Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): Reliability and Validity of the Persian version

Background: Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) has been recently prioritized as a health problem in Iran. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is an easy-to-use diagnostic tool for excessive drinking. This study was designed to assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version of AUDIT questionnaire. Methods: Participants were 70 individuals with AUD (study group) and 70 non-alcoholic individuals (control group). Persian AUDIT was completed for all participants. Explanatory factor analysis was used for construct validity; and the reliability of AUDIT was determined by examining internal consistency and test-retest reliability. ROC curve was applied for calculation of specificity and sensitivity. Results: Using Cronbach’s alpha, the internal reliability of the Persian AUDIT was estimated to be 0.77. The internal consistency coefficient of the Persian AUDIT was calculated to be 0.78 by the split-half method in the total population. The correlation of the test-retest results was statistically significant (r = 0.711, P = 0.020). Using the ROC curve at the cutoff point of 8, a specificity and sensitivity of 89% and 99% was achieved for the test and the accuracy of the area under the curve was achieved to be 99% (P < 0.001). The cutoff value of 8 in AUDIT questionnaire was specified as the best cutoff point. Control subjects obtained significantly lower mean scores compared to alcoholic subjects (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Given the acceptable reliability and validity of the Persian AUDIT and its high sensitivity and specificity, it can be used as an effective instrument for identification of AUDs, risky drinkers and early detection of ulterior cases of alcohol addiction in the Persian speaking population.
Modelling Survival Data in Medical Research

methods used for selection problems. Topics of these  ve chapters are lognormal estimation, Gaussian anamorphosis with Hermite polynomials, isofactorial models, isofactorial change of support, and kriging with discrete point-bloc models. Much of this material originally appeared in French-language reports from the people at Fontainebleau. These chapters are heavily mathematical, with minimal support from a few practical illustrations. Also new is a case study on using cokriging that is applied to estimation problems with data from an estuary on the Ebro River. This material is part of the author’s effort to reach the large audience for geostatistical applications in environmental studies. There is also new material on collocated cokriging, which results in a separate chapter for this topic. The author’s writing style is terse—of course, if I tried to write a book in French, it would be terse as well. No lack of completeness occurs with the development of the methodology, which is very precise. There is some illustration with real applications, although the Ebro river example is the only case study presented.
Analysis and reduction of acoustic noise from a brushless DC drive

It has been found that stator excitation in brushless DC drives can excite mechanical resonances in the motor and thus produce acoustic noise in a similar way to switched reluctance drives. A technique has been developed to alter the commutation pattern of a brushless DC motor to avoid exciting and reinforcing these mechanical resonances producing a significant reduction in pure tone acoustic noise which is emitted during mechanical resonance. The origin of the vibration and acoustic noise is explained and the theory of discrete frequency noise reduction described in this paper. The method proposed for quieter control of the brushless DC motor could be achieved at a very low cost.
Effect of Electroacupoint in treatment of Pain during first stage of labor

Aims: To investigate the effect of TENS on acupoints for reducing pain during first stage of labor . Study design : Experimenal. Place and Duration of study: Department of Obstetrics,Kafrelsheikh General Hospital-Kafrelsheikh, between November 2013 to January 2014. Methodology: Thirty pregnant women (age range 20-30 years) were selected randomly, they would be delivered normally and divided into 2 equal groups (A&B). Women in group (A) were treated by TENS on acupuncture points (Sanyinjiao & Hegu points) of right side of the body during first stage of labour, women in group (B) were treated by placebo TENS on the same acupuncture points. The changes in arterial blood , s PH, oxygen and carbon dioxide were measured as an indication of pain relief before and after treatment program. Results: Women in both groups (A&B) showed highly signiﬁcant changes in arterial blood , s PH, PO2 and PCo2 (P=.001)between before and after the treatment program. Comparing the mean values of arterial blood , s PH,PO2 and PCo2 between both groups (A&B), there was no significant difference (P=.40) at the beginning of the study, while there was highly statistical significant difference (P= .001) at the end of the treatment program. Conclusion: TENS on acupuncture points is effective in relieving labour pain
Developing a new generation of optomechanical derotator for analysis of the dynamic behaviour of rotating components

A self-developed optical image derotator is applied for the analysis of the dynamic behaviour of rotating objects under operational conditions. This makes it possible to get a stationary image of the rotating object. Using the combination of image derotator and a high speed camera or a laser Doppler Vibrometer in-plane and out-of-plane vibration of rotating components with a rotational speed of up to n = 10.000 min-1 can be measured. The main component of this derotator is a rotating Dove prism. The prism causes aberration and polarisation effects that affect the measurement quality. To improve the optical and mechanical characteristics of the derotator and to expand its application potential, IMR develops a new derotator generation which uses an arrangement of mirrors instead of the Dove prism. Thereby it is additionally possible to do thermo-graphical measurements of the rotating machinery components. It is also possible to examine the objects with rotational speeds up to n = 20.000 min-1. In this paper the design and simulation of the optical module of the new derotator are introduced. Furthermore, the mechanical construction of the derotator will be explained.
LATE-BREAKING ABSTRACT: Five items from the CAT questionnaire identify smokers with preserved lung function at higher risk for poor respiratory outcomes: An analysis of the SPIROMICS cohort

Background: Smokers with FEV1/FVC>0.7 scoring ≥ 10 in the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) still have frequent exacerbations, low 6-minute walk distance and CT abnormalities. We tested whether selected items from the CAT could identify the same subjects. Methods: We included SPIROMICS participants former/current smokers, normal lung function (FEV1/FVC ≥0.70 and FVC > LLN), and used the first 5 CAT9s items ([CAT-5] removing 3 questions regarding sleep, energy, confidence leaving home) to test if a similar groups of individuals would be identified. We compared characteristics of subjects identified by each strategy and associations with longitudinal exacerbations, using the area under curve ROC (ROC AUC). Results: We analyzed 880 former/current smokers with normal lung function (mean age 61 years, 52% women). Using as cut-point 10, CAT classified 51.8% of individuals as high-risk; 15.3% of them experienced ≥1 exacerbation during 1-year follow-up. Using five questions from CAT, 51.4% participants scored ≥7 with similar demographic and clinical characteristics to those scoring ≥10 on CAT; 22.8% of these subjects experienced ≥1 exacerbation during follow-up. The ROC AUC to predict 1-year follow-up exacerbations was 0.66 (CAT, ≥10 score) and 0.64 (CAT-5, ≥7 score). Additional analysis confirmed that both scores have similar ROC AUC to predict quality-of-life and symptoms. The agreement between the two methods was 91.8% (Kappa 0.83, p Conclusions: The first 5 items of the CAT can be used to identify a similar group of smokers with preserved spirometry but high risk for future exacerbations as compared to using all 8 items.
SP0174 Health Behaviour Change Techniques To Effectively Promote Physical Activity in People with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Engaging in sufficient levels of physical activity (PA) is of particular importance for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as it can help to maintain functional ability and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. While many healthcare professionals have the ability to effectively promote PA among patients with RA, some techniques common in clinical practice can actually be counterproductive. As consultations are becoming increasingly shorter, having a clear understanding of the evidence on how to best promote PA in practice can help healthcare providers' to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their PA promotion efforts. This session will provide an overview of prominent behavioural determinants and theories, and outline how behaviour change typically unfolds among patients with rheumatoid arthritis. It will then present research which has identified behaviour change techniques associated with increased motivation and intention for PA and changes in PA behaviour itself. Finally, it will provide practical, evidence-based tips that can be implemented to help guide behaviour and lifestyle change efforts in clinical settings, even when time is short. Disclosure of Interest None declared
Assessment of fixation stability in normal subjects and patients using a scanning laser ophthalmoscope

1. In this study we have investigated the ability of normal and low vision subjects to (a) fixate stationary targets and (b) to maintain fixation on a stationary target while text was scrolled at different retinal locations. 2. Test stimuli were visualized directly on the fundus with the scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO), and relative eye movements were evaluated using digitized images. Target arrays consisted of single and multiple letters which were either stationary or scrolled in a horizontal direction. The retinal area selected by the subject to view the target was determined, and the stability of fixation calculated as a bivariate contour ellipse area (BCEA). 3. The ability to maintain steady fixation varied between individuals; this variability was particularly notable in the low vision patients. In the normal group, fixation was affected by the size of the stationary target but not by the form or polarity. In both the normal and patient groups stationary targets allowed more accurate fixation compared to scrolling text. The speed of scrolling text and the retinal location did not influence fixation stability.
Mechanisms underlying fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: ovine model

Mechanisms Underlying Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Ovine Model. (May 2008) Jayanth Ramadoss, B.E. (Hons.), BITS, Pilani, India; M.Sc. (Hons.), BITS, Pilani, India Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Timothy Cudd Maternal alcohol abuse during pregnancy can result in a range of structural and functional abnormalities that include lifelong physical, mental, behavioral and learning disabilities, now collectively termed as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). The incidence of FASD is now estimated be as high as 10 per 1000 live births. Each year, 40,000 babies are born with FASD in the United States at an estimated cost of $1.4 million per individual and total cost of $6 billion. Because of the magnitude of this problem and because the incidence has not decreased in spite intensive efforts to educate women to not abuse alcohol during pregnancy, ways to prevent or mitigate the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure must be explored in addition to education. Therefore, we wished to identify the precise mechanisms by which alcohol mediates the neurodevelopmental damage in order to develop intervention/amelioration strategies. The present study was conducted using an ovine model system. The large body mass of the ovine fetus, the longer gestation that is more similar to that of humans, and that all three trimester equivalents occur in utero, make the sheep an excellent model to study the effects of alcohol on the developing fetus. Our study establishes that maternal
Learning on the move: exploring work with vulnerable young men through the lens of movement

Abstract This paper discusses a practice context in which process and movement are central to the provision of care and support. It draws on data from a research project conducted with The Men’s Room, Manchester, England which used ethnographic and mobile methods to explore the complex task staff undertake in engaging and supporting highly vulnerable young men. The organisation’s commitment to getting alongside these young men includes a mobile and highly improvised use of temporary city centre spaces for delivering its work. In this paper, I argue that these movements of practice are not simply a logistical necessity or a physical activity, but involve a kinetic way of attending, reflecting, thinking and knowing in which the organisation’s movements are intrinsic to the provision of care and support.
Guidance on the scientific requirements for health claims related to antioxidants, oxidative damage and cardiovascular health

The Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) t to draft guidance on scientific requirements for health claims related to antioxidants, oxidative damage and cardiovascular health. This guidance has been drawn from scientific opinions of the NDA Panel on such health claims. Thus, this guidance document represents the views of the NDA Panel based on the experience gained to date with the evaluation of health claims in these areas. It is not intended that the document should include an exhaustive list of beneficial effects and studies/outcome measures which are acceptable. Rather, it presents examples drawn from evaluations already carried out in order to illustrate the approach of the NDA Panel, as well as some examples which are currently under consideration within ongoing evaluations. A draft of this guidance document, endorsed by the NDA Panel on 25 March 2011, was released for public consultation from 26 April 2011 to 31 August 2011.
An Investigation into the Dietary and Health Behaviours of Pregnant Women in Ireland

Background The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine periconceptional misreporting of energy intake (EI) using the Willet food frequency questionnaire (WFFQ). Methods Women were recruited in the first trimester. Women completed a semi-quantitative WFFQ. Maternal body composition was measured using eight-electrode bioelectrical impedance analysis. Under-reporters were those whose ratio of EI to their calculated basal metabolic rate fell below the calculated plausible threshold for their physical activity category. Results The mean age was 30.1+5.3 years (n 1⁄4 524). The mean body mass index (BMI) was 25.4+5.6 kg/m, and 16.6% were obese (BMI 30.0 kg/m). Under-reported EI was observed in 122 women (23.3%) with no over-reporters in the sample. Under-reporters were younger (P , 0.001), less likely to have a normal BMI (P 1⁄4 0.002) and more likely to be obese (P , 0.001) than plausible reporters. Under-reporters had higher percentage of body-fat and lower percentage of body fat-free mass (P , 0.001), were more likely to be at risk of relative deprivation (P 1⁄4 0.001) and reported a higher percentage of EI from carbohydrate (P 1⁄4 0.02) than plausible reporters. Conclusions Observed differences between under-reporters and plausible reporters suggest that the exclusion of these under-reporters represents an important potential source of bias in obesity research among women in the periconceptional period.
Monitoring of cerebellar injury using micro ECoG signals in ketamine/xylazine treated rats

MONITORING OF CEREBELLAR INJURY USING MICRO ECoG SIGNALS IN KETAMINE/XYLAZINE TREATED RATS by Gokhan Ordek Much of the cerebellar research has been conducted in anesthetized animals, particularly using ketamine/xylazine combination in rats, and yet the absolute impact of the anesthesia on the neural circuit remains unanswered. In the current study, spontaneous electrical activity and sensory evoked potentials from the cerebellar surface with chronically implanted, flexible-substrate, multielectrode arrays in rats were collected and analyzed with the motor cortex signals. The power spectra and the intercontact coherence plots of the spontaneous activity in the awake-quiet animals extended up to 800 Hz in the cerebellum and only up to 200 Hz in the motor cortex. Ketamine/xylazine anesthesia suppressed most of the activity in the cerebellar cortex, which was in clear contrast to the motor cortex. In the awake cerebellum, large coherence values were observed between contact pairs as far apart as ∼2 mm. Otherwise, there was not a discernable relation between the coherence and the intercontact distance. These results have suggested that the surface electrodes could provide much more detailed information about the state of neural circuits when they were used on the cerebellar cortex compared with the cerebral areas. Findings in ketamine/xylazine treated rats by using micro ECoG signals extracted the baseline information in the cerebellum to investigate the altered electrophysiology in the damaged neural circuitry. The temporal course of excitability change in selected neural networks was used as a method to study traumatic brain injury (TBI). This
Genetic Diversity of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 in the Democratic Republic of Congo: a review of available data

Background: HIV has a genetic diversity that is equal to the complexity of the follow up of patients. The classification of the different variants has allowed us to understand the virus, the geographical distribution and evolution of the pandemic and to better guide the follow up and the care of patients infected by HIV. Aim & Objectives: Review the specifics of the HIV epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in terms of different molecular variants of HIV compared to different geographical location published for the country. Methods/Study Design: The search of the literature and abstracts presented at conferences with the subject of interest to identify different variants of HIV type 1 in the DRC on the websites of research. Online search was based on the following key words: "HIV subtype, DRC", "genotype, HIV, DRC" and "HIV strains in the Democratic Republic of Congo". It was restricted to the published literatures and presented abstracts between 1997 and 2012. Socio-demographic information of the sample, measurement methods and objectives were considered in the evaluation of the search results. Results/Findings: According to manuscripts published since 1997, we have noticed a dominating prevalence of group M (100%) and of sub-type A at 50.40% [31.2-68.9] for the entire country. In the Eastern part, variants A (44.73%) are dominant on variants C (12.20%), G (11.5%), D (9.12%) and U (7.24%). In the Center, variants A (62.57%) are followed by variants C (10.32%), H (5.02%), U (4.3%) and D (3.9%). In the Western part, variants A (40.91%) are followed by variants G (19.29%), D (10.5%), F (5.65%) and C (4.51%). For the entire country, variants are found in the following order: A (49.40%), G (10.73%), C (9.01%) and D (7.86%). The differences between and within groups are statistically significant for each variants.
Effect of simvastatin in attenuation of mucositis induced by methotrexate in rats Efeito da sinvastatina na atenuação da mucosite induzida pelo metotrexato em ratos

Purpose: Based on studies that have attributed anti-inflammatory properties to statins, the aim of this work was to observe the effect of simvastatin in the attenuation of mucositis induced by methotrexate in the gastrointestinal tract in rats and its effects on cytokines. Methods: Twelve Wistar rats weighing 270±18 g were randomly distributed into two groups: methotrexate/saline (MTX/S n = 6) and methotrexate/simvastatin (MTX /SV n=6). In all animals, 3 mg / kg of methotrexate was injected subcutaneously for 3 consecutive days. In the MTX / SV simvastatin was administered orally one week before and during treatment with methotrexate. In the MTX/S, saline was administered at the same doses and schedules. We determined the plasma levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 and the histological analysis by HE staining in segments of esophagus, stomach, duodenum, jejunum and colon. Results: The expression of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 (14±91.7, 119.3±4 and 83.1±4, respectively) was lower in the MTX/SV group rats than in the MTX/S (171.3±16, 218. ±15 and 114.8±3, respectively). Histopathology showed that simvastatin reduced significantly (p<0.05) the damage induced by methotrexate in the mucosa of the esophagus, stomach, jejunum and colon. Conclusion: Simvastatin showed anti-inflammatory action
The role of Notch signalling in the regulation and maintenance of the satellite cell compartment of adult skeletal muscle

The regenerative potential of adult skeletal muscle is primarily attributed to satellite cells. Normally quiescent, satellite cells are activated on demand" to proliferate and differentiate, facilitating growth or repair. Maintenance of the regenerative capacity requires satellite cell replenishment. It has been shown in vitro that activated satellite cells can adopt divergent fates. , with most undergoing terminal differentiation, whilst a minority return to quiescence, mediating self-renewal. This occurs in cell clusters. suggesting that cell-cell signalling may direct fate decisions. Notch signalling relies on cell-cell interaction to specify alternate fates in several systems and has been previously implicated in myogenesis. The aim of this project was to investigate the role of Notch signalling in satellite cell regulation and maintenance. Studies were carried out using C2C 12 cultures as a model of satellite cell specification. When induced to differentiate, most C2C12 myoblasts contribute to differentiated myotubes, but some are retained as undifferentiated reserve cells with a quiescent, satellite cell-like phenotype. This thesis shows that Notch signalling maintains proliferation in myoblasts and inhibits myogenic differentiation in reserve cells via distinct ligand/receptor interactions. Specifically, interaction between Notch l and Jagged l appears to maintain proliferation. ý, vhereas interaction of Notch3 with Delta-like4 on nascent myotubes specifies a reserve cell phenotype. Evidence consistent with this model was obtained using satellite cells activated on the surface of isolated myofibres and satellite cell-derived primary cultures. Together, the results show that Notch signalling is involved in satellite cell regulation and suggest a mechanism that may specify alternate fates to facilitate stem cell self-
Outcomes of Pregnancy in Women with Cystic Fibrosis

vii Chapter One Introduction . 1 Chapter Two Existing Theory . 15 Chapter Three Original Research Proposal Design and Methodology . 25 Chapter FourRevised Research Design and Methodology . 41 Chapter FiveResearch Findings . 55 Chapter SixDiscussion . 118 List of References . 130 Appendix A Study Instruments . 142 Appendix B Copy of Web Site and Adult CFNewsletter Abstract. 168 Appendix C Content Outline for Participant Interviews . 1 75 Appendix D Informed Consent F orm . l 77 Vita . 180