Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Liver Diseases: The Role of Gut Microbiota and Probiotics

There is unique co-ordination between gut and liver; portal venous blood derived from the mesenteric venous circulation constitutes approximately 75% of total hepatic blood flow and its content activates multiple liver functions. Intestinal microbiota plays an important role in health and disease. The gut-liver axis provides interaction between microbial components and liver causing liver damage. Bacterial overgrowth, dysfunctional immunity, altered intestinal permeability are implicated in pathogenesis of infections, hepatic encephalopathy, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and hepatorenal syndrome etc. Probiotics may prevent these abnormal interactions between gut and liver by improving intestinal barrier function and prevention of bacterial translocation. This review addresses gut-liver axis, gut microbiota in liver disease and probiotics in management of liver diseases.
Optimization of differential photodynamic effectiveness between normal and tumor urothelial cells using 5‐aminolevulinic acid–induced protoporphyrin IX as sensitizer

Photodynamic therapy using 5‐aminolevulinic acid (5‐ALA)–induced protoporphyrin IX is a promising tool in bladder‐cancer therapy. However, little is known about the cellular mechanisms of phototoxicity. Our aim was to characterize the cellular damage and to optimize differential photodynamic effectiveness between tumor and normal urothelial cells. RT4 tumor and UROtsa normal urothelial cells were used to simulate a papillary bladder tumor in contrast to normal urothelium. Photodynamically induced damage in plasma membrane and mitochondria was monitored by flow cytometry with propidium iodide exclusion and analysis of aggregate formation of the dye JC‐1. Cell morphology was investigated by phase‐contrast and fluorescence microscopy following acridine orange staining. Long incubation times (3 hr) led to complete RT4 tumor cell kill accompanied by a marked fraction of damaged normal UROtsa cells. Shorter incubation intervals (1 hr) also resulted in complete RT4 tumor cell kill; however, most UROtsa cells retained their cell properties, including intact plasma membrane and active mitochondria as well as intact cellular morphology. Phototoxicity depends not only on cellular sensitizer accumulation but also on intracellular localization. Analysis of phototoxic mechanisms is an important step for planning combination therapy regimens with, e.g., DNA‐damaging agents. Further, data indicate that differential phototoxicity in normal and tumorous urothelium can be enhanced using differences in cellular protoporphyrin IX distribution following short 5‐ALA incubation times. These data are encouraging for the in vivo situation since short incubation times are a more practical approach for local photodynamic therapy of early tumor stages not only in the bladder but also, e.g., in the gastro‐intestinal tract or bronchial mucosa. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Explanation-Giving in a Collaborative Tangible Tabletop Game: Initiation, Positionality, Valence, and Action-Orientation

Explanations given to each other by 20 pairs of 5th grade children while playing a tangible tabletop sustainability game were analyzed inductively for key themes relating to their use of language, gesture and system tools. Half the pairs had been assigned roles (human development or natural resources manager) with associated system controls. Findings showed that explanations by pairs in both conditions often employed collectivist language (“we”) in conjunction with positive reflections on the game-world state using the provided Impact Tool which gave feedback while system was paused. Pairs in the roles condition also gave explanations in response to partner actions and more frequently included negative and actionoriented prospective language about what should be changed moving forward. Roles pairs additionally used questions to seek confirmation or action from their partner and made comments from the perspective of the inhabitants of the fictional world. Implications for the research and design of collaborative tabletop learning systems are discussed.
An Integrated Approach to Mode Tracking and Diagnosis of Hybrid Systems

In this paper, information from a hybrid bond graph (HBG) model and from discrete-event systems (DESs) is integrated into a fault diagnosis method for hybrid systems. In a pure-HBG framework, mode-change detection and isolation is handled by the mode-change signature and the mode-change signature matrix. In a DES approach, discrete states and faults are traced based on observable events (e.g., control signals) and diagnosers. Based on the two approaches, a new diagnoser that is driven by both observable events and consistency indicators generated by continuous residuals is presented. The proposed method allows not only to effectively trace the system mode but also to decide whether this mode is faulty or normal. The new method is presented and implemented on a testbed. The experimental results presented in this paper demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.
Negotiating for the Market

In a dynamic environment where underlying competition is "for the market," this paper examines what happens when entrants and incumbents can instead negotiate for the market. For instance, this might arise when an entrant innovator can choose to license to or be acquired by an incumbent firm; i.e., engage in cooperative commercialization. It is demonstrated that, depending upon the level of firms' potential dynamic capabilities, there may or may not be gains to trade between incumbents and entrants in a cumulative innovation environment; that is, entrants may not be adequately compensated for losses in future innovative potential. This stands in contrast to static analyses that overwhelmingly identify positive gains to trade from such cooperation.
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine: A newer vaccine available in India

Streptococcus pneumoniae, or “pneumococcus,” causes pneumonia and infections of the brain and blood that are responsible for significant mortality in children under five years as well as in the elderly. Pneumococcal diseases are a major public health problem worldwide. S. pneumoniae is responsible for 15–50% of all episodes of community-acquired pneumonia, 30–50% of all cases of acute otitis media, and a significant proportion of bacterial meningitis and bacteremia. S. pneumoniae kills at least one million children under the age of five every year, which is more than malaria, AIDS and measles combined. More than 70% of the deaths are in developing countries. In 2007, pneumococcal pneumonia was the leading infectious killer of children worldwide. Perhaps more importantly, pneumonia remains the leading killer of children in India. A recent UNICEF publication estimated that 410,000 children under age 5 y die of pneumonia each year in India, and recent data shows that an estimated 25% of all child deaths in India are due to pneumonia. The fact that this high burden of pneumonia has remained undiminished in India in spite of economic growth and decline in child mortality due to other diseases is a reminder of the importance of tackling pneumonia head-on with dedicated resources. The burden of pneumococcal meningitis, which constitutes about half of all childhood meningitis cases in most settings and a greater proportion of meningitis deaths, makes it difficult to avoid the conclusion that the pneumococcus is responsible for 1 million child deaths each year. Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI) has offered to supply PCV at a cost of 0.15–0.30 USD/dose to India for inclusion in the national immunization schedule and commits to extending this support until the year 2015. Pneumococcal vaccination in not recommended in children aged 5 and above.
Throughput Fairness Using Packet Aggregation on 802 . 11 g Networks

Throughput fairness in 802.11 environments have been widely studied for most of the researchers. Application protocols with small packet size get lesser throughput compared to large packet size protocols. In this paper, we propose fairness mechanism with selective packet aggregation based on type of protocol. The fairness mechanism affects packets that only belong to delay insensitive protocols. We simulate the mechanism using WLAN simulator and compare the result with standard 802.11g implementation. The simulation result shows, our mechanism can give good equality of throughput and can increase overall system throughput on 802.11g network. Copyright © 2016 Penerbit Akademia Baru All rights reserved.
The Avian Egg: Incubation Time and Water Loss

The large difference in incubation time among bird eggs, ranging from a minimum of 11 days to nearly 90, has aroused man's interest since antiquity. In her critical review of the history of our knowledge of incubation periods, Margaret M. Nice (1954) wrote, "The people who have been concerned with incubation periods fall into three groups: the guessers, the copyists, the investigators. " Guessers came first and these have been busily quoted since Aristotle for more than 20 centuries. It was not until Evans (1891) and Heinroth (1922) made their own observations that reliable data began to accumulate. In spite of the inaccuracies since Aristotle's time, and the many exceptions which are now well recognized, there is an obvious general correlation between egg weight and incubation period. These have been presented by Heinroth (1922), Needham (1931), and Worth (1940) in graphic form and were reinvestigated in this presentation on the basis of newer information in the literature. It is of interest to note in retrospect that all these correlations are essentially similar, that the standard error of estimates is large, and that there are many exceptions. This merely illustrates that the many factors which determine the incubation period are not understood. For these reasons we analyzed other correlates of egg size such as the gas conductance of the egg shell and particularly the water loss properties of eggs, problems which Heinroth had already mentioned some 50 years ago in his classical treatise on incubation time. On the basis of water vapor conductivity measurements of the egg shell previously presented (Ar et al. 1974), the daily weight losses of eggs during natural incubation reported by Drent (1970), and the reported incubation periods, one is now able to derive new relationships which apply to eggs in general. These indicate that incubation time for a given egg weight is inversely porportional to the water vapor conductance of the egg shell. Furthermore, during natural incubation all eggs, regardless of size, lose approximately 18% of their initial weight and the mean water vapor pressure difference between the egg and the microclimate of the nest is 35 torr.
O ecrã da (hiper) televisão: novos olhares a partir das emissões dedicadas ao Euro 2012 na TV portuguesa

Dando continuidade a uma série de estudos já realizados no âmbito do projecto de investigação em que se insere, o presente trabalho questiona a evolução do ecrã televisivo como dispositivo supostamente convergente. Contrariando uma tendência discursiva dominante, quer na esfera dos media quer na própria produção académica sobre o medium televisivo, clarificam-se aqui alguns dos desenvolvimentos teóricos mais significativos, resultantes dos anos de trabalho que este projecto de investigação já tem. Propõe-se, pois, uma distinção conceptual entre o ecrã prometido pela cultura da convergência, que designamos como ecrã convergente, e o ecrã verdadeiramente resiliente da instituição-televisão, o ecrã centrípeto, que ainda obedece aos princípios de sequência e fluxo enunciados por Raymond Williams nos anos 1970.
Determining the generation profile for silicon solar cells from lumped optical parameters

An optical model for silicon solar cells that determines the generation profile G from the lumped parameters front surface transmission Text and pathlength enhancement Z is investigated. Simpler than the well-known `Basore model', it links effective (measurable) optical and electrical characteristics of solar cells with G. By comparisons against ray tracing the model is found to be accurate for typical wafer-based silicon solar cells, with the error in short-circuit current density being less than 0.1 mA/cm2 for a wide range of conditions. The model provides a minimalistic way to calculate G from the characterization of finished cells, and a short-cut for ray tracing, which calculates Text and Z with significantly less computational effort than G. In combination with a recently proposed thickness-independent parameterization of Z, it enables simple, rapid and accurate sweeping of cell thickness within solar cell device modeling.
Effects of Electromagnetic Interference on Implanted Cardiac Devices and Their Management

Potential interference between implanted cardiac devices such as pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and electromagnetic fields is an important concern for physicians taking care of patients with pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. There are many sources of electromagnetic interference (EMI); however, only a small number of these cause significant problems that need attention. Regardless of its source, EMI is of greater concern for a patient who is dependent on paced rhythm because inhibition of the pacemaker by EMI may produce ventricular standstill. It is important that cardiologists, internists, emergency medicine, critical care physicians, and anesthesiologists be aware of how EMI can affect the function of implanted cardiac devices so that appropriate treatment can be rendered and preventive measures instituted.
Celecoxib enhances the inhibitory effect of cisplatin on Tca8113 cells in human tongue squamous cell carcinoma in vivo and in vitro.

BACKGROUND Overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is associated with carcinogenesis, invasiveness, and metastasis of malignant tumors. Inhibition of COX-2 is one hot topic of research in prevention and treatment of malignant tumors. Because of the selective and specific inhibition on the activity of COX-2, the roles of celecoxib in prevention and treatment of tumors have attracted broad attention in recent years. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of celecoxib combined with cisplatin on the proliferation of human tongue squamous cell carcinoma cell line Tca8113 in vivo and in vitro. METHODS Human tongue squamous cell carcinoma tumor cells Tca8113 and a mouse model with Tca8113 cells were used to study the growth inhibition of cisplatin enhanced by celecoxib. Drug treatment of Tca8113 in vitro and mice bearing xenografts in vivo were used. The level of COX-2 expression was detected by Western blotting. Sensitivity of cells to drug treatment was analyzed by MTT assay. RESULTS Treatment of Tca8113 cells with cisplatin (CDDP) had less effect on the expression of COX-2, whereas the COX-2 expression was significantly down-regulated after treatment with celecoxib alone or in combination with CDDP for 24 h. In addition, the combination of celecoxib with CDDP was also able to inhibit the Tca8113 line heterotransplanted in Balb/c nude mice. CONCLUSIONS Those findings indicate that a low dose of celecoxib could augment CDDP-induced growth inhibition of Tca8113 cells and its xenograft in Balb/c nude mice.
Alteration of cortical and reticular acetylcholine release by ethanol in vivo.

The effect of ethanol on spontaneously released acetylcholine (ACh) was studied in rabbits with cortical collecting cups and push-pull cannulas. The investigation was designed to examine the possibility that behavioral depression produced by acute doses of ethanol is the consequence of impaired central cholinergic transmission. Spontaneously released ACh was collected in Locke's solution, containing physostigmine, held in acrylic cups over the parietal cortex of unanesthetized but immobilized rabbits during consecutive 15-minute periods. Ethanol, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 g/kg, was injected i. v. after appropriate control collections. Samples were assayed for ACh by comparing the contractions produced by the samples on a dorsal leech muscle with those produced by standard ACh chloride solutions. For subcortical collection of ACh, a push-pull cannula placed in the mesencephalic reticular formation was used in a similar manner. Ethanol, 1.0 and 2.0 g/kg i. v. , depressed, in a dose-dependent manner, the amount of ACh that was collected from the parietal cortex and mesencephalic reticular formation. The site of perfusion within the reticular formation was more sensitive to ethanol depression than the parietal cortex, since the 0.5 g/kg dose of ethanol, unlike its effect on the cortex, significantly decreased free ACh in the reticular formation and produced synchrony of the reticular electroencephalogram. In separate experiments in rats, ethanol, 4.5 g/kg p.o. , increased total brain ACh and produced blood ethanol concentrations similar to those produced by an oral dose of ethanol that depressed free cortical ACh in rabbits. The results show that ethanol can depress the release of free ACh in selected areas of the cortex and reticular formation in rabbits. The depressed release may contribute to the acute behavioral intoxication produced by ethanol.
Effects on growth and survival of loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) larvae when co‐fed on live and microparticle diets

The eiectiveness of co-feeding loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) larvae with live and microparticle diets on weaning performance was described here. Dry weight, total length, length and weight-speci¢c growth rate (SGR) and survivals were monitored at 23^25 1C from the 4th day post hatching (dph) in different diet regimes, which included: microparticle diets (A), live cladocerans (B), enriched cladocerans (C), half microparticle diets plus half live cladocerans (D) and half microparticle diets plus half enriched cladocerans (E). The SGR (L andW) were signi¢cantly lower in treatment A than in other treatments after completing metamorphosis (day 4^20, Po0.05). On 30 dph, dry weight (mg) and total length (mm) were signi¢cantly lower in treatment A than in other treatments (Po0.05). There were no signi¢cant diierences in growth in treatments B, C, D and E before 30 dph. However, when live feed was withdrawn from 31^60 dph, in metamorphosed ¢sh, there were signi¢cant diierences (Po0.05) among the treatments in survival and growth. Metamorphosed ¢sh in treatment E had higher survival than the ¢sh in other treatments at the end of the experiment. The SGR (L and W) of weaned ¢sh in treatments B and C were similar but lower than in treatments A, D and E respectively. However, dry weight and total length in treatment A were signi¢cantly lower than in treatments D and E. It is suggested that weaning of M. anguillicaudatus from early development would appear to be feasible and that larval co-feeding improves the growth and the survival.
Cuidando al cuidador: familiares de pacientes al final de la vida

En los ultimos cien anos se ha producido un gran cambio en los modelos de enfermedad mortal. A principios de siglo las principales causas de muerte entre la poblacion de los paises desarrollados eran sobre todo enfermedades infecciosas con un desenlace fatal en un tiempo breve. Los avances tecnologicos, medicos y farmaceuticos han propiciado que el numero de muertes por estos trastornos haya descendido, mientras que, paralelamente se ha producido un incremento en el indice de enfermedades de curso cronico y con frecuencia asistencia en la etapa terminal, como cancer, SIDA, etc. La fase final de la vida de una persona conlleva habitualmente alteraciones sociales, fisicas y psicologicas en los propios pacientes, su sistema familiar y el entorno en el que estos estan inmersos, cambiando profundamente la vida del enfermo y todo su sistema familiar. Aunque los distintos elementos que configuran un sistema interactuan y producen influencias mutuas, consideramos que un analisis en profundidad del mismo requerira tambien un estudio individualizado de las circunstancias especificas de cada uno de los elementos. En este articulo incidiremos especialmente en las necesidades de la familia, como uno de los aspectos clave que posibilitan la funcionalidad del sistema y la comunicacion dentro del mismo. Se expone tambien una revision de los principales elementos que ayudan a promover el bienestar de estas familias en estos dificiles momentos del proceso
Evaluation of Justicia adhatoda L. syn. Adhatoda vasica Nees extract by major metabolite analysis

The present study reveals an improved method for the evaluation of Adhatoda vasica extract by quantitation of major metabolite vasicine. The plant powder was extracted with methanol and evaporated in vaccuo to obtain an oily residue. The residue was diluted with aqueous solution of citric acid (1%) and was further extracted with chloroform. The preliminary screening for alkaloid was done with alkaloidal reagents and the presence of vasicine was assessed by thin layer chromatography (TLC). The extractive was then subjected to column chromatography using a mixture of ethyl acetate and methanol adjusted to pH 9.5 with liquid ammonia as mobile phase. The TLC chromatograms of the collected column fractions were developed and the fractions indicated the presences of vasicine were combined together. The residue obtained from evaporation of solvent was subjected to preparative TLC along with reference standard to get pure crystalline vasicine. The compound vasicine was ascertained by UV-Vis, FT-IR and LCMS/MS analyses. The quantitative estimation of vasicine was carried out by reversed phase HPLC method. About 99.50% of pure vasicine (647 mg) compared to reference standard was obtained from 250 gm of leaf powder (0.2588% w/w).
Abdominal Challenging Image in an Elderly Woman

Address for Correspondence: Dr. Vitorino Modesto dos Santos, Armed Forces Hospital, Brasilia-DF, Brazil Phone: +55-61 39662103 e-mail: vitorinomodesto@gmail.com Received: 14 September 2016 Accepted: 6 January 2017 • DOI: 10.4274/balkanmedj.2016. 1364 Available at www.balkanmedicaljournal. org Cite this article as: Santos VM, Menezes FEF. Abdominal Challenging Image in an Elderly Woman. Balkan Med J 2017;34:378-9 ©Copyright 2017 by Trakya University Faculty of Medicine / The Balkan Medical Journal published by Galenos Publishing House. A 72-year-old Brazilian woman with hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, hyperuricaemia, hypothyroidism, obesity, and alcohol abuse had dyspnoea, cough, and vomiting for 3 weeks. Drugs in use: amlodipine, indapamide, atenolol, losartan, simvastatin, metformin, glimepiride, allopurinol and levothyroxine. No previous abdominal invasive studies or surgical procedures. Physical examination was unremarkable. Laboratory: normal haemoglobin, haematocrit, and platelets; leukocytes 12.940/mm3, eosinophils 776/mm3; normal proteins, transaminases, calcium, thyroid-stimulating hormone, free thyroxine 4, lipidogram, and amylase; lipase 111 IU/L; glycated haemoglobin 11.1%, creatinine 2.1 mg/dL, urea 129.3 mg/dL, and C-reactive protein (CRP) 4.7 mg/L. Abdominal X-ray showed a tortuous tubular radiopaque image fixed on the left-upper quadrant (Figure 1a); computed tomography revealed isolated calcification of the splenic artery (Figure 1b). Written informed consent was obtained from the patient. 1Catholic University Medical Course, Brasilia-DF, Brazil 2Armed Forces Hospital, Brasilia-DF, Brazil Vitorino Modesto dos Santos1,2, Filipe Emanuel Fonseca Menezes2