Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metformin and lifestyle modification in polycystic ovary syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder with diverse reproductive and metabolic features. It is underpinned by insulin resistance that is exacerbated by obesity. Lifestyle modification is the first line treatment in PCOS, but it is associated with low adherence and sustainability. In small studies, metformin improves outcomes such as hyperinsulinaemia, ovulation and menstrual cyclicity. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the effect of lifestyle modification + metformin with lifestyle modification ± placebo, and of metformin alone with lifestyle modification ± placebo in PCOS on anthropometric, metabolic, reproductive and psychological outcomes. Methods Databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, Pubmed, Scopus, Cochrane, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Clinical Trials registry and ANZCTR were searched for RCTs conducted on humans and published in English up to August 2014. Inclusion criteria were diagnosis of PCOS based on Rotterdam criteria (inclusive of National Institutes of Health criteria) at any age and with any BMI. Interventions of interest included lifestyle + metformin (with any dose and any duration) or metformin alone compared with lifestyle ± placebo. Results Of 2372 identified studies, 12 RCTs were included for analysis comprising 608 women with PCOS. Lifestyle + metformin were associated with lower BMI (mean difference (MD) -0.73 kg/m(2), 95% confidence intervals (CI) -1.14, -0.32, P = 0.0005) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (MD -92.49 cm(2), 95% CI -164.14, -20.84, P = 0.01) and increased number of menstrual cycles (MD 1.06, 95% CI 0.30, 1.82, P = 0.006) after 6 months compared with lifestyle ± placebo. There were no differences in other anthropometric, metabolic (surrogate markers of insulin resistance, fasting and area under the curve glucose, lipids and blood pressure), reproductive (clinical and biochemical hyperandrogenism), and psychological (quality of life) outcomes after 6 months between lifestyle + metformin compared with lifestyle ± placebo. With metformin alone compared with lifestyle ± placebo, weight and BMI were similar after 6 months, but testosterone was lower with metformin. Conclusions Lifestyle + metformin is associated with lower BMI and subcutaneous adipose tissue and improved menstruation in women with PCOS compared with lifestyle ± placebo over 6 months. Metformin alone compared with lifestyle showed similar BMI at 6 months. These results suggest the combination of lifestyle with metformin has a role to play in weight management: a key concern for women with PCOS. Existing study limitations include small sample sizes, short durations and risk of bias. With international guidelines now acknowledging that lifestyle and pharmacotherapy are required for weight loss and maintenance in obesity, future studies of appropriate size and duration are vital to clarify the role of metformin in PCOS management.
Hypoxia-Induced Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Exhibit an Enhanced Therapeutic Effect on Radiation-Induced Lung Injury in Mice due to an Increased Proliferation Potential and Enhanced Antioxidant Ability

Background/Aims: Radiation therapy is an important treatment for thoracic cancer; however, side effects accompanied with radiotherapy lead to limited tumor control and a decline in patient quality of life. Among these side effects, radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is the most serious and common. Hence, an effective remedy for RILI is needed. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are multipotent adult stem cells that have been demonstrated to be an effective treatment in some disease caused by tissue damage. However, unlike other injuries, RILI received limited therapeutic effects from implanted MSCs due to local hypoxia and extensive reactive oxygen species (ROS) in irradiated lungs. Since the poor survival of MSCs is primarily due to hypoxia and ROS generation, we hypothesize that persistent and adaptive hypoxia treatment induces enhanced resistance to hypoxic stress in implanted MSC. The aim of this study is to investigate whether persistent and adaptive hypoxia treatment of bmMSCs prior to their transplantation in injured mice enhanced survival and improved curative effects in RILI. Methods: Primary bmMSCs were obtained from the marrow of six-week-old male C57BL6/J mice and were cultured either under normoxic conditions (21% O2) or hypoxic conditions (2.5% O2). Mice were injected with normoxia/hypoxia MSCs after thoracic irradiation (20 Gy). The therapeutic effects of MSCs on RILI were assessed by pathological examinations that included H&E staining, Masson staining and α-SMA staining; meanwhile, inflammatory factors were measured using an ELISA. The morphology of MSCs in vitro was recorded using a microscope and identified by flow cytometry, cell viability was measured using the CCK-8 assay, the potential for proliferation was detected by the EdU assay, and ROS levels were measured using a ROS fluorogenic probe. In addition, HIF-1α and several survival pathway proteins (Akt, p-Akt, Caspase-3) were also detected by western blotting. Results: Implanted MSCs alleviated both early radiation-induced pneumonia and late pulmonary fibrosis. However, hypoxia MSCs displayed a more pronounced therapeutic effect compared to normoxia MSCs. Compared to normoxia MSCs, the hypoxia MSCs demonstrated greater cell viability, an enhanced proliferation potential, decreased ROS levels and increased resistance to hypoxia and ROS stress. In addition, hypoxia MSCs achieved higher activation levels of HIF-1α and Akt, and HIF-1α played a critical role in the development of resistance. Conclusion: Hypoxia enhances the therapeutic effect of mesenchymal stromal cells on radiation-induced lung injury by promoting MSC proliferation and improving their antioxidant ability, mediated by HIF-1α.
Pancreatic Protease Inhibition during Shock Attenuates Cell Activation and Peripheral Inflammation

Intestinal ischemia contributes to shock-induced multiple organ failure. Our recent evidence suggests that pancreatic proteases may be involved in the formation of inflammatory activators within an ischemic intestine. These inflammatory mediators are released early into the circulation and may contribute to the severe systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) during shock. We examined the impact of intra-intestinal pancreatic protease inhibition on acute intestinal ischemia-induced hypotension, the formation of activating factors for cardiovascular cells, as well as cremaster muscle cell death and intestinal injury by intravital microscopy. Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: (1) a sham group; and experimental groups with 100 min of superior mesenteric artery occlusion (2) without (SMAO group), and (3) with intestinal lavage using Krebs-Henseleit solution (LAV group), or (4) lavage using the protease inhibitor gabexate mesilate in Krebs-Henseleit solution (FOY group, 0.37 mM). Intestinal ischemia and reperfusion-induced hypotension upon reperfusion was accompanied by a significant increase in the level of neutrophil-activating factors in the intestine and plasma. During reperfusion, a significant increase in leukocyte-endothelium interactions in postcapillary venules and parenchymal cell death were observed in the cremaster muscle in LAV and SMAO animals suggesting peripheral neutrophil cell activation. Intra-intestinal pancreatic protease inhibition resulted in a stable blood pressure throughout the experiment. Cell activation, leukocyte-endothelial interactions and cell death in the cremaster muscle were almost completely abolished in the FOY group. In addition, ischemia-induced intestinal mucosal injury was attenuated with intestinal pancreatic protease inhibition. These results indicate that intestinal pancreatic protease inhibition significantly attenuates intestinal ischemia-induced shock by reducing SIRS and gut injury.
Aerobic capacity and peak power output of elite quadriplegic games players

Background: Participation in wheelchair sports such as tennis and rugby enables people with quadriplegia to compete both individually and as a team at the highest level. Both sports are dominated by frequent, intermittent, short term power demands superimposed on a background of aerobic activity. Objective: To gain physiological profiles of highly trained British quadriplegic athletes, and to examine the relation between aerobic and sprint capacity. Methods: Eight male quadriplegic athletes performed an arm crank exercise using an ergometer fitted with a Schoberer Rad Messtechnik (SRM) powermeter. The sprint test consisted of three maximum-effort sprints of five seconds duration against a resistance of 2%, 3%, and 4% of body mass. The highest power output obtained was recorded (PPO). Peak oxygen consumption (V̇o2peak), peak heart rate (HRpeak), and maximal power output (POaer) were determined. Results: Mean POaer was 67.7 (16.2) W, mean V̇o2peak was 0.96 (0.17) litres/min, and HRpeak was 134 (19) beats/min for the group. There was high variability among subjects. Peak power over the five second sprint for the group was 220 (62) W. There was a significant correlation between V̇o2peak (litres/min) and POaer (W) (r = 0.74, p<0.05). Conclusions: These British quadriplegic athletes have relatively high aerobic fitness when compared with the available literature. Moreover, the anaerobic capacity of these athletes appeared to be relatively high compared with paraplegic participants.
Regulatory concerns in the development of topical recombinant ophthalmic and cutaneous wound healing biologics

The use of recombinant DNA technology has enabled the development of an increasing number of endogenous growth regulatory peptides for potential use as therapeutic biologics. Numerous such recombinant peptides are now licensed, and many are in various stages of pharmaceutical development. Although currently there are a number of “Points to Consider” and related guidance documents available concerning various issues of biotechnology‐derived products, the purpose of this article is to focus on the use of these biologics in topical ophthalmic and chronic cutaneous wound healing. Regulatory expectations with respect to product quality, safety, and efficacy that may be particularly germane to these products will be discussed. Providing regulatory guidance on these issues may not only facilitate the introduction of safe and effective new biologic therapies into clinical trials at the investigational level but also provide appropriate information to aid in their eventual approval for licensure and widespread clinical use.
Correlation of Parathormone and the Serum Values of Acidum Uricum with Calcium Nephrolithiasis Examined by Three Different Methods of Diagnostics

Introduction. Urolithiasis is a multifactorial disease. Changes in social and economic living conditions have generated changes in chemical composition of urolith too. Although calcium is a predominant crystalline constituent of kidney stones in 80% of cases, metabolic disorders are not the main reason for their formation. Hyperparathyroidism may be a cause of occurrence of calcium lithiasis, however, the biggest number of its occurrence is not a consequence of elevated values of parathormone. Acid uric has a pervasive presence in all body fluids. The serum level of acid uric is determined by its rate of synthesis, rate of excretion by kidney and gastrointestinal tract, and metabolism. Goal. The goal of our study is to determine a correlation of calcium lithiasis of the upper part of the urinary tract with the parathormone values and the concomitant values of acidum uricum. Material and methods. The study was prospective and included 120 patients with calcium lithiasis of the upper part of urinary tract, divided in three age categories, 20-40 years, 40-60 years and older than 60 years. The diagnosis of calcium lithiasis of the upper part of the urinary tract was made on the basis of urinary tract ultrasonography, and kidney-ureter-bladder radiography (KUB) /intravenous urography (IVU), urine culture and chemical analysis of stone with patients who had a spontaneous emission of stone or following some of the methods for active removal of stone; with some patients non-contrast (NCCT) was carried out too. All patients were subjected to the laboratory analysis of the serum level of acidum uricum and parathormone. Results. With observed 120 patients suffering from calcium urolithiasis, who belonged to adult population, no patient had an elevated value of parathormone, while three patients (2.5%) had the values of acidum uricum higher than the reference values. The average value (for both parameters) was the lowest with the youngest patients and vice versa, and only in the group of 40 to 60 years of age there were patients whose values of the acidum uricum parameter was outside the interval of reference values; the other age groups did not have such values. Based on the analysis of the variance, as a statistical method, it was determined that the average values of acidum uricum in different age groups were statistically significantly different, which is not the case for the parameter parathormone. (p>0,05). Conclusion. The biggest number of nephrolithiasis is not a consequence of elevated values of parathormone. Hyperuricosemia may be present with calcium urolithiasis, without participation in forming kidney stones, most probably as an indirect sign of the existence of the initial insulin resistance and metabolic disease.
[Analysis of the efficacy of gastric cancer screening in rural population in Henan Province].

OBJECTIVE To analyze the efficacy of endoscopic screening for gastric cancer in rural population in high risk areas of upper gastrointestinal cancer in Henan province. METHODS Subjects aged 40-69 years in the high risk areas were selected to participate in the endoscopic screening based on the cluster sampling, and screening-positive subjects were sampled for pathological examination. The data of screening were summarized and the detection rates of severe chronic atrophic gastritis, severe intestinal metaplasia, low grade intraepithelial neoplasia, high grade intraepithelial neoplasia, early and middle-late cancer were calculated, and the constituent ratio of early cancer cases was calculated. The detection rates and early diagnosis rates for the first round screening and follow-up screening were compared. RESULTS In the 5 years, a total of 88 263 subjects were endoscopically examined in the first round screening and 4 004 subjects were diagnosed with low grade intraepithelial neoplasia or above (the detection rate was 4.54%), in which 3 256 cases were with low grade intraepithelial neoplasia (the detection rate of 3.69%), 366 cases with high grade intraepithelial neoplasia (the rate of 0.41%), 199 cases with early cancer (the rate of 0.22%) and 183 cases with middle-late cancer (the rate of 0.21%). The number of cases of high grade intraepithelial neoplasia and early cancer was 565 and the early diagnosis rate was 75.53%. 1 894 subjects with severe chronic atrophic gastritis, severe intestinal metaplasia and low grade intraepithelial were followed up with a compliance of 66.32%. A total of 45 cases of early cancer were diagnosed, with a detection rate of 2.38% and early diagnosis rate of 100%. The detection rate and early diagnosis rate in the follow-up screening were both statistically significantly higher than that in the first round screening (P<0.01 for both). CONCLUSION The efficacy of endoscopic screening for gastric cancer is significant in high risk areas of upper gastrointestinal cancer, and improving the quality of follow-up screening will achieve a better performance of the screening.
Elastic limit: The role of university-focused venture capital firms in extending knowledge and technology transfer

Objectives This paper has two main objectives. Firstly, to identify the role of the university-focused intermediaries, specifically UVCs, in order to explain how they interact at the early stage of USO creation, particularly regarding knowledge sharing. Secondly, to analyse whether they change their position once the USO is developed. This gives rise to two Research Questions: How does knowledge sharing occur in the dynamics of a university-based entrepreneurial ecosystem? And Do particular participants, such as UTTOs or UVCs, always occupy the same role and position within the university-based entrepreneurial ecosystem?
Do Auditors Respond to Unique Characteristics of Individual Executives? Evidence from Audit Pricing Decisions

Individual executives influence many aspects of corporate performance and financial reporting. In this study, we examine whether auditors observe and respond to characteristics of individual executives by adjusting the price of audit services. Using the group connection method for separating firm and executive effects, we find that unexplained audit fees exhibit a statistically and economically significant association with executive fixed effects after controlling for other factors related to the firm and environment. Our tests show only limited evidence that common, observable proxies are associated with the auditor’s perception of an individual executive’s style. Finally, we observe positive and significant associations between the executive fixed effect coefficients and measures of financial reporting risks and audit report delay, indicating auditors’ decisions to adjust fees for executive traits are related to factors representing audit risk and auditor effort. Our findings highlight the importance of differences across individual executives in the external auditor’s decision-making process.
Renegade subhaloes in the Local Group

Using a dark matter only Constrained Local UniversE Simulation (CLUES) we examine the existence of subhaloes that change their affiliation from on e of the two prominent hosts in the Local Group (i.e. the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy) to the other, and call these objects ”renegade subhaloes”. In light of recent claims that the two Magellanic Clouds (MCs) may have originated from another region (or even the outskirts) of the Local Group or that they have been spawned by a major merger in the past of the Andromeda galaxy, we investigate the nature of such events. However, we cannot confirm that ren egade subhaloes enter as deep into the potential well of their present host nor that they sh are the most simplest properties with the MCs, namely mass and relative velocity. Our simulation rather suggests that these renegade subhaloes appear to be flying past one host before be ing pulled into the other. A merger is not required to trigger such an event, it is rather t he distinct environment of our simulated Local Group facilitating such behavior. Since just a small fraction of the full z = 0 subhalo population are renegades, our study indicates that it will be intrinsically difficult to distinguish them despite clear differences in their veloci ty, radial distribution, shape and spin parameter distributions.
The Supply Chain Structure of Toys and Its Impact on Children’s Development and Innovation

Kids’ creativity grows with playing various games and empowering this creativity not only leads them to have a better educational path, but also provides a suitable platform for their social growth, skill development and innovation. Toys are usually the basic parts of the games and have a big contribution on children’s progress. Analyzing the supply chain structure of toys and its impact on children’s development is the subject of this study. Observing the reaction of school-aged children while facing the moving elements of a picture was a part of this research. The results indicate that the supply chain structure of a toy has a strong power to attract children’s attention and as a result can easily help them to explore the world they live in.
HEPATITIS C INFECTION: A REVIEW ON EPIDEMIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE IN HEALTH CARE WORKERS FOR GENERAL PHYSICIANS WORKING IN IRANIAN HEALTH NETWORK SETTING

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health in Iran as well as throughout the world. Health care workers (HCW) are occupationally at the risk of HCV infection. The aim of this article is to review the information about the epidemiology, nosocomial epidemiology, natural history, immunopathogenesis, and occupational risks associated with managing HCV in the health care workplace. Information obtained from previous investigation on HCV infection has yielded a better knowledge about HCV. Because data demonstrating the efficacy of any intervention are not yet available, no definitive post exposure anti viral therapy can be recommended for HCWs who are occupationally exposed to HCV. Based on existing data, the preemptive therapy and watchful waiting strategies outlined in this review article represent reasonable interim approaches to this complex problem.
Holographic Surface Leaky-Wave Lenses With Circularly-Polarized Focused Near-Fields—Part I: Concept, Design and Analysis Theory

A novel concept of planar printed-circuit microwave lens, based on the transformation of a cylindrical surface wave into a modulated leaky wave, is presented in this paper. Inspired on holographic concepts, the TM0 cylindrical leaky wave is properly tapered across the two-dimensional surface by using an Archimedean-spiral shaped slotted printed-circuit, so that it is obtained a quadratic-phase, quasi-uniform amplitude aperture distribution which creates a highly focused circularly-polarized near-field pattern. The first part of this paper describes the general analysis and synthesis methodology to obtain planar holographic lenses with high radiation and focusing efficiency. As an example, a printed-slot lens with 6λ0 diameter and focal ratio F/D = 1 operating at 10 GHz is designed and theoretically studied by simulations. The second part of the paper concentrates on the prototype and measurements.
Translational Bioinformatics Embraces Big Data

Summary We review the latest trends and major developments in translational bioinformatics in the year 2011-2012. Our emphasis is on highlighting the key events in the field and pointing at promising research areas for the future. The key take-home points are: • Translational informatics is ready to revolutionize human health and healthcare using large-scale measurements on individuals. • Data–centric approaches that compute on massive amounts of data (often called “Big Data”) to discover patterns and to make clinically relevant predictions will gain adoption. • Research that bridges the latest multimodal measurement technologies with large amounts of electronic healthcare data is increasing; and is where new breakthroughs will occur.
Quality Culture in European Universities: A Bottom-Up Approach: Report on the Three Rounds of the Quality Culture Project 2002-2006

Rue d’Egmont 13 1000 Brussels Belgium Phone: +32-2 230 55 44 Fax: +32-2 230 57 51 www.EUA. be EUA is the representative organisation of universities and national rectors’ conferences in forty-five countries across Europe. EUA’s mission is to promote the development of a coherent system of education and research at the European level, acknowledging the diversity of its members and the importance of solidarity.