Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Insulin Resistance in Skeletal Muscle of Chronic Stroke

A stroke can lead to reduced mobility affecting skeletal muscle mass and fatty infiltration which could lead to systemic insulin resistance, but this has not been examined and the mechanisms are currently unknown. The objective was to compare the effects of in vivo insulin on skeletal muscle glycogen synthase (GS) activity in paretic (P) and nonparetic (NP) skeletal muscle in chronic stroke, and to compare to nonstroke controls. Participants were mild to moderately disabled adults with chronic stroke (n = 30, 60 ± 8 years) and sedentary controls (n = 35, 62 ± 8 years). Insulin sensitivity (M) and bilateral GS activity were determined after an overnight fast and during a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. Stroke subjects had lower aerobic capacity than controls, but M was not significantly different. Insulin-stimulated activities of GS (independent, total, fractional), as well as absolute differences (insulin minus basal) and the percent change (insulin minus basal, relative to basal) in GS activities, were all significantly lower in P versus NP muscle. Basal GS fractional activity was 3-fold higher, and the increase in GS fractional activity during the clamp was 2-fold higher in control versus P and NP muscle. Visceral fat and intermuscular fat were associated with lower M. The effect of in vivo insulin to increase GS fractional activity was associated with M in control and P muscle. A reduction in insulin action on GS in paretic muscle likely contributes to skeletal muscle-specific insulin resistance in chronic stroke.
Multifaceted Evaluation of Ultra-high-field 9.4-T Magnetic Resonance Imaging after Inorganic Tattoos: An Animal Study

Introduction: Tattooing techniques for reconstruction and rectification of the sequelae of cancer treatments, surgery, and scarring have received attention in the medical field. There is concern that tattooed skin is at risk of being burned by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination. However, a detailed evaluation of the impact of MRI imaging on medically tattooed skin has not yet been performed. This study aimed to clarify the changes in common inorganic tattoo pigments during MRI examinations in an animal model. Methods: Tattooed hairless mice with eight typical pigments for tattoos were evaluated for changes in temperature, color tone, and histology of the tattoos during a 9.4-T MRI. Results: None of specimens had signs of burns, such as redness or blisters. In terms of temperature changes, the black iron oxide and carbon black specimens had a maximum temperature increase of 0.4 degrees. In the Munsell color system, no specific color changes were observed before or after the MRI. Color changes, evaluated as the ΔE00 in the L*a*b* color space, were all below 3.0 and were thus regarded as being indistinguishable and within the color unevenness of the tattoo. Histologic analysis of the specimens showed no significant changes before and after the MRIs. Conclusions: The observed temperature changes, color tone changes, and histological changes in the tattooed areas in this animal model were not of a magnitude considered likely to adversely affect the human body.
Effect of sequential application of herbicides on weed management in drill sown onion ( Allium cepa L . ) under rainfed condition

A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2011 at Regional Horticultural Research and Extension Centre, University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot, Karnataka to study the effect of sequential application of herbicides on weed management in drill sown onion under rainfed condition. Seventeen weed control treatments were tested in randomised block design replicated thrice. All the herbicide treatments significantly reduced dry weight of weeds over unweeded check. Weed free check recorded significantly lower dry weight of weeds. Among the herbicide treatments, sequential application of oxyfluorfen 0.08 kg ha followed by (fb) oxyfluorfen 0.25 kg ha was quite efficient in controlling weeds which reflected through decreased weed dry weight and increased weed control index. This herbicide treatment also recorded significantly higher bulb yield (30.16 t ha), growth and yield parameters. The weed index was also lowest in the above treatment (13.50%) as compared to unweeded check (91.89%) and other treatments (25.22 to 90.04%).
Qualitative Study to Determine Stressors Influencing Dietary and Physical Activity Behaviors of Overweight and Obese Adolescents in Iran

Introduction: Childhood obesity has become a global endemic public health problem. Emotional distress has been proposed to be a strong mediator of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors among youth. The aim of this study was to explore the sources and role of stress on developing unhealthy lifestyle practices pertaining to diet and physical activity among overweight and obese adolescents. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in 2016–2017 in two large cities of Iran, Mashhad and Isfahan. Fifty-two overweight and obese adolescents were selected through purposeful sampling. In-depth semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were conducted to obtain perceptions and experiences regarding underlying factors of obesity and the sources and role of stress in inducing unhealthy lifestyle. Ten parents were also interviewed. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis with MAXQDA software. Study rigor was verified using criteria proposed by Lincoln and Guba. Results: After analyzing the data, two main categories which triggered emotional overeating and physical inactivity among adolescents were: “school originated stress” and “family originated stress. ” Three subcategories of school originated stress were “Too much homework,” “Frequent exams” and “Priority for studying at both school and home” and family originated stress subcategories were “Parental destructive conflicts,” “Divorce” and “Socio-familial issues. ” Conclusions: Our findings highlighted the sources and role of stress in emerging unhealthy lifestyle practices including emotional overeating and physical inactivity among adolescents which could lead to weight gain. Therefore, to improve lifestyle behaviors of students and prevent childhood obesity, addressing school, and family stressors is a crucial subject.
Levels of TNF alpha, Soluble TNF Receptors (sTNF-R1, sTNF-R2) in Bipolar Disorder.

Introduction Current evidence suggests that pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) may play an important role in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD). Our study aims to compare BD patients and controls in terms of serum TNF-α, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (sTNF-R1, sTNF-R2) levels in different phases of BD. Methods Eighty-three patients with BD type 1 (27 manic, 22 depressive and 34 euthymic) and twenty-nine healthy controls were included in the study. Serum levels of TNF-α, sTNF-R1, sTNF-R2 levels were evaluated with ELISA kit. Results Levels of sTNF-R1 were showed a statistically significant difference between groups. Levels of sTNF-R1 were higher in depression or mania patients than euthymia patients and control subjects. A statistically significant difference in the serum level of sTNF-R1 between patients in acute episode (mania and depression) group and stabile (patients in euthymic episode and controls) group was found in logistic regression analysis. The probability of having acute episode increased threefold for each unit increase in serum level of sTNF-R1. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean serum values of TNF-α and sTNF-R2 between the groups. Conclusions sTNF-R1 production was different between acute episode patients and controls or stable BD patients. The result of this study confirms that TNF-R1 may be a state marker representing disease activity for BD.
A Crowdsourcing Open Contest to Design Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Promotion Messages: Protocol for an Exploratory Mixed Methods Study

Background In the United States, black men who have sex with men (BMSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can reduce HIV incidence. However, real-world implementation of PrEP outside of clinical trials has identified racial disparities in PrEP awareness, uptake, and adherence. In the context of a long history of medical mistrust and power imbalances between scientists and community members, strategies to increase uptake of PrEP among BMSM should consider ways to ensure messages address the needs and priorities of the community. Crowdsourcing contests shift traditional individual tasks to a large group and may enhance community engagement. Objective This paper describes the research protocol of a contest approach to soliciting PrEP promotion messages among BMSM in Baltimore. Methods Open-contest implementation and evaluation will proceed as follows: (1) organize a community steering group; (2) develop platforms to solicit crowd input; (3) engage the community to contribute ideas through a Web-based forum and in-person events; (4) evaluate contest entries using both community panel judge assessment and crowd voting; (5) utilize mixed methods to evaluate feasibility, acceptability, and community engagement; and (6) disseminate contest results. Results This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Mental Health: R34MH116725) in May 2018 and was approved by the institutional review board in April 2018. The open contest started in February 2019, and data analyses for the mixed method evaluation are expected to complete in December 2019. Conclusions The contest will potentially bring new ideas in developing more impactful and locally defined PrEP promotion campaigns. We will determine whether an open-contest approach is acceptable among BMSM in Baltimore. If successful, this study can inform future projects using a similar approach on how to identify and implement programs and policies that are more responsive to community needs and that build up community assets. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/15590
An observational study of vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors as second-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer treated with bevacizumab plus FOLFIRI beyond progression: the association with RAS mutation and tumor sidedness

Background The BRiTE and ARIES studies suggested that the continued use of bevacizumab beyond progression (BBP) was beneficial. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of the vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors (VEGFis) bevacizumab and aflibercept as second-line treatments for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) that progressed following the application of bevacizumab-containing chemotherapy as a first-line treatment. Methods This observational cohort study (OCS) analyzed the medical records of 73 patients with mCRC divided into a no-VEGFi group (n=48) and a VEGFi group (n=25). Progression-free survival (PFS) was the primary endpoint, and the overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and safety were secondary endpoints. Results The results revealed that the PFS, ORR, and DCR of the VEGFi group were significantly superior to those of the no-VEGFi group, even in those with wild-type and mutant-type RAS or left-sided mCRC (all P<0.05); however, OS did not differ significantly between the two groups (all P>0.05). Patients with primary left-sided lesions and continued use of VEGFi exhibited the most marked effect on PFS (P=0.001). No significant differences were observed in the incidence of grade 3 or 4 adverse events (AEs) between the two groups (P=0.133). Conclusions These results support the use of VEGFi as a second-line treatment after bevacizumab beyond the initial progression in this OCS. Bevacizumab or aflibercept combined with second-line chemotherapy in mCRC has an acceptable safety profile and is relatively active. Regardless of the RAS gene type, VEGFi plus FOLOFX6 exhibited superior PFS to that of FLFOX6 as a second-line treatment, and a greater improvement in PFS was obtained for the left-sided lesions than for the right-sided lesions.
The addition of metformin to systemic anticancer therapy

Abstract Background Preclinical studies have demonstrated that metformin has anticancer properties and act in additive or synergistic way when combined with anticancer agents. We conducted this meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials to evaluate the effect of metformin added to systemic anticancer therapy in patients with advanced or metastatic cancer. Methods A computerized systematic electronic search was performed using PubMed, PMC, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases (up to March 2019). From six randomized, controlled trials, 418 patients were included in the pooled analyses of odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall response rate (ORR) and hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results The studies enrolled patients with advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer (PC), non-bmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and breast cancer (BC). The dose of metformin used was from 500 mg/d to 2 g/d. Jadad score was more than 3 in all the studies, indicating a good quality of each study.The combination of metformin with anticancer therapy did not improve tumor response (the pooled OR of ORR = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.72-1.99, p = 0.48), compared with anticancer therapy alone. In terms of survival, metformin added to anticancer agents failed to prolong PFS (HR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.71-1.35, p = 0.90) and OS (HR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.75-1.21, p = 0.67). Conclusions In conclusion, this meta-analysis of randomized, controlled phase II trials do not support clinical benefits of metformin added to systemic anticancer therapy in patients with advanced or metastatic cancer. However, further investigations including well-designed phase III trials are needed to resolve the issues (dose of metformin, treatment setting, particular cancer type, or immunomodulatory effect) on the addition of metformin to systemic anticancer therapy. Legal entity responsible for the study Jung Han Kim. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
A SURVEY ON DENTISTRY STUDENTS' SATISFACTION WITH THEIR DISCIPLINE AND SOME OF THE RELATED FACTORS

Background: Dental and oral diseases are among the most important health problems of the country. Therefore, the training of dutiful, interested and skilled dentists is one of the educational priorities of Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education. Attention to the quality of training programs related to the community health services is of a great importance. Objective: To evaluate Kerman dentistry students’ satisfaction with their discipline. Methods: This descriptive – cross sectional study was performed on dentistry students of Kerman Dentistry School. In order to gather data a researcher – made questionnaire was used. Data analysis was done through Mann.Whitney U test and Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Results: In this study, 55.7% of subjects were male and the rest were female. From all subjects, 74.3% showed a great interest, 17.1 a moderate interest and the rest little interest in their field of study. In regard to discipline satisfaction, 8.6% intended to quit their study while 75.7% showed complete satisfaction. The most effective reasons of discipline satisfaction were “the possibility of giving service to people” (76%), “good social statue” (65.7%) and “being interested in discipline” (65.6%). Conclusion: The majority of subjects were satisfied with their discipline and showed an increasing interest. As one of the important educational factors is being interested and satisfied with disciplin, this point should be considered as a priority in the planning of educational programs. Keywords: Dentistry students, Satisfaction, Discipline,
The new pill.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just approved a new type of oral contraceptive. Affectionately known as the "Mini-pill" the new pill contains only one hormone -- 35 mg of the progestin norethindrone. This is in contrast with the conventional oral contraceptive which contains two hormones -- estrogen and progestin. The new pill is taken daily throughout the entire month instead of three weeks in four. The standard pill functions largely by inhibiting ovulation. It is not known how the Mini-pill works but we know that it does not prevent ovulation. Three mechanisms have been suggested: that cervical mucus is prevented from acquireing its liquified phase in mid-cycle and becoming penetrable to the sperm cell; that spermatozoa are prevented from going through the complex process of capacitation from which they gain the capacity to fertilize; or that it renders the lining of the uterus chemically hostile to implantation. There are two distinct disadvantages to the new pill. First association with a higher unplanned pregnancy rate a rate of three per hundred woman years of use instead of one with the ordinary pill. Nevertheless three is still a low pregnancy rate. The second disadvantage is a high incidence of irregular cycles and frequent breadthrough bleeding and spotting. If the new pill is exempt from increased risk of blood clot formation and subsequent embolism occasionally attendant upon use of conventional orals it would have a significant advantage. Since this complication is rare it will require a large army of users to prove or disprove these hopes. Then too some women have unpleasant but not dangerous side effects from standard oral contraceptives and the Mini-pill may be better tolerated by them. Finally physicians have a prejudice perhaps unjustified against preventing ovulation in adolescents early in their menstrual lives; the Mini-pill may be found preferable in this group. It remains to be seen how widely the daily Mini-pill will be accepted in the United States. (Full text)
Alcohol education for Australian schools: What are the most effective programs?

A scientific approach to understanding what works and what does not, by using the best available evidence, can lead to policy and implementation decisions that are more effective in achieving desired outcomes. A systematic review was undertaken to assist schools to effectively utilise the evidence in order to decide on appropriate school alcohol education programs. A systematic review is a method of assessing whether a program is effective or not by collating all the research on a specific question and looking at the whole body of evidence together. Within each program type, the available studies were examined in detail by two researchers and assessed for both the quality of the research and the outcomes for students. Three programs, CLIMATE Schools (Australia), Project ALERT (USA) and All Stars (USA) had enough evidence to support their general use in schools. Four programs showed some evidence of good outcomes and may be suitable for use by some schools where those outcomes are high priority (Life Skills Program, SHAHRP, Unplugged EU-DAP, and Life Skills Training) especially if outcomes are monitored within the school. One program showed no evidence of positive effect (DARE) and two showed negative outcomes (such as increases in drinking) (Peer Acceleration Social Network (Project TND) and Take Charge of Your Life) and are not recommended for use in Australian schools. The remaining 29 programs showed inconclusive results (i.e. those with poor quality research, inconsistent effects, or only one available study) and are also not recommended for schools until further research is conducted. Common elements of effective programs included: accurate evidence based information about alcohol; a focus on social norms; an interactive presentation style; clear, achievable and measureable goals and objectives; teacher training and support; and a whole of school approach.
Applying calibration to LRs produced by a DNA interpretation software

ABSTRACT Ramos and Gonzalez-Rodriguez introduce the concept of calibration in order to determine whether a system of evidence presentation is a reliable assessor of evidential weight. In this paper, we apply this calibration method to a dataset of mixed forensic DNA profiles generated using the QIAGEN Investigator® 24plex QS Kit and interpreted using the probabilistic genotyping software STRmix™. We describe the methodology for applying calibration to sets of forensic DNA profiles. We observe an approximate correspondence of the posterior probability, as assigned from the LR and the prior odds, with the observed rate of true donors for this dataset.
Differences in physical properties of coronal bright points and their ALMA counterparts within and outside coronal holes

This study investigates and compares brightness and area of coronal bright points (CBPs) inside and outside of coronal holes (CHs) using the single-dish Band 6 observations by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), combined with extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) 193 $\overset{\circ}{\mathrm{A}}$ filtergrams obtained by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and magnetograms obtained by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI), both on board Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The CH boundaries were extracted from the SDO/AIA images using the Collection of Analysis Tools for Coronal Holes (CATCH) and CBPs were identified in the SDO/AIA, SDO/HMI, and ALMA data. Measurements of brightness and areas in both ALMA and SDO/AIA images were conducted for CBPs within CHs and quiet Sun regions outside CHs. A statistical analysis of the measured physical properties resulted in a lower average CBP brightness in both ALMA and SDO/AIA data for CBPs within the CHs. Depending on the CBP sample size, the difference in intensity for the SDO/AIA data, and brightness temperature for the ALMA data, between the CBPs inside and outside CHs ranged from between 2$\sigma$ and 4.5$\sigma$, showing a statistically significant difference between those two CBP groups. For CBP areas, CBPs within the CH boundaries showed smaller areas on average, with the observed difference between the two CBP groups between 1$\sigma$ and 2$\sigma$ for the SDO/AIA data, and up to 3.5$\sigma$ for the ALMA data, indicating that CBP areas are also significantly different. Given the measured properties, we conclude that the CBPs inside CHs tend to be less bright on average, but also smaller in comparison to those outside of CHs. This conclusion might point to the specific physical conditions and properties of the local CH region around a CBP limiting the maximum achievable intensity (temperature) and size of a CBP.
Effect of Hand Deformities on Hand Function in a Sample of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

*Baghdad College of Medicine, Rheumatological Unit . **Baghdad Teaching Hospital ,Rheumatological Unit . sternoclavicular and temporomandibular joints) (3,4) . Chronic inflammation of the joint and periarticular structures in RA often lead to irreversible damage and deformity. The following deformities are frequently observed: Ulnar and radial deviation of the wrist, ulnar deviation of MCPs, volar subluxation of MCPs, Boutonnière deformity, swan neck deformity and mallet finger (4-6).
The Characterization and Utilization of Middle-range Sequence Patterns within the Human Genome

ion rules that emphasize genomic sequence repetition. Unlike traditional Markov models, BAMM can analyze nucleotide patterns on the short-range (< 20 bp) up to the mid-range (20 to 50 bp) scale. Abstraction rules can also be both frame sensitive or independent. We build classifiers for both coding sequences and introns as well as for 5′ and 3′ UTR data. Using support vector machines, we demonstrate that we can combine multiple BAMM classifiers to get even better exon-intron classification accuracy.