Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Antioxidant Properties in Fruits of Myrica esculenta: A Popular Wild Edible Species in Indian Himalayan Region

Crude extract of Myrica esculenta fruits, a wild edible species of Indian Himalayan Region, was evaluated for phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties. Results revealed significant variation in total phenolic and flavonoid contents across populations. Among populations, total phenolic content varied between 1.78 and 2.51 mg gallic acid equivalent/g fresh weight (fw) of fruits and total flavonoids ranged between 1.31 and 1.59 mg quercetin equivalent/g fw. Antioxidant activity determined by 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical scavenging, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) exhibited considerable antioxidant potential and showed significant positive correlation with total phenolic and total flavonoids content. High performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed significant variation (P < .01) in phenolic compounds (i.e., gallic acid, catechin, hydroxybenzioc acid and ρ-coumaric acid) across populations. This study provides evidences to establish that consumption of M. esculenta fruits while providing relished taste would also help in reduction of free radicals. Therefore, this wild edible species deserves promotion in the region through horticulture and forestry interventions.
Some Results on Fuzzy Theory

The apparition of Fuzzy Logic [10] has had a double repercussion on scientific research, and has provoked two types of reactions. From a theoretical point of view, it is indeed a very useful generalization of the classical Set Theory proposed by Boole and Cantor, in this way making possible our analysis of uncertainty. But unfortunately, in his first steps it had to avoid the assaults of routine minds from the often too rigid mathematical field. This situation improved later, especially in nations with less deep-rooted prejudices. And by contrast, the new theory has obtained a strong rooting in nations with new and increasing scientific potential, such as China, Japan, and South Korea [9]. More recently it has also become rooted in European countries, such Hungary, Spain [6], and Romania, mainly due to its successful technical applications. We analyze some essential aspects of this new and powerful tool of Mathematical Analysis. This paper is based on our previous work [2], [3].
Reestablishment of Laminar Patterns of Cortical Acetylcholinesterase Activity Following Axotomy of the Medial Cholinergic Pathway in the Adult Rat

Little is known about injury-induced restructuring of cholinergic neurons projecting from the basal forebrain to nonhippocampal loci in the mature mammalian brain. In an attempt to address this issue further, we made unilateral knife cuts in the cingulate cortex of adult rats and assessed the rates and extents of fiber regeneration. Among the fibers interdicted by these transections were axons of the medial cholinergic pathway, which originates prominently in the diagonal band nuclei and projects to medial frontal, cingulate, and occipital cortices. Immediately following the lesion, acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-containing fibers proximal to the transection demonstrated increased enzyme activity that remained elevated for at least 12 weeks before returning to control values within 9 months. Loss of distal cholinesterase staining was seen from 1-2 weeks postaxotomy, with partial restoration of enzyme activity within 4 weeks. By 12 weeks, virtually complete restitution of laminar patterns of AChE innervation had occurred in the cortex posterior to the knife cut. At least part of this reinnervation was attributable to fibers growing or elongating across the glial scar, with the degree of regrowth being correlated positively with the rapidity and magnitude of wound closure. Sprouting from the cut ends of axons, as well as collateral growth of those and uncut adjacent fibers, are likely sources of fibers contributing to the restoration of normal laminar profiles of AChE activity.
Munc13‐1 acts as a priming factor for large dense‐core vesicles in bovine chromaffin cells

In chromaffin cells the number of large dense‐core vesicles (LDCVs) which can be released by brief, intense stimuli represents only a small fraction of the ‘morphologically docked’ vesicles at the plasma membrane. Recently, it was shown that Munc13‐1 is essential for a post‐docking step of synaptic vesicle fusion. To investigate the role of Munc13‐1 in LDCV exocytosis, we overexpressed Munc13‐1 in chromaffin cells and stimulated secretion by flash photolysis of caged calcium. Both components of the exocytotic burst, which represent the fusion of release‐competent vesicles, were increased by a factor of three. The sustained component, which represents vesicle maturation and subsequent fusion, was increased by the same factor. The response to a second flash, however, was greatly reduced, indicating a depletion of release‐competent vesicles. Since there was no apparent change in the number of docked vesicles, we conclude that Munc13‐1 acts as a priming factor by accelerating the rate constant of vesicle transfer from a pool of docked, but unprimed vesicles to a pool of release‐competent, primed vesicles.
Recognition of HLA‐A3 and HLA‐A11 by KIR3DL2 is peptide‐specific

The recognition of MHC class I molecules by killer cell immunoglobulin‐like receptors (KIR) is central to the control of NK cell function and can also modulate the CTL activation threshold. Among KIR receptors, KIR3DL2 is thought to interact with HLA‐A3 and ‐A11, although direct evidence has been lacking. In this study, we show that HLA‐A3 and ‐A11 tetramers specifically bind to KIR3DL2*001 transfectants and that this recognition is peptide‐specific. Single amino acid substitutions in the nonamer peptide underline a critical role for residue 8 in recognition of KIR3DL2. However, the role of this interaction in vivo still remains to be established.
Reliability analysis of the objective structured clinical examination using generalizability theory

Background The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is a widely used method for assessing clinical competence in health sciences education. Studies using this method have shown evidence of validity and reliability. There are no published studies of OSCE reliability measurement with generalizability theory (G-theory) in Latin America. The aims of this study were to assess the reliability of an OSCE in medical students using G-theory and explore its usefulness for quality improvement. Methods An observational cross-sectional study was conducted at National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) Faculty of Medicine in Mexico City. A total of 278 fifth-year medical students were assessed with an 18-station OSCE in a summative end-of-career final examination. There were four exam versions. G-theory with a crossover random effects design was used to identify the main sources of variance. Examiners, standardized patients, and cases were considered as a single facet of analysis. Results The exam was applied to 278 medical students. The OSCE had a generalizability coefficient of 0.93. The major components of variance were stations, students, and residual error. The sites and the versions of the tests had minimum variance. Conclusions Our study achieved a G coefficient similar to that found in other reports, which is acceptable for summative tests. G-theory allows the estimation of the magnitude of multiple sources of error and helps decision makers to determine the number of stations, test versions, and examiners needed to obtain reliable measurements.
Antipsychotic-Induced Weight Gain and Therapeutic Response: A Differential Association

This study investigated the association between antipsychotic-induced weight gain and therapeutic response to haloperidol and three commonly used atypical neuroleptic medications in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. The subjects were 151 patients enrolled in a double-blind experiment with a duration of 14 weeks comparing the therapeutic efficacy of haloperidol (n = 36), clozapine (n = 38), olanzapine (n = 38), and risperidone (n = 39). Absolute and relative (%) gain in body weight and body mass index (BMI) was determined for the entire duration of the double-blind treatment period; therapeutic response was assessed by the total score and the individual subscales of the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale. Compared with the pretreatment baseline, results indicated that for olanzapine and clozapine, therapeutic response was closely related to an absolute and relative gain in weight and to a gain in BMI. No association between weight gain and therapeutic response was found for risperidone and haloperidol. These findings suggest that patients who are likely to have the maximal benefits of olanzapine or clozapine treatment for symptom alleviation are at the highest risk of a clinically significant increase in weight gain.
Effects of Melatonin Treatment in Septic Newborns

Free radicals have been implicated in the pathogenesis of neonatal sepsis and its complications. This study was conducted to determine the changes in the clinical status and the serum levels of lipid peroxidation products [malondialdehyde (MDA) and 4-hydroxylalkenals (4-HDA)] in 10 septic newborns treated with the antioxidant melatonin given within the first 12 h after diagnosis. Ten other septic newborns in a comparable state were used as “septic” controls, while 10 healthy newborns served as normal controls. A total of 20 mg melatonin was administered orally in two doses of 10 mg each, with a 1-h interval. One blood sample was collected before melatonin administration and two additional blood samples (at 1 and 4 h) were collected after melatonin administration to assess serum levels of lipid peroxidation products. Serum MDA + 4-HDA concentrations in newborns with sepsis were significantly higher than those in healthy infants without sepsis; in contrast, in septic newborns treated with melatonin there was a significant reduction (p < 0.05) of MDA + 4-HDA to the levels in the normal controls at both 1 and 4 h (p < 0.05). Melatonin also improved the clinical outcome of the septic newborns as judged by measurement of sepsis-related serum parameters after 24 and 48 h. Three of 10 septic children who were not treated with melatonin died within 72 h after diagnosis of sepsis; none of the 10 septic newborns treated with melatonin died. To our knowledge, this is the first study where melatonin was given to human newborns.
Comparison of powered and manual toothbrushes for plaque removal by 4- to 5-year-old children.

PURPOSE This study compared the small head Oralgiene 60 Second Time Machine powered toothbrush, used for 60 seconds, with the Braun Oral-B Mickey Mouse powered toothbrush and a manual toothbrush (Oral-B Rugrats 20), each used for 2 minutes, for efficacy in plaque removal and reduction of gingival inflammation in young children. METHODS Fifty-eight children, ages 4 to 5 years old, were randomly assigned to one of the 3 toothbrush groups. At visit 1, plaque and gingival indices were recorded for all subjects. Then, the children did not brush for 24 hours. At visit 2, 24 hours later, plaque indices were recorded, the children brushed with their assigned toothbrush, and plaque indices were recorded again. Six weeks later, plaque and gingival indices were recorded again. The data was analyzed to detect plaque reduction after a one-time use (visit 2, prebrushing and postbrushing) as well as plaque and gingival inflammation reduction after 6 weeks of use. RESULTS The Oralgiene toothbrush removed significantly more plaque during the one-time trial and reduced significantly more gingival inflammation during the 6-week trial. The Braun Oral B powered toothbrush removed significantly more plaque than the other toothbrushes during the 6-week trial. However, no clinically meaningful differences were found between any of the toothbrushes with regard to plaque removal or gingival scores. CONCLUSIONS There were no clinically meaningful differences found between any of the toothbrushes tested during either of the trials with regard to plaque removal or improvement in gingival health.
The Neisseria gonorrhoeae Biofilm Matrix Contains DNA, and an Endogenous Nuclease Controls Its Incorporation

ABSTRACT Neisseria gonorrhoeae has been shown to produce biofilms both in experimental flow chambers and in the human host. Our laboratory has shown that extracellular DNA is an essential component of the gonococcal matrix. We have also identified a gene in N. gonorrhoeae, which we designated nuc. This gene has homology with the staphylococcus-secreted thermonuclease. Our laboratory has characterized nuc through phenotypic analysis of a nuc deletion mutant. Biofilms grown with this strain are significantly thicker and of greater biomass than the N. gonorrhoeae 1291 parent strain. Confocal microscopy indicates that the increased size of the mutant biofilms appears to be due to elevated amounts of extracellular DNA in the biofilm matrix. Chromosomal complementation of the nuc mutation restored the wild-type biofilm phenotype. In addition, we have cloned and expressed the Nuc protein in Escherichia coli, and our data indicate that it has the ability to digest multiple forms of DNA and is a thermonuclease. The ability of Nuc to digest DNA also extends to its ability to disrupt established gonococcal biofilms through degradation of the DNA in the biofilm matrix. Our studies indicate that the N. gonorrhoeae biofilm contains DNA and that the Nuc protein appears to play a role in biofilm formation and remodeling.
The Collision between Common Article Three and the Central Intelligence Agency

The narrative is set in 2006 between the Supreme Court's decision in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld and the passage of the Military Commissions Act (MCA). During those few months, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was most concerned that an application of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions to all American activities against al Qaeda would prohibit its secret program of detention and interrogation for suspected terrorists. Hamdan, in a retroactive wrinkle, also increased the exposure of government officials involved in the program to civil and criminal penalties. This article, written by a former CIA lawyer, pays particular attention to the CIA's use of secret prisons, the isolation of prisoners from family and friends, the deferral of trial, and to interrogation tactics such as sleep deprivation, bombarding with music, and making the prisoner's cell uncomfortably hot or cold. In application, Common Article 3's standard of humane treatment is more restrictive of the CIA's practices than the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 (also known as the McCain Amendment). For this reason, the CIA and its supporters strongly pushed for a legislative fix to the Hamdan decision. That fix, of course, was the MCA which, among many things, amended the War Crimes Act and authorized the President to issue new "authoritative" regulations on the scope of Common Article 3. Under my narrative, President Bush's announcement on September 6, 2006 that he was transferring fourteen high-level prisoners from the CIA's secret prisons to Guantanamo was part of his public relations to ensure that Congress passed the MCA.
Early hypopharyngeal cancer treated with different therapeutic approaches: a single-institution cohort analysis

Purpose Early hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) is a rarely diagnosed disease, for which the optimal treatment has not been defined yet. We assessed patterns of failure and outcomes in early HPSCC treated with various therapeutic approaches to identify its optimal treatment. Materials and Methods Thirty-six patients with stage I (n = 10) and II (n = 26) treated between January 1992 and March 2014 were reviewed. Patients received definitive radiotherapy (RT) (R group, n = 10), surgery only (S group, n = 19), or postoperative RT (PORT group, n = 7). All patients in both the R and PORT groups received elective bilateral neck irradiation. In the S group, 7 patients had ipsilateral and 8 had bilateral dissection, while 4 patients had no elective dissection. Results At a median follow-up of 48 months, the 5-year locoregional control (LRC) rate was 65%. Six patients had local failure, 1 regional failure (RF), 3 combined locoregional failures, and 2 distant failures. There was no difference in 5-year LRC among the R, S, and PORT groups (p = 0.17). The presence with a pyriform sinus apex extension was a prognosticator related to LRC (p = 0.01) in the multivariate analysis. Patients with a bilaterally treated neck showed a trend toward a lower RF rate (p = 0.08). Conclusion This study shows that patients with early stage HPSCC involving the pyriform sinus apex might need a tailored approach to improve LRC. Additionally, our study confirms elective neck treatment might have an efficacious role in regional control.
Myocardial oxygen supply:demand ratio as reference for coronary vasodilatory drug effects in humans.

OBJECTIVE: Introduction and measurement of human myocardial oxygen supply:demand ratio as a reference for quantification of coronary microvascular vasodilating drug effects in clinical studies. Myocardial oxygen consumption is the major determinant of coronary blood flow; therefore, the true vasodilating properties of coronary vasodilating drugs that may have an effect on oxygen consumption cannot be correctly assessed from blood flow changes alone. DESIGN: Prospective, controlled trial. SETTING: Academic hospital. PATIENTS: 12 patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. INTERVENTIONS: Cardiac pacing at 30 beats/min above sinus rhythm in awake and anaesthetised patients (fentanyl/pancuronium bromide). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Myocardial oxygen supply, defined as coronary sinus blood flow multiplied by arterial oxygen content; myocardial oxygen demand, defined as coronary sinus blood flow multiplied by arteriovenous oxygen content difference. The change in oxygen demand induced by pacing was related to the change in myocardial oxygen supply in awake and anaesthetised patients. This myocardial oxygen supply:demand ratio determined in the reference study was compared with that induced by intravenous and intracoronary drugs (nifedipine, felodipine, urapidil, and sodium nitroprusside) in two pharmacological studies: patients with CAD undergoing cardiac surgery (45 treated with sodium nitroprusside, 27 with nifedipine, and 27 with urapidil to manage arterial blood pressure); and patients with unstable angina (and a similar degree of CAD) undergoing cardiac catheterisation for diagnostic purposes (10 treated with intracoronary nifedipine and 10 with intracoronary felodipine). RESULTS: When awake, the ratio of pacing induced oxygen supply:demand changes in the 12 reference study patients was 1.50 (95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.41-1.58), similar to the 1.45 (1.35-1.56) measured in the same patients after induction of anaesthesia. Anaesthesia per se did not increase coronary oxygen supply above the expected increase related to demand changes. The only significant change in the oxygen supply:demand ratio was induced by intracoronary bolus administration of nifedipine and felodipine (10.6 (SE 1.9) and 13.9 (1.9) ml/min, respectively, above the demand related supply). CONCLUSIONS: Quantification of coronary vasoactive properties in relation to the physiological reference ratio between myocardial oxygen supply and demand may be a powerful tool to differentiate between true and apparent coronary vasoactive drugs.
Increase in the level of macrophage colony-stimulating factor in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) primarily regulates the survival, proliferation and function of macrophages.1 Studies on MRL- Faslpr mice demonstrate that M-CSF plays a pivotal role in kidney injury.2–4 Increased glomerular expression of M-CSF mRNA and protein was also reported in lupus nephritis patients.5 This study was conducted to examine for the first time the serum M-CSF level and its mRNA expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. The subjects included 21 adult patients with active SLE (SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) ⩾8 or an increase in SLEDAI ⩾3), 11 with inactive …
Robust Hybrid Precoding for Multiuser MIMO Wireless Communication Systems

We present a multi-stage hybrid optimization approach to linear precoder design in multiuser MIMO systems and propose two efficient iterative algorithms that also incorporate robustness against channel estimation errors. The first one called hybrid diversity maximization robust (HDMR) precoding employs a dual-stage optimization process and achieves exceptional transmission performance at low complexity in various multiuser scenarios. The second algorithm known as enhanced HDM (EHDM) precoding adopts a three-stage optimization strategy and provides better performance than HDMR in certain full spatial multiplexing scenarios where multiple data streams are transmitted to each of the simultaneous users.
Cerebellar, cortical and functional impairment in toluene abusers

ABSTRACT – 24 solvent abusers (mean age 23 ± 4.4 years ± SD) were studied in hospital. They reported using substances containing a mean of 425 ± 366 mg of toluene per day for 6.3 ± 3.9 years. There was no laboratory evidence of under‐nutrition. No withdrawal symptoms were observed. Marked impairment was observed in neurological and neuropsychological test performances in 65 % of the sample. Cerebellar symptoms were particularly prominent. The impairment was significantly correlated with CT scan measurements of the cerebellum, ventricles and cortical sulci, all of which abnormal in comparison to age‐matched controls. CSF abnormalities were elevated C1‐, low PO2 and very low anion gap. The duration of abuse was only weakly correlated with neurological scores. After 2 weeks of abstinence, several liver function tests which were abnormal on admission had recovered, but only minimal changes in the CNS symptoms were observed.
Using Double-Oracle Method and Serialized Alpha-Beta Search for Pruning in Simultaneous Move Games

We focus on solving two-player zero-sum extensive-form games with perfect information and simultaneous moves. In these games, both players fully observe the current state of the game where they simultaneously make a move determining the next state of the game. We solve these games by a novel algorithm that relies on two components: (1) it iteratively solves the games that correspond to a single simultaneous move using a double-oracle method, and (2) it prunes the states of the game using bounds on the sub-game values obtained by the classical Alpha-Beta search on a serialized variant of the game. We experimentally evaluate our algorithm on the Goofspiel card game, a pursuit-evasion game, and randomly generated games. The results show that our novel algorithm typically provides significant running-time improvements and reduction in the number of evaluated nodes compared to the full search algorithm.
"The street will drive you crazy": why homeless psychotic women in the institutional circuit in the United States often say no to offers of help.

Many people who struggle with psychotic disorder often refuse offers of help, including housing, extended by mental health services. This article uses the ethnographic method to examine the reasons for such refusal among women who are homeless and psychiatrically ill in the institutional circuit in an urban area of Chicago. It concludes that such refusals arise not only from a lack of insight but also from the local culture's ascription of meaning to being "crazy. " These data suggest that offers of help-specifically, diagnosis-dependent housing-to those on the street may be more successful when explicit psychiatric diagnosis is downplayed.