, 21 were males and 81 were females with age range of 16 to 76 years. Significant predictors of life satisfaction of caregivers while caring for their hospitalized first-ever stroke family members were caregivers’ health (β: -2.875, 95%CI: -5.725, -0.025, p = 0.048), patients’ age (β: - 4.251, 95% CI: - 6.379, -2.123, p<0.001) and educational status of patients (β: 3.176, 95% CI: 1.083, 5.269, p = 0.003). Conclusion: This study highlighted predictors of life satisfaction among caregivers while caring for their hospitalized family members with stroke. The results may provide a basis for developing a support program for the family caregivers of hospitalized stroke patients in preparation for their continuing caregiving role at their homes. ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 15 (2): July ‐ December 2014: 164-175.
Mental Health Service Utilization among African American Emerging Adults

Mental illness affects 25-30% of US adults ages 18 years and older in a given year. Of those individuals, about 41% fail to utilize mental health services. Research indicates that being African American and between the ages of 18 and 29 are associated with decreased rates of service utilization. Yet, less is known about the factors related to mental health service utilization among a specific subset of these groups, namely, African American emerging adults. Using empirically-tested theoretical frameworks as its foundation, this dissertation study aimed to address this gap in literature by examining specific predisposing, enabling, and need factors: e.g., gender, educational attainment, employment, mental health insurance coverage, perceived emotional support, perceived racial discrimination, evaluated need, and perceived need) associated with mental health service utilization by recency of use: e.g., lifetime and past 12 month utilization) and provider types utilized: e.g., mental health versus non-mental health sector) among this group. Secondary analyses was conducted of a nationally representative sample of African American emerging adults: n=806), drawn from the National Survey of American Life. This study found that being female as well as having an evaluated need or a perceived need for services were significantly associated with greater odds of lifetime, past 12 month, and mental health sector providers. This study is a first step in future research to better understanding the factors associated with service utilization among this underserved population.
Competition and Antibiotics Prescription

The introduction of antibiotics as a medical treatment after World War II helped to dramatically increase life expectancy in the industrialized world. As a consequence of over-prescription the last decades have however seen a sharp increase in prevalence of multi-resistant bacteria, disarming once powerful anti-pathogens. This paper investigates the eect of increased competition between healthcare providers on prescription of antibiotics. We make use of a competition- inducing
MEMORY PROCESS IN DEMENTED AND NON-DEMENTED ELDERLY PATIENTS

Background: Dementia is characterized by progressive memory loss and other cognitive impairments. Memory impairments are apparent on tasks that require learning and retention of verbal or non-verbal information. Demented patients present severe impairments on recognition and recalling tasks. They have severe deficits in transferring information in to a long-term storage system. The present study investigated any difference between various memory processes in different reproduction phases contribute to discrimination between demented and non-demented elderly patients. Methods: Thirty one demented and 25 non-demented elderly patients were selected according to inclusion criteria; all of them were visited by a physician completing the Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE) and California Verbal Learning Test-Persian version (CVLT-P). Results: Although demented and non-demented elderly subjects had no difference in relation to age and education, differences on clinical variables were significant and demented patients showed lower means than nondemented ones. A discriminate function analysis showed that CVLT-P had the ability to differentiate between demented and non-demented elderly patients and could correctly classify 94.3% of demented and non-demented older adults.
Canada’s Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations: a synopsis for health professionals

Cannabis for therapeutic purposes (medical marijuana) is a complex reality in many parts of the world. Laws and regulations surrounding cannabis for therapeutic purposes around the world are evolving. The Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) define roles and responsibilities pertaining to cannabis for therapeutic purposes in Canada. These regulations are lengthy and technical but include information important to health professionals. This article presents a synopsis of elements within the regulations that are important for health professionals. The purpose of this paper is to assist health professionals to understand the structure and impact of these regulations. With a greater understanding of how cannabis for therapeutic purposes is regulated, health professionals will be capable of engaging in more informed discussions with patients and colleagues, and will be better equipped to navigate the new landscape of legal access.