Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adipokines as Potential Biomarkers in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by severe joint injury. Recently, research has been focusing on the possible identification of predictor markers of disease onset and/or progression, of joint damage, and of therapeutic response. Recent findings have uncovered the role of white adipose tissue as a pleiotropic organ not only specialized in endocrine functions but also able to control multiple physiopathological processes, including inflammation. Adipokines are a family of soluble mediators secreted by white adipose tissue endowed with a wide spectrum of actions. This review will focus on the recent advances on the role of the adipokine network in the pathogenesis of RA. A particular attention will be devoted to the action of these proteins on RA effector cells, and on the possibility to use circulating levels of adipokines as potential biomarkers of disease activity and therapeutic response.
A Survey Of Genetic Diseases In Rwanda

The Department of Medical Genetics at the Faculty of Medicine at National University of Rwanda opened in 2006. It is available to patients from our country and surrounding regions. The offer of different genetic diagnosis and genetic counseling includes congenital malformations, chromosomal abnormalities, mental retardation, molecular defects, antenatal and prenuptial genetic counseling with emphasis on primary infertility and repeated miscarriages. The remarkable and continuous increase of parents referred to our Department in recent years prompted us to present a summary of our activities, with providing a general overview of genetic diseases among Rwandan patients and confirm the need of genetic department in Rwanda and in the surrounding regions, in order to prevent and treat genetic diseases.
Brain injury with diabetes mellitus: evidence, mechanisms and treatment implications

ABSTRACT Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a risk for brain injury. Brain injury is associated with acute and chronic hyperglycaemia, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hypoglycaemic events in diabetic patients. Hyperglycemia is a cause of cognitive deterioration, low intelligent quotient, neurodegeneration, brain aging, brain atrophy and dementia. Areas covered: The current review highlights the experimental, clinical, neuroimaging and neuropathological evidence of brain injury induced by diabetes and its associated metabolic derangements. It also highlights the mechanisms of diabetes-induced brain injury. It seems that the pathogenesis of hyperglycemia-induced brain injury is complex and includes combination of vascular disease, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, reduction of neurotrophic factors, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activation, neurotransmitters’ changes, impairment of brain repair processes, impairment of brain glymphatic system, accumulation of amyloid β and tau phosphorylation and neurodegeneration. The potentials for prevention and treatment are also discussed. Expert commentary: We summarize the risks and the possible mechanisms of DM-induced brain injury and recommend strategies for neuroprotection and neurorestoration. Recently, a number of drugs and substances [in addition to insulin and its mimics] have shown promising potentials against diabetes-induced brain injury. These include: antioxidants, neuroinflammation inhibitors, anti-apoptotics, neurotrophic factors, AChE inhibitors, mitochondrial function modifiers and cell based therapies.
The comparative effectiveness of quadratus lumborum blocks and paravertebral blocks in radical cystectomy patients.

INTRODUCTION Multimodal analgesia is an effective way to control pain and limit opioid use after surgery. The quadratus lumborum block and paravertebral block are two regional anesthesia techniques that leverage multimodal analgesia to improve postoperative pain control. We sought to compare the efficacy of these blocks for pain management following radical cystectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed a retrospective review of radical cystectomy patients who received bilateral continuous paravertebral blocks (n = 125) or bilateral single shot quadratus lumborum blocks (n = 50) between 2014-2016. The primary outcome was postoperative opiate consumption on day 0. Secondary outcomes included self-reported pain scores and hospital length of stay. RESULTS Quadratus lumborum block patients had similar opioid use on postoperative day 0 compared with paravertebral block patients (29 mg versus 30 mg, p = 0.90). Pain scores on postoperative day 0 were similar between quadratus lumborum block and paravertebral block groups (4.0 versus 3.8, p = 0.72); however, the paravertebral block group had lower pain scores on days 1-3 compared with the quadratus lumborum block group (all p < 0.05). Hospital length of stay was similar between groups (6.6 days versus 6.2 days, p = 0.41). CONCLUSIONS There were no differences in opioid consumption among patients receiving bilateral single shot quadratus lumborum blocks and bilateral continuous paravertebral blocks after radical cystectomy. These data suggest that the quadratus lumborum block is a viable alternative for delivering multimodal analgesia in cystectomy patients.
Functionalized Electrospun Fibers for the Design of Novel Hydrophobic and Anticorrosive Surfaces

In this work, a novel coating was deposited on aluminum alloy samples by using a combination of electrospinning and chemical vapor deposition (CVD-silanization) techniques in order to create a functionalized film with an enhancement of both corrosion resistance and hydrophobicity. The electrospinning technique makes the fabrication of highly crosslinked electrospun fibers possible by the combination of both poly(acrylic acid) and β-cyclodextrin, respectively, which can be easily functionalized in a further step by using the CVD-silanization process due to the evaporation of a hydrophobic molecule such as 1H,1H,2H,2H-Perflurodecyltriethoxysilane. In addition, the resultant electrospun fibers with a high degree of insolubility have been successfully fabricated and metal oxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) have been incorporated into the electrospun polymeric solution in order to improve the corrosion protection. The surface morphology has been determined by using light optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and water contact angle (WCA) measurements. The corrosion resistance has been evaluated by using both potentiodynamic polarization and pitting corrosion tests. Finally, the results related to WCA measurements after CVD-silanization corroborate that the surfaces have been successfully functionalized with a hydrophobic behavior in comparison with the electrospinning process, showing a considerable difference in the roughness.
Thinking Small: Progress on Microscale Neurostimulation Technology

Neural stimulation is well‐accepted as an effective therapy for a wide range of neurological disorders. While the scale of clinical devices is relatively large, translational, and pilot clinical applications are underway for microelectrode‐based systems. Microelectrodes have the advantage of stimulating a relatively small tissue volume which may improve selectivity of therapeutic stimuli. Current microelectrode technology is associated with chronic tissue response which limits utility of these devices for neural recording and stimulation. One approach for addressing the tissue response problem may be to reduce physical dimensions of the device. “Thinking small” is a trend for the electronics industry, and for implantable neural interfaces, the result may be a device that can evade the foreign body response.
Principle and applications of MEMS: a review

Design for miniaturisation represents a broad research topic with applications in fundamental physics, chemistry, martial science, computing methods, ultra-precision engineering, fabrication technology and micromachining based on the principles, characterisation, modelling, simulation and state-of-the-art technology. This paper presents a review on the research and developmental aspects of Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS). MEMS is relatively a recent development which can be used in a variety of industrial as well as consumer product applications where IC-based technology fails. The review will enable the readers to understand the underlying technology, philosophy, concepts, ideas and principles including micromanufacturing, lithography, bulk and surface micromachining, microsensors, microactuators, Microopto Electromechanical Systems (MOEMS), RF MEMS, Nanoelectro Mechanical Systems (NEMS), microfluidics and BioMEMS. Aspects of microsystems in terms of design process, practice and techniques are presented.
Bridging the Gap on Facebook: Assessing Intergroup Contact and Its Effects for Intergroup Relations

In line with Allport's contact hypothesis, previous research showed that direct intergroup contact can reduce prejudices. However, establishing face-to-face contact is not always feasible. We postulate that Facebook-groups are a setting where direct and observed intergroup contact can develop, reducing prejudices and increasing mutual acceptance. Analyzing the comments of nine Facebook-groups with the destructive and constructive conflict scale, our results indicated that the expression of prejudices decreased and that of mutual acceptance increased over time, both for in- and outgroup members of the Facebook-groups. Only the expression of less prejudices, but not that of more mutual acceptance was predicted by intergroup contact. The influence of group-based motivations on the engagement in intergroup contact is discussed, and the overall findings are integrated in Steele and Brown's process model of media practices.
The Application of the Transtheoretical Model to Identify Physical Activity Behavior in Women

Background: The low level of physical activity is a risk factor behind several chronic diseases. Evidence shows the level of physical activity is decreasing, especially in women. This study aimed to apply the transtheoretical model to identify physical activity behavior in women who referred to health centers of Isfahan. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 400 women in Isfahan's health centers. Data were collected using a questionnaire including demographic factors, the standard of exercise behavior, stages-of-change questionnaire, processes of change, self-efficacy, and decisional balance. Data were analyzed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) (version 16). Descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation were used. Results: The mean (SD) of age was 31.46 (8.92); 81.5% of women were housewives and the others employees. The mean score of physical activity per day for women was 10.66 min. Ninety-six persons (24%) were classified in the pr-contemplation stage, 100 (33.3%) in the contemplation stage, 102 (25.5%) in the preparation stage, 29 (7.2%) in the action stage, and 40 (10%) in the maintenance stage. The results showed the stages of change significantly correlated with the decisional balance (P = 0.04), processes of change, and self-efficacy (P < 0.01). Conclusions: With regard to the low level of physical activity in women and the role of the stages-of-change model in determining effective factors behind behavior, there should be an attempt to develop continuous and organized educational programs to promote physical activity in women by using the transtheoretical model.
Navigating econtent

This presentation describes experiments in replacing parts of some lectures with multimedia enhanced teaching materials (eContent) for on-campus students in the School of Technology at Oxford Brookes University. In one example electronic lectures were developed to augment conventional delivery for a topic with which students always have difficulty. In another, a range of online teaching materials were used to support students with different technical backgrounds to develop their skills and subject knowledge. Issues that have arisen out of this work are Whether creating in-house eContent to replace all or parts of lectures is worthwhile; whether home produced eContent is acceptable to students; how to provide the structure and guidance to help students navigate and select, from a variety of online electronic teaching resources. Concept maps linked to a database of eContent catalogued using IMS metadata were used as a method of solving the problem of navigation. Creating them and keeping them current was time consuming, however thinking about their design and structure ensures that the pedagogy was not neglected.
Object Manipulation in Virtual Reality Under Increasing Levels of Translational Gain

Room-scale Virtual Reality (VR) has become an affordable consumer reality, with applications ranging from entertainment to productivity. However, the limited physical space available for room-scale VR in the typical home or office environment poses a significant problem. To solve this, physical spaces can be extended by amplifying the mapping of physical to virtual movement (translational gain). Although amplified movement has been used since the earliest days of VR, little is known about how it influences reach-based interactions with virtual objects, now a standard feature of consumer VR. Consequently, this paper explores the picking and placing of virtual objects in VR for the first time, with translational gains of between 1x (a one-to-one mapping of a 3.5m*3.5m virtual space to the same sized physical space) and 3x (10.5m*10.5m virtual mapped to 3.5m*3.5m physical). Results show that reaching accuracy is maintained for up to 2x gain, however going beyond this diminishes accuracy and increases simulator sickness and perceived workload. We suggest gain levels of 1.5x to 1.75x can be utilized without compromising the usability of a VR task, significantly expanding the bounds of interactive room-scale VR.
Evaluating Attack and Defense Strategies for Smartphone PIN Shoulder Surfing

We evaluate the efficacy of shoulder surfing defenses for PIN-based authentication systems. We find tilting the device away from the observer, a widely adopted defense strategy, provides limited protection. We also evaluate a recently proposed defense incorporating an "invisible pressure component" into PIN entry. Contrary to earlier claims, our results show this provides little defense against malicious insider attacks. Observations during the study uncover successful attacker strategies for reconstructing a victim's PIN when faced with a tilt defense. Our evaluations identify common misconceptions regarding shoulder surfing defenses, and highlight the need to educate users on how to safeguard their credentials from these attacks.
Diabetic ketoacidosis associated with orlistat treatment.

Orlistat is a drug frequently prescribed as an adjuvant in weight control therapy (1–2). Orlistat inhibits gastric and pancreatic lipases in the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract to decrease the systemic absorption of dietary fat (1,2). In clinical trials, steatorrhoea and other gastrointestinal disorders are the most frequently reported side effects (3). Other reported adverse effects include hypertension (4) and depression (5). No cases of severe hyperglycemia or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) have been previously reported with this drug. We report an 18-year-old Caucasian …
AGRO ADVISORY SYSTEM FOR COTTON CROP FARMERS

In agricultural domain, the main challenge is improvement of a specialist framework (Agro-Advisory System) which gives important responses to questions in regards to sort of soil/atmosphere for a specific harvest, weather data, cropping pattern, crop disease, pests and so on. Agro-Advisory System is a query-answering support for farmers, which is nothing but an ontology based knowledge system. Knowledge acquisition is done with the aid of Agro experts. To handle these queries, the old procedure was to collect the questions from farmers and record these questions, then search for the answers to these questions manually from documents provided by agricultural experts. Sometimes lack of experts and their expertise creates problem, so we choose expert system approach to solve this problem. Queries over the system can be defined to be of two categories. One is described as queries over the databases. The other category is the queries over knowledge bases. Database applications are the applications which help in retrieving information from a relational database and queries over the database facilitates this. One such application which helps users in extracting information from the database without having knowledge of it is BANKS.
Biologic Dressings: Current Applications and Limitations in Dermatologic Surgery

BACKGROUND Various biologic dressings have been developed in an effort to find the ideal skin substitute for use in acute and chronic wounds. There are many potential uses for such dressings, but no panaceas exist. Because millions of health care dollars are spent each year on wound care, and a great deal of patient morbidity occurs from these wounds, the search for new and better dressings is likely to continue. OBJECTIVE To review the current evidence regarding the utility, outcomes, and adverse effects of the available biologic dressings, with a particular focus on use in acute surgical wounds and applicability to dermatologic surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS PubMed literature search and review of data on biologic dressings with particular attention to the past 2 decades. Emphasis was placed on peer‐reviewed manuscripts and larger series. CONCLUSIONS There is extensive literature regarding the use of biologic dressings in chronic wounds, such as venous leg ulcers and burns, but studies evaluating these dressings in acute surgical wounds and dermatologic surgery have been limited. There appear to be specific surgical settings in which such dressings may be of particular use, in addition to limitations of their use. Additional studies, particularly randomized and comparative trials, would be highly desirable.
Stress-Induced Hypertension and Increased Sympathetic Activity in Mice Overexpressing Neuropeptide Y in Noradrenergic Neurons

Background and Aims: Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a sympathetic neurotransmitter co-stored and co-released with noradrenaline and adrenaline. We have constructed a novel NPY transgenic mouse model (OE-NPYDBH mouse) where targeted overexpression results in increased levels of NPY in the brainstem and adrenal glands. The present study was aimed to understand the role of NPY released from sympathetic nerves and brain noradrenergic neurons in regulation of blood pressure, and behavioral responses to stress. Methods: Blood pressure was measured by radiotelemetry in conscious male OE-NPYDBH and wild-type mice during surgical stress and in baseline conditions. Plasma and adrenal gland catecholamine levels were measured at baseline. Acute immobilization and cold exposure were used to study the plasma levels of NPY and corticosterone in stress, and brown adipose tissue thermogenic activity was measured with [3H]GDP binding after cold. Results: Here, we demonstrate that sympathoadrenal activity is enhanced in the OE-NPYDBH mice. Blood pressure during surgical stress was significantly increased in comparison with wild-type controls. Furthermore, OE-NPYDBH mice showed sexually dimorphic NPY responses to stress, and an anxiolytic-like behavior in elevated plus-maze and light-dark tests. Conclusion: This study shows that the overactive noradrenergic NPY system plays a role in regulation of blood pressure and adaptive responses to stress, and may be a link between chronic stress and adiposity-associated disturbances in metabolism.
The Stratigraphy of the Kinnaur Tethyan Basin - A Reappraisal

The geological database of the Phanerozoic Kinnaur Tethyan Basin in Himachal Pradesh is updated and its lower Palaeozoic lithostratigraphy revised to bring uniformity with the Spiti Basin. The paper also records the occurrence of middle Palaeozoic-Mesozoic rocks for the first time from the Baspa Valley. Some observations on the validity of certain fossil reports from this basin have also been made.
Sherali-Adams Integrality Gaps Matching the Log-Density Threshold

The log-density method is a powerful algorithmic framework which in recent years has given rise to the best-known approximations for a variety of problems, including Densest-$k$-Subgraph and Bipartite Small Set Vertex Expansion. These approximations have been conjectured to be optimal based on various instantiations of a general conjecture: that it is hard to distinguish a fully random combinatorial structure from one which contains a similar planted sub-structure with the same "log-density". We bolster this conjecture by showing that in a random hypergraph with edge probability $n^{-\alpha}$, $\tilde\Omega(\log n)$ rounds of Sherali-Adams with cannot rule out the existence of a $k$-subhypergraph with edge density $k^{-\alpha-o(1)}$, for any $k$ and $\alpha$. This holds even when the bound on the objective function is lifted. This gives strong integrality gaps which exactly match the gap in the above distinguishing problems, as well as the best-known approximations, for Densest $k$-Subgraph, Smallest $p$-Edge Subgraph, their hypergraph extensions, and Small Set Bipartite Vertex Expansion (or equivalently, Minimum $p$-Union). Previously, such integrality gaps were known only for Densest $k$-Subgraph for one specific parameter setting.
Plant responses to water stress: Role of reactive oxygen species

Terrestrial plants most often encounter drought stress because of erratic rainfall which has become compounded due to present climatic changes.Responses of plants to water stress may be assigned as either injurious change or tolerance index. One of the primary and cardinal changes in response to drought stress is the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which is being considered as the cause of cellular damage. However, recently a signaling role of such ROS in triggering the ROS scavenging system that may confer protection or tolerance against stress is emerging. Such scavenging system consists of antioxidant enzymes like SOD, catalase and peroxidases, and antioxidant compounds like ascorbate, reduced glutathione; a balance between ROS generation and scavenging ultimately determines the oxidative load. As revealed in case of defence against pathogen, signaling via ROS is initiated by NADPH oxidase-catalyzed superoxide generation in the apoplastic space (cell wall) followed by conversion to hydrogen peroxide by the activity of cell wall-localized SOD. Wall peroxidase may also play role in ROS generation for signaling. Hydrogen peroxide may use Ca2+ and MAPK pathway as downstream signaling cascade. Plant hormones associated with stress responses like ABA and ethylene play their role possibly via a cross talk with ROS towards stress tolerance, thus projecting a dual role of ROS under drought stress.