Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of phytotherapy associated with antibiotic prophylaxis in female patients with recurrent urinary tract infections.

OBJECTIVE Aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a phytotherapic which includes Solidago, Orthosiphon and Birch extract (Cistimev®) in association with antibiotic prophylaxis in female patients affected by recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIr). MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients affected by UTIr older than 18 years started a 3-months antibiotic prophylaxis (Prulifloxacin 600 mg, 1 cps/week or Phosphomicyn 1 cachet/week) according to antibiogram after urine culture. The patients were divided in 2 groups: Group A: antibiotic prophylaxis plus phytotherapy (1 cps/die for 3 months) and Group B: antibiotic prophylaxis alone. RESULTS 164 consecutive patients were studied: 107 were included in group A (mean age 59 ± 17.3 years) and 57 (mean age 61 ± 15.7) in group B. During the treatment period the relapse frequencies between the two groups were not significantly different (p = 0.854): 12/107 (11.21%) patients interrupted the treatment for UTIr in group A and 6/57 (10.52%) in group B. In the long term follow-up the relapse UTI risk was significant different in the two groups with a relapse risk 2.5 greater in group B than in group A (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION Our study demonstrated that in female patients affected by recurrent UTI, the association between antibiotic prophylaxis and of a phytotherapic which includes Solidago, Orthosiphon and Birch extract reduced the number of UTI in the 12 months following the end of prophylaxis and obtained a longer relapsing time, greatly improving the quality of life of the patients.
Effect of insertion of Bt gene in corn and different fumonisin content on growth performance of weaned piglets

The objective of this study was to compare the effect of Bt corn and isogenic corn on the growth of weaned piglets. One hundred and twenty-eight weaned piglets weighing 8.8±1.27 kg live weight were randomly assigned to 4 groups of 32 animals each (16 castrated males and 16 females). Bt corn (line MON810) and isogenic corn were produced at two farms located in the provinces of Lodi and Venice (northern Italy). The Bt corn had the same chemical composition as the isogenic corn but a lower content of fumonisin B1 (FB1). The experimental period (35 days) was in 2 phases, 0–14 d and 15–35 d. There was no significant difference in average daily gain (ADG) among groups during the first feeding phase. Compared to animals fed isogenic corn, the piglets fed Bt maize gained more weight during the second feeding phase (Bt: 464.1 g/d, isogenic: 429.1 g/d; P<0.05). Also, the ADG over the entire trial was higher in piglets fed Bt corn versus piglets fed isogenic corn (Bt: 396.4 g/d, isogenic: 374.1 g/d; P<0.05). The ADG of the whole period decreased linearly (P<0.05) with respect to the FB1 content of the diet. Final weight was higher in piglets fed the diet containing Bt corn (Bt: 22.68 kg, isogenic: 21.83 kg; P<0.05). No differences in feed intake and in the feed:gain ratio were observed, although a linear response between FB1 and feed:gain ratio in first 14 days of the experiment was detected.
Breed-Related Number and Size of Muscle Fibres and Their Response to Carcass Quality in Chickens

The present study was aimed to investigate the number and size of muscle fibre and their relation to carcass quality traits in chickens (slow- and fast-growing chicken strains). A total of 40 one-day-old Arbor Acres broiler (fast-growing) and 40 Thai native chickens (slow-growing) were reared to 45 and 112 days, respectively. The Arbor Acres broilers had heavier live weight, higher breast and thigh percentage than Thai native chickens (P<0.001). In breast muscle, there was no significant difference in total number of fibres and perimysium thickness. Thai native chickens had smaller fibre diameter and fibre area (P<0.01), and thicker endomysium in comparison with Arbor Acres broiler (P<0.001). The difference between the thigh and breast muscle fibre characteristics was not significant (P>0.05). The fibre diameter was positively correlated with live weight (P<0.05) and breast percentage (P<0.01). Endomysium thickness was correlated with live weight and breast percentage (P<0.05). There was no significant difference for the correlation between muscle fibre characteristics and thigh muscle. These results suggest that muscle fibre characteristics might be related to carcass quality.
Realities of Mental Health Nursing Practice in Rural Australia

Mental health nursing as a distinct speciality has been in decline in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, for two decades. Arguably, this decline has worsened both consumer outcomes and the workplace experiences of mental health nurses. This article reports on a study designed to ascertain the nature of contemporary mental health nursing practice in New South Wales. The study utilised focus group research methodology, with participants recounting the realities of their day-to-day professional practice and perceptions of their professional identity. The findings indicate a contracting, if not moribund, profession; a decrease in the value attached to mental health nursing; and a pattern of persistent underfunding by successive governments of mental health services. An analysis of present and historical trends reveals there is a pressing need for a restructure and re-formation of mental health nursing in rural areas. This article links the shortage of mental health nurses in NSW to the closure of the mental health nursing register, a shift to comprehensive/generalist nurse education models, a perceived lack of nurses’ professional standing, and natural attrition without suitably qualified replacements. Mental health nurses in this study perceived that they were not valued by other health professionals or by their own managers. Participants in this study reported mental health nursing in rural areas was an unattractive career choice. These findings are important to the understanding of recruitment and retention issues in rural mental health nursing in Australia.
Evaluating the Mental Health of Jordanian Women in Relationships with Intimate Partner Abuse

This study evaluated the mental health consequences of abuse among Jordanian women and tested the effectiveness of using cognitive behavioral interventions to change the level of depression and level of stress among Jordanian women experiencing intimate partner abuse (IPA). A mixed methods design using phenomenology and quasi-experimental research data collection and analysis was implemented. The most commonly reported form of abuse was psychological abuse. Prior to cognitive behavioral intervention, participants demonstrated moderate to severe levels of depression, low levels of perceived social support, moderate to high levels of self-efficacy, and used approach coping skills more frequently than avoidance coping. Cognitive behavioral interventions resulted in decreased depression (p = .003) and decreased stress levels, although this finding did not reach significance (p > .05). Cognitive behavioral interventions are effective interventions when working with women experiencing IPA.
Efficacy of retrowalking on strength and balance in patients with hamstring strain

Background Hamstring muscle strain is one of the most common injuries in sports. Retrowalking on treadmill is a common tool for lower extremity rehabilitation in the clinical settings. However, minimal clinical research has been conducted on the effectiveness of retrowalking on hamstring strain rehabilitation. Hypothesis: (1) Hamstring strain patients may show improved lower extremity strength and balance when trained with retrowalking. (2) The longer duration of retrowalking will show significant improvement as compared to shorter duration training. Study design Randomised control trial. Methodology 45 subjects all with hamstring strain were prospectively included in the study, all subjects were examined clinically for hamstring injury, and they were randomly assigned into three groups (groups A, B and C) of 15 subjects each. All the subjects were tested for strength and balance (static and dynamic) prior to and after the training. The hamstring muscle of all the participants in all the three groups were treated with moist heat and followed by passive stretching. Groups A and B also received 20 and 10 min of retrowalking, respectively. The total duration of the study was 3 weeks; all the treatments were administered four times a week for a total of 12 sessions, all the outcomes were measured pre-treatment at baseline and post-treatment after 1st, 2nd and 3rd weeks. Results The change in the determinants of quadriceps and ankle plantar flexors strength was significantly greater in the group which performed retrowalking for 20 min. Balance improved significantly in all groups except control group, but the most significant changes were seen in group A. Conclusions The result of this study suggests that the lower extremity strength and balance were improved with retrowalking and the longer duration of training led to most significant improvement. Clinical relevance The retrowalking can be incorporated as a safe method of lower extremity rehabilitation in hamstring strain patients.
Postpartum Depression is a Family Affair: Addressing the Impact on Mothers, Fathers, and Children

The purpose of this paper is to present research on the effects of postpartum depression (PPD) on mothers, fathers, and children that point to a re-conceptualization of PPD as a mental health condition that affects the whole family. As such, the objectives of this paper are to discuss: (1) the incidence and effects of PPD on mothers and fathers; (2) common predictors of PPD in mothers and fathers, and (3) the effects of PPD on parenting and parent-child relationships, and (4) the effects of PPD on children's health, and their cognitive and social-emotional development. Finally, the implications for screening and intervention if depression is re-conceptualized as a condition of the family are discussed.
Regulation of Human Eosinophil and Neutrophil Apoptosis -with Special Reference to Asthma and Effect of Glucocorticoids and Nitric Oxide

Eosinophils are important inflammatory cells involved in the pathogenesis of asthma and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Accumulation and activation of neutrophils at the inflamed site is involved in the pathogenesis of COPD, severe asthma and asthma exacerbations. Granulocyte apoptosis is considered to be a critical feature in the resolution of inflammation. Inhaled glucocorticoids are widely used in the treatment of asthma and COPD, although their role in the latter is controversial. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of glucocorticoids on human eosinophil and neutrophil apoptosis. In addition, the difference in eosinophil apoptosis between asthmatic patients and healthy individuals and the effects of nitric oxide (NO) on eosinophil apoptosis were studied. Isolated human peripheral blood eosinophils and neutrophils were cultured in vitro and apoptosis assessed by flow cytometric analysis of relative DNA content, annexin-V binding, and by morphological analysis. Apoptosis of peripheral blood eosinophils from asthmatic patients was delayed as compared with that of cells from healthy individuals. The difference may be partly but not fully explained by the production of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) by the eosinophils. β2-agonists inhibited human eosinophil apoptosis in vitro. Inhaled glucocorticoids, beclomethasone, budesonide, fluticasone and mometasone, had opposite effects on eosinophil and neutrophil apoptosis: they enhanced constitutive eosinophil apoptosis, but inhibited neutrophil apoptosis. These effects of glucocorticoids occurred at clinically achievable drug concentrations and were mediated via glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Glucocorticoids completely reversed tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-mediated eosinophil survival and to a lesser extent that induced by interleukin (IL)-5. In contrast, they further enhanced the inhibitory effect of GM-CSF on neutrophil apoptosis. NO reversed IL-5-mediated eosinophil survival. The mechanism of action of NO involved activation of c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) and caspase in a cyclic guanosine 3’: 5’-
Recommendations for defining and classifying anterior cruciate ligament injuries in epidemiologic studies.

T he purpose of this article is to discuss the current knowledge on the etiology of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, particularly with regard to definition and classification of contact and noncontact injuries. In 2008, Scott McLean presented a keynote presentation at ACL Research Retreat IV entitled ‘‘The ACL Injury Enigma: We Can’t Prevent What We Don’t Understand. ’’1 Dr McLean’s commentary addressed modifiable neuromuscular ACL risk factors, particularly the need to accelerate the exchange between the laboratory and the sports field (arguably still our most pressing area). Today, I believe his words resonate in a deeper sense than possibly he ever intended. To our detriment, we have invested 2 decades and millions of dollars in research into the problem of noncontact ACL injury without defining in clear and unambiguous language what we mean by noncontact ACL injury. Although this research effort has clearly been far from wasted, I predict future investigations would benefit from a more focused and detailed description of the causes of ACL injury.
Previous mild traumatic brain injury and postural-control dynamics.

CONTEXT Postural control and cognitive function are adversely affected by acute mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Whether postural-control deficits persist beyond the acute stage in individuals with a history of mTBI is unclear. OBJECTIVE To determine if postural-control deficits persist in individuals with a history of mTBI. DESIGN Retrospective cross-sectional study. SETTING University research laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS As part of an ongoing investigation examining cognitive and motor deficits associated with mTBI, 224 individuals participated in the study. Of these, 62 participants self-reported at least 1 previous physician-diagnosed mTBI. INTERVENTION(S) Postural control was assessed using the NeuroCom Sensory Organization Test (SOT) postural-assessment battery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) The SOT postural assessment yields 4 indices of postural control: a composite balance score, a visual ratio score, a somatosensory score, and a vestibular score. Postural dynamics were also examined by calculating approximate entropy of center-of-pressure excursions in the anteroposterior and mediolateral axis for each test condition. RESULTS Minimal differences in the SOT indices were noted among individuals with and without a history of previous mTBI (P > .05). In the group with a history of mTBI, anteroposterior postural irregularity decreased as postural difficulty increased. In contrast, the group without a history of mTBI displayed increased postural irregularity in the mediolateral direction. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with a history of mTBI exhibited altered postural dynamics compared with individuals without a history of mTBI. These findings support the notion that changes in cerebral functioning that affect postural control may persist long after acute injury resolution.
Interleukin-6 responses to water immersion therapy after acute exercise heat stress: a pilot investigation.

CONTEXT Cold-water immersion is the criterion standard for treatment of exertional heat illness. Cryotherapy and water immersion also have been explored as ergogenic or recovery aids. The kinetics of inflammatory markers, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), during cold-water immersion have not been characterized. OBJECTIVE To characterize serum IL-6 responses to water immersion at 2 temperatures and, therefore, to initiate further research into the multidimensional benefits of immersion and the evidence-based selection of specific, optimal immersion conditions by athletic trainers. DESIGN Controlled laboratory study. SETTING Human performance laboratory Patients or Other Participants: Eight college-aged men (age = 22 ± 3 years, height = 1.76 ± 0.08 m, mass = 77.14 ± 9.77 kg, body fat = 10% ± 3%, and maximal oxygen consumption = 50.48 ± 4.75 mL·kg(-1) min(-1)). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Participants were assigned randomly to receive either cold (11.70°C ± 2.02°C, n = 4) or warm (23.50°C ± 1.00°C, n = 4) water-bath conditions after exercise in the heat (temperature = 37°C, relative humidity = 52%) for 90 minutes or until volitional cessation. RESULTS Whole-body cooling rates were greater in the cold water-bath condition for the first 6 minutes of water immersion, but during the 90-minute, postexercise recovery, participants in the warm and cold water-bath conditions experienced similar overall whole-body cooling. Heart rate responses were similar for both groups. Participants in the cold water-bath condition experienced an overall slight increase (30.54% ± 77.37%) in IL-6 concentration, and participants in the warm water-bath condition experienced an overall decrease (-69.76% ± 15.23%). CONCLUSIONS We have provided seed evidence that cold-water immersion is related to subtle IL-6 increases from postexercise values and that warmer water-bath temperatures might dampen this increase. Further research will elucidate any anti-inflammatory benefit associated with water-immersion treatment and possible multidimensional uses of cooling therapies.
The Mentally Retarded Offender in the State Prison System

This study established a current average national estimate of the prevalence of mental retardation among state prison inmates, and gathered information regarding their adjustment to incarceration and rehabilitative services provided them. It was determined that an average of 2% or about 7,600 inmates are mentally retarded, and that the number presently confined in all types of correctional settings is approximately 12,640. That relatively low figure was attributed to the emergence of various diversion processes and improved psychometric practice, and it was expected that these ongoing trends would reduce this prevalence rate even further in the future. It was also concluded that the mentally retarded do not adjust well to prison life, and that the mentally retarded do not adjust well to prison life, and that supplemental rehabilitation services for them at those sites had not expanded appreciably over the past two decades.
Hearing the Silent Voices: Narratives of Health Care and Homelessness

Most homeless individuals lack adequate health care. With existing literature as a backdrop, this study sought to understand the experience of homeless persons in the health care system. Using a phenomenological approach, 11 homeless participants were interviewed and the transcripts from these interviews were analyzed for meaning. The health care experiences of the participants could be understood only when viewed within the context of homelessness. The four polar themes that emerged from the analysis—same/different, fair/unfair, freedom/barriers, and choice/no choice—highlighted the great divide between the health care experiences of those with a home and those without. Such understanding can help mental health nurses provide more appropriate care to this population.
Review papers Role of topical combination drug containing clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide 279 in the treatment of common acne

Common acne is a very frequent disorder of sebaceous glands which affects mainly young people. In the majority of patients (85%) acne is mild to moderate, and amenable to topical therapy. According to the European Evidencebased (S3) Guidelines for the Treatment of Acne, therapy of comedonal acne should begin with topical retinoids (preferably adapalene), while mild to moderate cases of papulopustular acne should be initially treated with com bination drugs (clindamycin + benzoyl peroxide or adapalene + benzoyl peroxide). It needs to be stressed that all of the above-mentioned combination drugs demonstrate similar efficacy in terms of reducing the number of skin lesions, both inflammatory and non-inflammatory. The onset of therapeutic effect, however, has been shown to be significantly more rapid with the clindamycin + benzoyl peroxide combination. Moreover, the combination is much better tolerated by patients than adapalene + benzoyl peroxide, and has a greater safety profile, as demonstrated in a clinical trial involving a total of 382 patients suffering from common acne. The present article discusses the prop erties of individual components of the combination drugs listed above, and compares both combinations in terms of their therapeutic efficacy, tolerability and safety.
Analysis of Using Resources in Business Process Modeling and Simulation

Abstract One of the key purposes of Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is to support graphical representation of the process model. However, such models have a lack of support for the graphical representation of resources, whose processes are used during simulation or execution of process instance. The paper analyzes different methods and their extensions for resource modeling. Further, this article presents a selected set of resource properties that are relevant for resource modeling. The paper proposes an approach that explains how to use the selected set of resource properties for extension of process modeling using BPMN and simulation tools. They are based on BPMN, where business process instances use resources in a concurrency manner.
Increased medial longitudinal arch mobility, lower extremity kinematics, and ground reaction forces in high-arched runners.

CONTEXT Runners with high medial longitudinal arch structure demonstrate unique kinematics and kinetics that may lead to running injuries. The mobility of the midfoot as measured by the change in arch height is also suspected to play a role in lower extremity function during running. The effect of arch mobility in high-arched runners is an important factor in prescribing footwear, training, and rehabilitating the running athlete after injury. OBJECTIVE To examine the effect of medial longitudinal arch mobility on running kinematics, ground reaction forces, and loading rates in high-arched runners. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Human movement research laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS A total of 104 runners were screened for arch height. Runners were then identified as having high arches if the arch height index was greater than 0.5 SD above the mean. Of the runners with high arches, 11 rigid runners with the lowest arch mobility (R) were compared with 8 mobile runners with the highest arch mobility (M). Arch mobility was determined by calculating the left arch height index in all runners. INTERVENTION(S) Three-dimensional motion analysis of running over ground. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Rearfoot and tibial angular excursions, eversion-to-tibial internal-rotation ratio, vertical ground reaction forces, and the associated loading rates. RESULTS Runners with mobile arches exhibited decreased tibial internal-rotation excursion (mobile: 5.6° ± 2.3° versus rigid: 8.0° ± 3.0°), greater eversion-to-tibial internal-rotation ratio (mobile: 2.1 ± 0.8 versus rigid: 1.5 ± 0.5), decreased second peak vertical ground reaction force values (mobile: 2.3 ± 0.2 × body weight versus rigid: 2.4 ± 0.1 × body weight), and decreased vertical loading rate values (mobile: 55.7 ± 14.1 × body weight/s versus rigid: 65.9 ± 11.4 × body weight/s). CONCLUSIONS Based on the results of this study, it appears that runners with high arch structure but differing arch mobility exhibited differences in select lower extremity movement patterns and forces. Future authors should investigate the impact of arch mobility on running-related injuries.