Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The development of preferences for specific body shapes

Research with adults has shown a preference for average‐weight female figures with waist‐to‐hip ratios (WHR) of 0.7, and average weight male figures with waist‐to‐hip ratios of 0.9. This study investigated the development of preferences for WHR sizes as well as preferences for specific body weights. Five‐hundred eleven children ranging in age from 6 to 17 were presented with drawings of 12 male and 12 female silhouettes varying in weight and WHR and asked to select one they thought looked the nicest or most attractive. The youngest children showed preferences for the underweight figures, changing to consistent preferences for the average weight figures in the teenage years. The developmental curves for waist‐to‐hip ratio preferences were linear, changing gradually over time to become more adult‐like. Potential developmental models for the development of preferences for specific body shapes are considered in relation to these data.
Exercise for vasomotor menopausal symptoms.

BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that a high proportion of perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women will experience some menopause symptoms, hot flushes being the most common. The effects caused by falling levels of estrogen may be alleviated by hormone replacement therapy (HRT) but there has been a marked global decline in the prescription and use of HRT due to concerns about the risks and benefits of HRT; consequently many women are now seeking alternatives. As large numbers of women are choosing not to take HRT, it is increasingly important to identify evidence based lifestyle modifications, which can have a positive effect on menopausal symptoms. OBJECTIVES To examine the effectiveness of any type of exercise intervention in the management of vasomotor menopausal symptoms (hot flushes and night sweats) in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. SEARCH STRATEGY Searches of the following electronic bibliographic databases were performed to identify randomised controlled trials: The Cochrane Library (CENTRAL) (Wiley Internet interface) 2006 Issue 2, MEDLINE (Ovid) 1966-May week 4 2006, EMBASE (Ovid) 1980-week 21 2006, PsycINFO (Ovid) 1967-May week 5 2006, Science Citation Index and Social Science Citation Index (Web of Science) 1900-June 2006 and 1956-June 2006 respectively, CINAHL (Ovid) 1982-May week 4 2006, SPORT Discus (ERL WebSPIRS) 1830-2006/04. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in which any type of exercise intervention was compared to other treatments or no treatment in the management of menopausal vasomotor symptoms in symptomatic perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Nineteen reports were deemed potentially eligible, but of these only one met the inclusion criteria and three authors independently extracted data from this trial. MAIN RESULTS Only one very small trial, which compared exercise with HRT, was available for inclusion in this review. Based on within-group analyses the study authors concluded that both interventions were effective in reducing vasomotor symptoms. Between-group trial analyses conducted by reviewers showed that the HRT group experienced significantly fewer hot flushes compared to the exercise group at follow-up. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Only one very small trial involving symptomatic women has assessed the effectiveness of exercise in the management of vasomotor menopausal symptoms. Exercise was not as effective as HRT in this trial. We found no evidence from randomised controlled trials on whether exercise is an effective treatment relative to other interventions or no intervention in reducing hot flushes and or night sweats in symptomatic women. No conclusions regarding the effectiveness of exercise as a treatment for vasomotor menopausal symptoms could be made due to a lack of trials.
Elevated Levels of Serum Fibrin and Fibrinogen Degradation Products Are Independent Predictors of Larger Coronary Plaques and Greater Plaque Necrotic Core.

BACKGROUND Co-existence of vulnerable plaque and pro-thrombotic state may provoke acute coronary events. It was hypothesized that elevated serum levels of fibrin and fibrinogen degradation products (FDP) are associated with larger total plaque and necrotic core (NC) areas. METHODSANDRESULTS Seventy-five patients presenting with stable anginal symptoms (69%) or stabilized acute coronary syndrome (ACS; 31%), and found to have non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) with a fractional flow reserve >0.8, were studied. Invasive virtual histology intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) was performed in 68 LAD arteries, 6 circumflex arteries, and 1 right coronary artery. Serum FDP levels were measured using ELISA technique. Plaque volumetrics and composition were assessed in each VH-IVUS frame and averaged. The median age of patients was 56 (47-63) years; 52% were men and 23% had diabetes. The average length of coronary artery studied was 62 mm. After adjustment for systemic risk factors, medications, CRP levels and ACS, male gender (P<0.001) and serum FDP levels (P=0.02) were independent predictors of a larger NC area. Older age (P<0.001), male gender (P<0.0001) and increased serum FDP level (P=0.03) were associated with a larger plaque area. CONCLUSIONS In patients with CAD, a higher serum level of FDP is independently associated with larger plaques and greater plaque NC.
Induction of cytotoxicity and apoptosis in human gastric cancer cell SGC-7901 by isovaltrate acetoxyhydrin isolated from Patrinia heterophylla bunge involves a mitochondrial pathway and G2/M phase cell cycle arrest.

BACKGROUND Our previous study demonstrated cytotoxicity of a crude extract from Patrinia heterophylla Bunge (PHEB). In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of isovaltrate acetoxyhydrin (IA) isolated from PHEB on the gastric cancer cell SGC-7901, in order to explore a potential treatment for gastric cancer. METHODS MTT assays were employed to determine the effects of IA on cell vitality and proliferation, with monitoring of cell morphology changes and examination of apoptosis with Annexin V-PI staining. Flow cytometry was used to assess cell cycle progression and mitochondrial membrane potential. The activity of caspase 3, 9 was evaluated by spectrophotometry, and the protein levels of Bax, Bcl2 and Cyclin B1 were analyzed with Western blotting of total proteins extracted from cultured cells. RESULTS The results demonstrated direct toxicity of IA towards SGC-7901 cells. Evidence of apoptosis included blebbing and chromatin condensation. Annexin V-PI assays revealed early apoptosis, involving rapid depolarization of mitochondrial membranes and activity of caspase 3, 9 signaling pathways. Western blotting showed that Bcl2 and Bax proteins was down- and up-regulated, respectively, and cyclin B1 was up-regulated. Cell cycle analysis further indicated that IA could induce G2/M phase arrest in SGC-7901 cells. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, we believe that IA induces apoptosis of SGC-7901 cells, therefore providing a potential therapeutic agent for treatment of gastric cancer.
Insight into the mechanism by which estradiol improves organ functions after trauma-hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND Recent studies have indicated that female rodents with high levels of estradiol (proestrus) have better organ functions after trauma-hemorrhage than females with low estradiol levels (estrus) or male animals. However, the precise role of estrogens in maintaining organ function after hemorrhage remains unknown. METHODS Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized 14 days before the experiment to decrease circulating levels of estradiol. Animals underwent laparotomy to induce tissue trauma and were then bled to and maintained at a mean arterial pressure of 40 mm Hg until 40% of the maximal bleed-out volume was returned in the form of Ringer's lactate. Resuscitation was carried out with 4 times the volume of maximal bleed-out with Ringer's lactate during a period of 1 hour. 17beta-Estradiol (E2, 1 mg/kg body weight intravenously) with or without a specific estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780 (3 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally) was given at the beginning of resuscitation. At 24 hours after hemorrhage and resuscitation, cardiovascular and hepatocellular functions (ie, the maximal velocity and overall efficiency of indocyanine green clearance) were determined. Plasma E2 was also assayed. The effects of ovariectomy and E2 administration on uterine weight were measured in additional groups of animals. RESULTS The results indicate that cardiovascular and hepatocellular organ functions were significantly depressed after trauma-hemorrhage and were restored in animals receiving E2. However, simultaneous administration of its specific receptor antagonist abolished the salutary effects of E2 treatment despite high circulating levels of E2. Uterine weight decreased at 14 days after ovariectomy, which was partially restored with a single dose of E2. CONCLUSIONS Administration of 17beta-estradiol should be considered a novel and safe adjunct for ameliorating hemorrhage-induced organ dysfunctions in ovariectomized and postmenopausal women because of their low estradiol levels.
Population-based pharmacokinetic approach for methadone monitoring of opiate addicts: potential clinical utility.

AIMS There is evidence that plasma methadone measurements may be of benefit in dosage adjustment during methadone maintenance treatment for opiate dependence. However, to date the kinetics of oral rac-methadone have been poorly characterized. We describe plasma methadone concentration-time data collected from 35 opiate addicts. SUBJECTS Oral doses of rac-methadone were given to 24 male and 11 female addicts attending a community-based drug treatment centre. MEASUREMENTS Plasma methadone concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography (HPLC). PROCEDURES Plasma concentration-time data were collected from patients prescribed oral rac-methadone in order to describe the complex kinetics of the drug incorporating its long elimination half-life. FINDINGS Auto-induction of methadone metabolism was demonstrated and it was observed that clearance of methadone was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in opiate addicts at the start of treatment (median elimination half-life, 128-hours) than in those who had reached steady-state (median elimination half-life, 48 hours). Our data has provided the basis for a population-based pharmacokinetic (POP-PK) model which is intended for use as a clinical tool in association with plasma measurements in methadone maintenance patients. CONCLUSIONS Using plasma monitoring in combination with the application of Bayesian forecasting it should be possible to predict trough levels of methadone during daily dosing. The model is able to utilize sparse sampling, and two blood samples are expected to be sufficient to define patient compliance. Random samples during treatment could be used to assess methadone dosing by comparing predicted with observed measurements for each individual. The clinical tool could therefore help to detect incomplete (failure to consume the whole daily dose as prescribed) and poor (due to ingestion of extra illicit methadone) compliance as well as therapeutic failure due to drug-drug interactions. Targeting resources in this way could be a cost-effective tool for supervision of methadone dosing.
Advances in cardiac imaging: the role of magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography in identifying athletes at risk

Advanced cardiac imaging, using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and multidetector computed tomography (CT), is increasingly used in the work-up of athletes with suspected abnormalities on screening. Both imaging modalities produce highly accurate and reproducible structural and functional cardiac information. Cardiac MRI has the advantage of imaging without radiation exposure or the use of iodine-containing contrast agents, but is sometimes not possible due to claustrophobia or other contraindications. Although cardiac MRI can rule out coronary artery anomalies, multidetector CT is superior to cardiac MRI for visualising the full extent of the coronary arteries and atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. For patients less than 35 years of age, cardiac MRI is the first option after initial echocardiography for further assessment of cardiomyopathies, myocarditis and coronary anomalies, which are major causes of sudden cardiac death in young athletes. For athletes over 35 years of age the most common cause of sudden cardiac death is coronary artery disease, whereby cardiovascular screening requires further diagnostic modalities and may include multidetector CT.
Some positive aspects of neo-liberalism for African development: The revival of solidarity in co-operatives

The history of cooperative development in Africa has left a mixed conception of these organizations. Whereas some observers regard them to be neither voluntary nor members’ organizations, but extensions of the government; others view them as capitalist extensions of the market that are dominated by a class bent on exploiting the poor farmers. This contradictory conception of cooperatives has raised the question as to whether cooperatives in Africa foster the social and solidarity economy that they are conceptually part of and with what effect on development. This paper attempts to show some positive side of neo-liberalism in African development by tracing the fall of solidarity, and therefore the ambivalent participation, in African cooperatives and show the on-going rekindling of solidarity in, and revitalization of, cooperatives to effectively contribute to socio-economic development on the continent. Using the available secondary data, it is argued that though cooperatives are essentially elements of the social and solidarity economy, state control over the cooperative movement eroded the solidarity of cooperators in Africa. The state stifled people’s freedom to think in their best interest and invest in businesses that could generate returns to help them solve their socio-economic problems. With ambivalent participation and little returns on their activities, cooperatives lacked the capital to entrench the social and solidarity economy in African development. Though neo-liberalism has had its downturn in African development, it has created space for cooperatives to reclaim their freedom and re-engineer solidarity among members to effectively participate in the activities of their organization. This new-found freedom has also enabled cooperatives to forge productive partnerships that have enabled them not only to improve their capital base, but also to find markets for their products. The result has been improved performance and significant contribution to the improvement of living conditions among members and sometimes the community as well. This is evidence that neo-liberalism has had some positive side by rekindling solidarity in cooperatives, which, in turn, are improving living conditions in Africa.
DSP-Based Auto-Tuning Design of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Drives

The paper proposes an auto-tuning algorithm for a DSP-based permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive. In order to be compatible with the conventional drives, the proportional-plus-integral (PI) speed control with gains individually designed by Bode diagram and an extension of the frequency-zone method to decouple the tuning gains in a multiloop control system is studied. The auto-tuning scheme includes two steps, an adaptive load observer to estimate the load inertia and adaptive two-degree-of-freedom PI tuning. Finally, the experimental results of estimating some known inertia loads and square wave speed responses have verified the effectiveness of the proposed auto-tuning algorithm.
A vision based diagnosis approach for multi rail surface faults using fuzzy classificiation in railways

The heavy construction of railway transportation vehicles is affecting the transportation route. The rail line, which is made with great care, can be damaged by the movements of freight trains. As a result of the use of rail lines, many faults occur. These failures are caused by the manufacturing error or use of the rails. There are many methods for early detection and repair of failures. One of these methods is the camera-based method. The rail components are inspected by taking images from the cameras fixed to the railway vehicle. Faults occurring in rail components are detected. In this study, a method for detecting and classifying faults on railway track surfaces is proposed. In the proposed method, the rail surface was detected using image processing techniques. Property extraction on the rail surface is performed. In addition, the type of fault is determined by using fuzzy logic.
Comparative studies on the analysis of urinary trypsin inhibitor (ulinastatin) preparations

Urinary trypsin inhibitor (ulinastatin) is a characteristic protein pharmaceutical which contains both glycosaminoglycans and N‐linked glycans in its molecule and has been used for treatment of acute pancreatitis. The comparability of ulinastatin preparations of different lots or from different companies was studied by using conventional analytical approaches such as SDS‐PAGE, cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis, and HP size‐exclusion chromatography (SEC) and also by using newly developed techniques such as CE and MALDI‐TOF MS. The methods using SEC and SDS‐PAGE according to The Japanese Pharmacopoeia showed similar molecular masses for two different preparations, and the estimated molecular masses were significantly different from those observed with MALDI‐TOF MS. We also showed that the electrophoretic methods using cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis and CE can be used for comparability assessments of ulinastatin preparations. In addition, we analyzed the unsaturated disaccharides derived from glycosaminoglycan (chondroitin 4‐sulfate chain) and N‐linked oligosaccharides attached to ulinastatin by CE after releasing them by enzymatic digestion followed by fluorescent labeling with 2‐aminoacridone and 2‐aminobenzoic acid, respectively. The results indicated that carbohydrate chains are important as markers for comparability assessments of ulinastatin pharmaceutical preparations.
Healthy Diets and Reduced Land Pressure: Towards a Double Gain for Future Food Systems in Nigeria

Nigeria is one of the most dynamic economies in Africa. Strong GDP and population growth coupled with urbanization trends place tremendous pressures on natural resources and the food systems that are dependent on them. Understanding the impact of these “mega trends” is important to identify key leverage points for navigating towards improved nutrition and food security in Nigeria. This paper contributes to the Foresight Project of the Food Systems for Healthier Diets which aims to analyse how the food system in Nigeria is expected to transform in the next decades, and to identify the leverage points for making sure that the transformation contributes to balanced consumer diets. For the food systems foresight, a well-established global economy-wide model, MAGNET, is applied that enables to capture the interlinkages among different food industry players in one consistent framework. By linking MAGNET to the GENUS nutritional database, it is further possible to relate the developments occurring on a macro-level with detailed macro and micronutrient consumption. Model projections suggest that a process of intensification of agriculture in combination with land substitution appears critical for the evolution of food and nutrition security, and for shifts towards healthy diets for the population. Intensification results in greater diversity of the production systems, which in turn cascades into positive effects on the diversity in the food supply and better food security outcomes.
Effect of Adenoidectomy and/or Tonsillectomy on Cardiac Functions in Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Background/Aims: We aimed to determine the effects of adenoidectomy and/or tonsillectomy (AT) on cardiac functions in children with adenoid and/or tonsillary hypertrophy and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) by using echocardiography with tissue Doppler imaging facility (TDI). Methods: Twenty-nine children with adenoid and/or tonsillary hypertrophy and OSAS and 26 children with primary snoring entered the study. Cardiac functions were assessed by echocardiography with TDI in both groups. Tests were repeated in the OSAS group 6 months after treatment with AT. Results: Echocardiography showed a decrease in estimated pulmonary artery systolic pressure from 31 ± 4.2 to 13.1 ± 2.3 (p < 0.001). In TDI, tricuspid Em and Em/Am increased from 11.0 ± 2.7 to 13.5 ± 2.7 cm/s (p < 0.001), and 1.46 ± 0.52 to 1.82 ± 0.53 (p = 0.004), respectively, following AT, indicating improvement in right ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Similarly, mitral Em and Em /Am increased from 12.3 ± 2.1 to 16.3 ± 2.7 cm/s, and from 1.65 ± 0.51 to 2.30 ± 0.54, respectively (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between postoperative values and control group values. Conclusion: TDI is a technique able to detect diastolic dysfunction unnoticeable by conventional echocardiography. Following AT, we observed improvement in both left and right ventricular diastolic functions using TDI.
EVOLUTION OF INTRINSIC GROWTH RATE: METABOLIC COSTS DRIVE TRADE‐OFFS BETWEEN GROWTH AND SWIMMING PERFORMANCE IN MENIDIA MENIDIA

Abstract There is strong evidence that genetic capacity for growth evolves toward an optimum rather than an absolute maximum. This implies that fast growth has a cost and that trade‐offs occur between growth and other life‐history traits, but the fundamental mechanisms are poorly understood. Previous work on the Atlantic silverside fish Menidia menidia has demonstrated a trade‐off between growth and swimming performance. We hypothesize that the trade‐off derives from the competing metabolic demands associated with growth and swimming activity. We tested this by measuring standard metabolic rate (MSTD), maximum sustainable metabolic rate (MACT) and metabolic scope of laboratory‐reared silversides originating from two geographically distinct populations with well‐documented differences in genetic capacity for growth. The fast‐growth genotype had a significantly greater MSTD than the slow‐growth genotype, but a similar MACT when swum to near exhaustion. The scope for activity of the fast‐growth genotype was lower than that of the slow‐growth genotype. Furthermore, the fast‐growth genotype eats larger meals, thereby incurring a greater postprandial oxygen demand. We conclude that a metabolic trade‐off occurs between growth and other metabolic demands and that this trade‐off provides a general mechanism underlying the evolution of growth rate.