Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluating Korean rice genotypes and landraces for octacosanol contents and antioxidant activity

Abstract Increase in the average life span and interest in correlation between food and human health have led to researches to find and utilise the functional materials in rice. Octacosanol in rice grain is well known for its potential benefit. This study was conducted to evaluate the Korean rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes and landraces for octacosanol contents and antioxidant activity. Octacosanol contents in 223 cultivars of Korean rice ranged from 0.78 to 6.06 mg 100 g−1. Thirteen genotypes and landraces had high contents of octacosanol (4 mg 100 g−1). The antioxidant activity in Korean rice ranged from 12 to 96%. Among the tested genotypes and landraces, red-coloured rice accessions had more than 90% antioxidant activity. Genotypes with high level of octacosanol and antioxidant activity may be useful for rice breeders to develop functional varieties and food processing as nutraceutical materials.
FRET and FRAP imaging: Approaches to characterise tau and stathmin interactions with microtubules in cells

Microtubules (MTs) are involved in many crucial processes such as cell morphogenesis, mitosis and motility. These dynamic structures resulting from the complex assembly of tubulin are tightly regulated by stabilising MT‐associated proteins (MAPs) such as tau and destabilising proteins, notably stathmin. Because of their key role, these MAPs and their interactions have been extensively studied using biochemical and biophysical approaches, particularly in vitro. Nevertheless, numerous questions remain unanswered and the mechanisms of interaction between MT and these proteins are still unclear in cells. Techniques coupling cell imaging and fluorescence methods, such as Förster resonance energy transfer and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, are excellent tools to study these interactions in situ. After describing these methods, we will present emblematic data from the literature and unpublished experimental results from our laboratory concerning the interactions between MTs, tau and stathmin in cells.
Quantitative Analysis of the Cochlea using Three‐Dimensional Reconstruction based on Microcomputed Tomographic Images

The aim of this study was to provide data on various dimensions of the normal cochlea using three‐dimensional reconstruction based on high‐resolution micro‐CT images. The petrous parts of 39 temporal bones were scanned by micro‐computed tomography (CT) with a slice thickness of 35 μm. The micro‐CT images were used in reconstructing three‐dimensional volumes of the bony labyrinth using computer software. The volumes were used to measure 12 dimensions of the cochlea, and statistical analysis was carried out. The dimensions of cochleae varied widely between different specimens. The mean height and length of the cochlea were 3.8 and 9.7 mm, respectively. The angle between the basal and middle turns was slightly larger in males than in females, while none of the other 11 dimensions differed significantly between males and females. The cochlear accessory canals were observed in about half of the cases (51.3%). Correlation analysis among measured items revealed positive correlations among several of the measured dimensions. The present study could investigate the detailed anatomy of the normal cochlea using high‐resolution imaging technologies. The results of the present study could be helpful for the precise diagnosis of congenital cochlear malformations and for producing optimized cochlear implants. Anat Rec, 296:1083–1088, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
"I've Got You Under My Skin": The Embodied Relationship With The Baby Within

This paper describes a longitudinal qualitative phenomenological investigation of the subjective embodied bodily experiences of mothers-to-be in relation to their babies within. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), this paper draws on thirty semi-structured interviews conducted with six women during and after their pregnancies. It aims to capture the richness and complexity of the women's lived experience during the transition to motherhood, emphasising the idea of change as a process.
The initial development of receptivity to working abroad: Self-initiated international work opportunities in young graduate employees

This study sought to understand how receptivity to working abroad initially develops. Australian graduating business students were surveyed prior to entry to full-time work and 2 years later after entry, providing a sample of 213 full-time employees (average age 23 years). Taking a social cognitive career theory approach, beyond individual and organizational control variables, when new young male or female employees had high outcome expectancies (personal agency), had little family influence and no partner (few barriers), and worked in organizations with an international focus (opportunities), their receptivity to international careers increased compared with when they were students. Appraisals of self-capabilities (personal agency) appeared relevant dependent on destination. When employees preferred country ease for work, and when as students they had low self-efficacy for international work, their willingness to relocate to work in developing, but not developed, countries was reduced. Suggesting some factors may not be as relevant for later, as for initial, development of receptivity, outcome expectancies and organizational international focus were not related to increased receptivity in 104 older graduate employees (average age 36 years). The influence of home barriers, organizational focus and self-capabilities on the development of receptivity to international careers and to working in developing countries was discussed, taking into account age, gender and marital status.
Metáfora, ciencia y cultura: Propuesta de una nueva tipología para el análisis de la metáfora científica

The purpose of this interdisciplinary work is to establish a correlation between culture, cognition and metaphor in science, by means of integrating the resources provided by cognitive anthropology (BuxU Rey, 1975; 1984) to a theory of language and thought. It will assume that the way a cultural group reasons, perceives and structures reality is in close relationship with its manifestation in language and, also, with the construction of metaphorical expressions. This can only be approached by adopting the assumption that metaphor is part of our conceptual system (Gleitman & Lieberman, 1995; Smith & Osherson, 1995). The typology proposed may offer new insights in the analysis of metaphor in scientific and technical discourse.
Patient Safety: Examining the Adequacy of the 5 Rights of Medication Administration

Purpose: The purpose of this article was to examine the adequacy of the 5 rights (5 R's) for nurses and for including patients in medication administration while considering patient safety. Patient safety related to medication adverse events will be discussed; the 5 R's will be examined and critiqued and the importance of patient-centered care and patient participation in care will be presented. A path forward is offered based on the expressive-collaborative model. Suggestions for introduction of the model are outlined, and implications for practice, research, and education are discussed. Background: Nurses have been guided by the 5 R's of medication administration in both education and practice for many decades. Many have found the 5 R's to be lacking and proceeded to propose the addition of a variety of rights from right indication to the rights of nurses to have legible orders and timely access to information. Patients are no longer passive recipients of care and are choosing to play increasingly greater roles in the process of care. Innovation: In a collaborative patient-centered environment, an expressive-collaborative model of approaching systems of care is needed. In this model, individuals negotiate with one another to find out what people need to know and to strategize on the means to acquiring the necessary information. Providers are no longer expected to be all knowing. Conclusion: Medication administration is no longer simply the 5 R's. Medication administration is a process with many interconnected players including patients. We need to collaboratively restructure medication use in this era in which all involved in the process share the responsibility for a safe medication use system.
NOVELEAT : Combining Novelty Search and Objective-based Search

In this paper we describe and evaluate a new system, NOVELEAT, designed to evolve neural networks to solve problems with deceptive elements. NOVELEAT combines two approaches to robotic evolution, novelty search and an objective fitness function. Our experiments show that although NOVELEAT is impractical in non-deceptive behavior landscapes, in deceptive environments it produces different behavior patterns than objective evolution alone. With better tuning, we believe NOVELEAT could prove to be a useful tool to evolve neural networks.
Long-term outcomes of antipsychotic treatment in patients with first-episode schizophrenia: a systematic review

Background Treatment during first-episode psychosis (FEP) or early schizophrenia may affect the rates of relapse and remission, as well as cognitive functioning, over time. Prolonged duration of psychosis is associated with a poor prognosis, but the effects of treatment in patients with FEP or early schizophrenia on the long-term outcomes are not well defined. Objective To understand the long-term effects of treatment with antipsychotic agents on remission, relapse, and cognition in patients with FEP or early schizophrenia. Methods Using PubMed and Scopus databases, a systematic review was undertaken of articles published between January 1, 2000, and May 20, 2015, that reported randomized and nonrandomized prospective clinical trials on the long-term effects of oral or long-acting injectable antipsychotics on measures of relapse, remission, or cognition in patients with FEP or early schizophrenia. For comparative purposes, trials reporting the effects of later intervention with antipsychotics in patients with longer disease history were also evaluated. Titles, abstracts, and full-text articles were independently screened for eligibility by all the authors based on the predefined criteria. Results Nineteen studies met inclusion criteria: 13 reported long-term outcomes of relapse, remission, or cognition following antipsychotic treatment in patients with FEP and six reported on patients with a longer disease history. Antipsychotic treatment in patients with FEP produced high rates of remission in the year following treatment initiation, and untreated FEP reduced the odds of later achieving remission. Maintenance therapy was more effective than treatment discontinuation or intermittent/guided discontinuation in preventing relapse. Initiating antipsychotic treatment in patients with FEP also produced sustained cognitive improvement for up to 2 years. Antipsychotic therapy also reduced the risk or rate of relapse in patients with a longer disease history, with outcomes in one study favoring a long-acting injectable formulation over an oral antipsychotic. Conclusion Treatment of patients with FEP is associated with benefits in the long-term outcomes of remission, relapse, and cognition. More long-term studies of treatment in patients with FEP are needed to confirm these findings.
Gender and disease activity influence health-related quality of life in inflammatory bowel diseases.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Measurement of health related quality of life (HRQoL) is a new tool to evaluate patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aims of this study were to verify reliability and responsiveness of a disease-specific questionnaire [Italian Questionnaire on Quality of Life (IQQoL)], and to assess the relationship between clinical and demographic variables and HRQoL in IBD patients. METHODOLOGY The IQQoL was submitted to all IBD patients consecutively seen at eight participating Hospitals, and re-administered at follow-up visits. The IQQoL covers intestinal and systemic symptoms, emotional and social function. The higher the score, the worse the HRQoL. RESULTS 249 patients were enrolled, 106 with Crohn's disease (CD) and 143 with ulcerative colitis (UC). IQQoL was re-administered to 134 patients: 98 with unchanged, 17 with worsened and 19 with improved disease activity. The IQQoL was stable over time in patients with stable clinical conditions, and very responsive to change both in patients with improved and worsened disease activity. HRQoL was inversely correlated with disease activity, both in CD and UC. Perception of HRQoL was significantly worse in women than in men. CONCLUSIONS The IQQoL is a reliable and responsive instrument to assess HRQoL in IBD patients. Active disease is related to poor HRQoL perception. In CD, women, mainly if young, have a worse HRQoL perception than men.
Status Epilepticus

Status epilepticus (SE) in adults is a state of continuous seizures lasting more than 5 minutes, or rapidly recurrent seizures without regaining consciousness. The overall US and European estimated crude incidence rate of SE ranges from 6.8 to 41/100,000/yr. The etiologies of SE include primary central nervous system pathologies and systemic disorders. The two basic mechanisms involved in the genesis of SE are an excess of excitatory activity and a loss of normal inhibitory neurotransmission. Mortality associated with SE can be as high as 26% for the average adult. Early recognition and treatment are important for improving the chances for a good outcome. The first line of treatment is an intravenous benzodiazepine, with lorazepam being the current preferred agent. All patients with SE who remain with altered awareness 20 to 30 minutes after cessation of clinical seizures should undergo electroencephalographic studies, because up to 20% of patients without clinical evidence of seizures after initial treatment can have nonconvulsive SE.
Ieee Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence 1 a Probabilistic Model of Face Mapping with Local Transformations and Its Application to Person Recognition

This paper proposes a new measure of " distance " between faces. This measure involves the estimation of the set of possible transformations between face images of the same person. The global transformation, which is assumed to be too complex for direct modeling, is approximated by a patchwork of local transformations, under a constraint imposing consistency between neighboring local transformations. The proposed system of local transformations and neighboring constraints is embedded within the probabilistic framework of a two-dimensional hidden Markov model. More specifically, we model two types of intra-class variabilities involving variations in facial expressions and illumination, respectively. The performance of the resulting method is assessed on a large data set consisting of four face databases. In particular, it is shown to outperform a leading approach to face recognition, namely, the Bayesian intra-/extra-personal classifier.
Methodological proposal for massive training of Ecuador's civil servants, in the educational field, through MOOC courses on virtual learning environments

Being Ecuador a constitutional rule-of-law country [24] the formation of their leaders and their civil servants must be increasingly integral. Thereby, it is essential to incorporate computing updated training and development systems taking for granted that online training is becoming a very useful tool nowadays. This is complemented with the National Development Plan [24] which mentions that "education, understood the as development and training at different levels and cycles, is essential to strengthen and diversify the capacities and individual and social potentialities, to promote a participatory and critic citizenship" [27]. This research presents the results of a study carried out at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, with the assistance of the Council for Higher Education to implement a methodology for massive training of Civil Servants of Ecuador in the context of education through a virtual course called "Virtual Learning Environments", which was issued at national level in Ecuador. In order to conduct this research, a guiding methodology was established to set up the content planning as well as the instructional design to obtain a virtual course structured in the MOOC platform requiring monitoring and evaluation of students and the technical and educational team as well. The sample consists of 310 teachers nationwide. The results are intended to establish the use of virtual learning environments by teachers who work at different universities in the country. In the case of this course, the current emphasis is placed on pre-production process being a key element in the success of MOOC. Therefore, the evaluation of quality starts from the very first steps. In this case, it refers to a MOOC that uses a Neuro-linguistic Programming base (NLP) and it will be screened by reverse instruction, assuming that the diagnostic of the initiating user's capabilities and skills is relevant to schedule the needed resources.
The Development of Carotid Stent Material

Endovascular angioplasty with stenting is a promising option for treating carotid artery stenosis. There exist a rapidly increasing number of different stent types with different materials. The bare-metal stent is the most commonly used stent with acceptable results, but it leaves us with the problems of thrombosis and restenosis. The drug-eluting stent is a breakthrough as it has the ability to reduce the restenosis rate, but the problem of late thrombosis still has to be addressed. The biodegradable stent disappears after having served its function. However, restenosis and degradation rates remain to be studied. In this article, we review every stent material with its characteristics, clinical results and complications and point out the standards of an ideal carotid stent. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
The Effectiveness of Volunteer Tutoring Programs for Elementary and Middle School Students: A Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis assesses the effectiveness of volunteer tutoring programs for improving the academic skills of students enrolled in public schools Grades K–8 in the United States and further investigates for whom and under what conditions tutoring can be effective. The authors found 21 studies (with 28 different study cohorts in those studies) reporting on randomized field trials to guide them in assessing the effectiveness of volunteer tutoring programs. Overall, the authors found volunteer tutoring has a positive effect on student achievement. With respect to particular subskills, students who work with volunteer tutors are likely to earn higher scores on assessments related to letters and words, oral fluency, and writing as compared to their peers who are not tutored.
Fungi and pollen exposure in the first months of life and risk of early childhood wheezing

Background: Many studies have found that the risk of childhood asthma varies by month of birth, but few have examined ambient aeroallergens as an explanatory factor. A study was undertaken to examine whether birth during seasons of elevated ambient fungal spore or pollen concentrations is associated with risk of early wheezing or blood levels of Th1 and Th2 type cells at 24 months of age. Methods: 514 children were enrolled before birth and followed to 24 months of age. Early wheezing was determined from medical records, and Th1 and Th2 type cells were measured in peripheral blood using flow cytometry. Ambient aeroallergen concentrations were measured throughout the study period and discrete seasons of high spore and pollen concentrations were defined. Results: A seasonal pattern was observed, with birth in autumn to winter (the spore season) associated with increased odds of early wheezing (adjusted odds ratio 3.1; 95% confidence interval 1.3 to 7.4). Increasing mean daily concentrations of basidiospores and ascospores in the first 3 months of life were associated with increased odds of wheeze, as were increasing mean daily concentrations of total and specific pollen types. Levels of Th1 cells at age 24 months were positively associated with mean spore concentrations and negatively associated with mean pollen concentrations in the first 3 months of life. Conclusions: Children with higher exposure to spores and pollen in the first 3 months of life are at increased risk of early wheezing. This association is independent of other seasonal factors including ambient levels of particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter ⩽2.5 μm and lower respiratory infections.
Sustained Reduction of In-Stent Neointimal Growth With the Use of a Novel Systemic Nanoparticle Paclitaxel

Background—Paclitaxel (PXL)-eluting stents in animals cause incomplete healing and, in some instances, a lack of sustained suppression of neointimal growth. The present study tested the efficacy of a novel systemic delivery nanoparticle PXL for reducing in-stent restenosis. Methods and Results—A saline-reconstituted formulation of PXL stabilized by albumin nanoparticles (nPXL) was tested in 38 New Zealand White rabbits receiving bilateral iliac artery stents. Doses of nPXL (1.0 to 5.0 mg/kg) were administered as a 10-minute intra-arterial infusion; control animals received vehicle (0.9% normal saline). In a follow-up chronic experiment, nPXL 5.0 mg/kg was given at stenting with or without an intravenous 3.5-mg/kg repeat nPXL dose at 28 days; these studies were terminated at 3 months. At 28 days, mean neointimal thickness was reduced (P ≤0.02) by doses of nPXL ≥2.5 mg/kg with evidence of delayed healing. The efficacy of a single dose of nPXL 5.0 mg/kg, however, was lost by 90 days. In contrast, a second repeat dose of nPXL 3.5 mg/kg given 28 days after stenting resulted in sustained suppression of neointimal thickness at 90 days (P ≤0.009 versus single dose nPXL 5.0 mg/kg and controls) with nearly complete neointimal healing. Conclusions—Although systemic nPXL reduces neointimal growth at 28 days, a single repeat dose was required for sustained neointimal suppression. Thus, this novel systemic formulation of PXL may allow adjustment of dose at the stent treatment site and prove to be a useful adjunct for the clinical prevention of in-stent restenosis.
Solving Semi-Infinite Optimization Problems with Interior Point Techniques

We introduce a new numerical solution method for semi-infinite optimization problems with convex lower level problems. The method is based on a reformulation of the semi-infinite problem as a Stackelberg game and the use of regularized nonlinear complementarity problem functions. This approach leads to central path conditions for the lower level problems, where for a given path parameter a smooth nonlinear finite optimization problem has to be solved. The solution of the semi-infinite optimization problem then amounts to driving the path parameter to zero.We show convergence properties of the method and give a number of numerical examples from design centering and from robust optimization, where actually so-called generalized semi-infinite optimization problems are solved. The presented method is easy to implement, and in our examples it works well for dimensions of the semi-infinite index set at least up to 150.