Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does Acute Urinary Retention Respond to Alpha-Blockers Alone?

Studies show that men who undergo prostatectomy after acute urinary retention (AUR) are at increased risk of intraoperative complications, transfusions, postoperative complications and hospital death. Urethral catheterisation for AUR has also been shown to result in bacterial colonization at a rate of 4% per day. Consequently, it is preferable that patients undergo a trial without catheter (TWOC) after an episode of AUR to potentially avoid surgery altogether, or to avoid having a urinary catheter in situ even if they do come to prostatectomy. A number of small studies indicate that α1 blockers may improve the success rate of a TWOC. A placebo-controlled TWOC study of alfuzosin in 81 patients with AUR shows that a successful TWOC was achieved in 55% of alfuzosin-treated patients compared with 29% in the placebo group (p = 0.03). Long-term follow-up suggest that 32% (11/34; 22 treated with alfuzosin and 12 with placebo) of the patients had a further episode of AUR at a mean of 4.1 months following their first episode. This shows that there is a window of opportunity for surgical intervention prior to the occurrence of a second episode of AUR. Patients who had a subsequent episode of AUR or who needed surgery were found to have a higher post-void residual (PVR) urine following their successful TWOC, and thus may be identified as candidates for close follow-up and early intervention. As alfuzosin has been shown to reduce PVR, this factor may help prevent recurrent retention following TWOC.
Molecular mechanisms of cardioprotective effects mediated by transplanted cardiac ckit+ cells through the activation of an inflammatory hypoxia-dependent reparative response

The regenerative effects of cardiac ckit+ stem cells (ckit+CSCs) in acute myocardial infarction (MI) have been studied extensively, but how these cells exert a protective effect on cardiomyocytes is not well known. Growing evidences suggest that in adult stem cells injury triggers inflammatory signaling pathways which control tissue repair and regeneration. Aim of the present study was to determine the mechanisms underlying the cardioprotective effects of ckit+CSCs following transplantation in a murine model of MI. Following isolation and in vitro expansion, cardiac ckit+CSCs were subjected to normoxic and hypoxic conditions and assessed at different time points. These cells adapted to hypoxia as showed by the activation of HIF-1α and the expression of a number of genes, such as VEGF, GLUT1, EPO, HKII and, importantly, of alarmin receptors, such as RAGE, P2X7R, TLR2 and TLR4. Activation of these receptors determined an NFkB-dependent inflammatory and reparative gene response (IRR). Importantly, hypoxic ckit+CSCs increased the secretion of the survival growth factors IGF-1 and HGF. To verify whether activation of the IRR in a hypoxic microenvironment could exert a beneficial effect in vivo, autologous ckit+CSCs were transplanted into mouse heart following MI. Interestingly, transplantation of ckit+CSCs lowered apoptotic rates and induced autophagy in the peri-infarct area; further, it reduced hypertrophy and fibrosis and, most importantly, improved cardiac function. ckit+CSCs are able to adapt to a hypoxic environment and activate an inflammatory and reparative response that could account, at least in part, for a protective effect on stressed cardiomyocytes following transplantation in the infarcted heart.
The cells and conductance mediating cholinergic neurotransmission in the murine proximal stomach

Enteric neurotransmission is essential for gastrointestinal (GI) motility, although the cells and conductances responsible for post‐junctional responses are controversial. The calcium‐activated chloride conductance (CaCC), anoctamin‐1 (Ano1), was expressed by intramuscular interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC‐IM) in proximal stomach and not resolved in smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Cholinergic nerve fibres were closely apposed to ICC‐IM. Conductances activated by cholinergic stimulation in isolated ICC‐IM and SMCs were determined. A CaCC was activated by carbachol in ICC‐IM and a non‐selective cation conductance in SMCs. Responses to cholinergic nerve stimulation were studied. Excitatory junction potentials (EJPs) and mechanical responses were evoked in wild‐type mice but absent or greatly reduced with knockout/down of Ano1. Drugs that block Ano1 inhibited the conductance activated by carbachol in ICC‐IM and EJPs and mechanical responses in tissues. The data of the present study suggest that electrical and mechanical responses to cholinergic nerve stimulation are mediated by Ano1 expressed in ICC‐IM and not SMCs.
A feature-based analysis of MOOC for learning analytics

Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) is a popular way for offering online courses, globally, by the education providers. With large number of learners enrolled in the courses, it becomes difficult to help the learners, individually, in achieving learning objectives. But, large amount of data gets generated from activities performed by the learner. Learning analytics uses the learner-generated educational data to improve the learning process. Currently, MOOCs provide limited support to the learners for learning analytics. In this paper, an analysis of features offered to the learners by different MOOC platforms for learning analytics, is presented. For this, features of several key platforms are identified and further categorized for analysis purposes. The comparative analysis helps during selection of a platform on basis of the analytical features supported by them. Also, a recommendation is provided for enhancement of learning analytics capabilities of MOOC platforms.
Mechanical and antibacterial properties of benzothiazole-based dental resin materials

Abstract A synthesized benzothiazole containing mono-methacrylate monomer BTTMA was incorporated into Bis-GMA/TEGDMA dental resin system with a series of mass concentration from 5 to 30 wt. % as an antibacterial agent. The influence of BTTMA on physicochemical properties of dental resin system, such as double bond conversion (DC), volumetric shrinkage (VS), flexural strength (FS) and modulus (FM), water sorption (WS) and solubility (SL) were investigated. Direct contact testing and agar diffusion testing were used to evaluate the antibacterial activity of BTTMA containing dental resin. The results showed that BTTMA could endow dental resin with significant antibacterial activity when its concentration reached a certain amount (20 wt.%), and the antibacterial activity of BTTMA containing dental resin was mainly attributed to the immobilized BTTMA instead of the unreacted leachable BTTMA. BTTMA had no negative effect on physicochemical properties of dental resin, and even some BTTMA containing dental resins had advantages like higher DC, lower VS and WS when compared with control resin. Therefore, BTTMA could be considered as a suitable antibacterial agent in dental material, but much more researches concerned about biocompatibility should be done in future to prove whether it could be applied in clinic.
Clinical practice guidelines from the French National Society of Coloproctology in treating chronic constipation

Chronic constipation is a common symptom that regularly affects the quality of life of adult patients. Its treatment is mainly based on dietary rules, laxative drugs, perineal rehabilitation and surgical treatment. The French National Society of Coloproctology offers clinical practice recommendations on the basis of the data in the current literature, including those on recently developed treatments. Most are noninvasive, and the main concepts include the following: stimulant laxatives are now considered safe drugs and can be more easily prescribed as a second-line treatment; biofeedback therapy remains the gold standard for the treatment of anorectal dyssynergia that is resistant to medical treatment; transanal irrigation is the second-line treatment of choice in patients with neurological diseases, but it may also be proposed for patients without neurological diseases; and although interferential therapy may be a new promising treatment, it needs further evaluation.
The IL-17-Th1/Th17 pathway: an attractive target for lung cancer therapy?

ABSTRACT Introduction: There is strong pharmaceutical development of agents targeting the IL-17–TH17 pathway for the treatment of psoriasis (Ps) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Lung cancer accounts for 28% of all cancer-related deaths worldwide, and roughly 80% of patients with newly-diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) present with metastatic disease, with a poor prognosis of around 12 months. Therefore, there is a high unmet medical need for the development of new and potent systemic treatments in this deadly disease. The emergence of immunotherapies such as anti-PD-1 or anti-PDL1 as candidate therapies in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) indicates that targeting critical immuno-modulatory cytokines including those within the IL-17-Th1/Th17 axis may have proven benefit in the treatment of lung cancer. Areas covered: In this review we describe the current evidence for aberrant IL-17-Th1/Th17 settings in cancer, particularly with regard to targeting this axis in NSCLC. We further discuss the current agents under pharmaceutical development which could potentially target this axis, and discuss the current limitations and areas of concern regarding the use of these in lung cancer. Expert opinion: Current evidence suggests that moving forward agents targeting the IL-17-Th1/Th17 pathway may have novel new oncoimmunology indications in the treatment paradigm for NSCLC.
TIMING OF SEXUAL DEBUT AMONG UNMARRIED YOUTHS AGED 15–24 YEARS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Summary This study aimed to contribute to the evidence on the timing of sexual debut in young people in sub-Saharan African countries. Data were extracted from 34 nationally representative surveys conducted in the region between 2006 and 2014. The study sample comprised unmarried women (n=167,932) and men (n=76,900) aged 15–24 years. Descriptive techniques and Cox proportional regression models were used to estimate the timing of sexual debut, and Kaplan–Meier hazard curves were used to describe the patterns of sexual debut in each country by sex. For the countries studied, sexual debut for both women and men occurred between the ages of 15 and 18 years, with median ages of 16 for women and 17 for men. Overall, education and household wealth provided significant protection against early sexual debut among women, but the reverse was found among men for wealth. Women in rural areas, in female-headed households and in Central, South and West Africa reported higher hazards of early commencement of sexual activity than their counterparts in urban, male-headed households and East Africa. However, the impact of these variables on male sexual debut did not follow a consistent pattern. Varied timing, as well as country-specific risk factors associated with sexual debut for young women and men across sub-Saharan Africa, were identified. Sexual health programmes and interventions for young people may require different approaches for young women and men.
Seasonal variation in nutrient utilization shapes gut microbiome structure and function in wild giant pandas

Wild giant pandas use different parts of bamboo (shoots, leaves and stems) and different bamboo species at different times of the year. Their usage of bamboo can be classified temporally into a distinct leaf stage, shoot stage and transition stage. An association between this usage pattern and variation in the giant panda gut microbiome remains unknown. Here, we found associations using a gut metagenomic approach and nutritional analyses whereby diversity of the gut microbial community in the leaf and shoot stages was significantly different. Functional metagenomic analysis showed that in the leaf stage, bacteria species over-represented genes involved in raw fibre utilization and cell cycle control. Thus, raw fibre utilization by the gut microbiome was guaranteed during the nutrient-deficient leaf stage by reinforcing gut microbiome robustness. During the protein-abundant shoot stage, the functional capacity of the gut microbiome expanded to include prokaryotic secretion and signal transduction activity, suggesting active interactions between the gut microbiome and host. These results illustrate that seasonal nutrient variation in wild giant pandas substantially influences gut microbiome composition and function. Nutritional interactions between gut microbiomes and hosts appear to be complex and further work is needed.
Interactive comment on “ Phytoplankton calcification as an effective mechanism to prevent cellular calcium poisoning ”

General comments This is a very intriguing set of data. As the authors note, the hypothesis that coccolith calcification may have evolved as a mechanism for removing Ca2+ ions from cells has been postulated a few times. It is also trivially easy to see that this an absurd suggestion since, as the authors again note, all unicellular organisms living in seawater have this problem and the ancestor of coccolithophores would certainly have had effective mechanisms for removing Ca from the cell as indeed must do the numerous modern haptophytes not belonging to the Calcihaptophyte clade. Moreover the fact that in culture coccolithophores often produce mutant cells which do not calcify clearly shows that calcification does not have an essential physiological role such as Ca regulation. Indeed intra-cellular calcification involves introducing vast amounts of
A novel model based on non invasive methods for prediction of liver fibrosis

Serial liver biopsies are typically the gold standard for diagnosis of liver fibrosis progression. However, It is associated with serious complications, inconvenient to patients and expensive, the challenge is to substitute the liver biopsy with non-invasive method. The proposed technique is employed to resolve this issue with average accuracy 99.48% for 5-folds cross validation. This accuracy pave the way to utilize classification models as a clinically non-invasive and reliable method to assess the degree of liver fibrosis.
Synthesis and evaluation of influenza A viral neuraminidase candidate inhibitors based on a bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane scaffold.

This manuscript describes a novel class of derivatives based on a bicyclo[3.1. 0]hexane scaffold, proposed as mimics of sialic acid in a distorted boat conformation that is on the catalytic pathway of neuraminidases (sialidases). A general synthetic route for these constrained-ring molecules was developed using a photochemical reaction followed by a Johnson-Corey-Chaykovsky cyclopropanation. Functionalization with the goal of occupying the 150-cavity was also exploited. Inhibition assays demonstrated low micromolar inhibition against both group-1 (H5N1) and group-2 (H9N2) influenza neuraminidase subtypes, indicating good affinity for the alpha and beta sialic acid mimics and 150-cavity-targeted derivatives. These results provide a validation of a bicyclo[3.1. 0]hexane scaffold as a mimic of a distorted sialic acid bound in the neuraminidase active site during catalysis.
A High-Performance Dual-Mode Filtering Power Divider With Simple Layout

This letter presents a simple microstrip dual-mode filtering power divider (FPD) with sharp frequency selectivity and good in-band isolation. A new topology is proposed to integrate only a single resonator and a resistor to realize the dual functions of the power division and filtering. In order to further improve its frequency selectivity and obtain wide upper stopband, three open-ended stubs are integrated into the input and outputs of the FPD, respectively. The presented FPD stands out from those in the literature, by both improved performance and simple design layout. For validation, a prototype FPD operating at 2.2 GHz with 3-dB fractional bandwidth of 18.2% is designed and fabricated. The experimental results agree well with the simulated ones. The results indicate that the new FPD exhibits better than 32-dB in-band isolation along with 24-dB harmonic suppression up to 6.28 GHz ( $2.85~f_{0}$ ).
Genetic mapping of mouse centromere protein (Incenp and Cenpe) genes

Inner centromere protein (INCENP) and centromere protein E (CENPE) are two functionally important proteins of the higher eukaryotic centromere. Using a mouse Incenp genomic DNA and a mouse Cenpe cDNA to analyze recombinant inbred mouse sets, as well as interspecific backcross panels, we have mapped these genes to the proximal regions of mouse Chromosomes 19 and 6, respectively. Comparison of Cenpe and human CENPE, which maps to chromosome region 4q24→q25, has further identified a new region of homology between the two species.
A speech intelligence conversation bot for interactive media information

The customer service is needed in not only companies but also in a university. The university usually have the customer service by phone number, such as Gunadarma University that gives the Media Information Centre's phone number to do the customer service task. The growth technologies encourage the customer service to have the improvement. This research is developing the speech intelligence conversation bot as an interactive media information, a customer service improvement. This speech intelligence conversation bot is not only having the ability to listen the user's question but also has the intelligence to understand the user's question and gives the right information related to that question. The ability to listen and speak with the user is implemented using speech recognition by Sphinx-4 while the ability to understand and find the related information is implemented by using the chatbot system with the modificated MegaHal style for developing it. The accuracy each ability of this speech intelligence conversation bot are intelligence conversation bot are 80,0% for speech recognition, 89,3% for chatbot system, and 100% for response generation. The average accuracy fot the whole system is 89.7% However, it needs more improvement in both speech recognition ability and chatbot system ability, especially for speech recognition since it has the lowest accuracy number among the other abilities.
Association between increased serum interleukin-6 levels and sustained attention deficits in patients with major depressive disorder

Abstract Background The pathophysiology of cognitive impairment in patients with the major depressive disorder (MDD) may involve neuroinflammation mediated by cytokines. Objective The aim of this study was to examine the serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, sustained attention, and their association in patients with MDD. Methods Thirty patients with MDD and 30 healthy controls were enrolled in this case-control study. Sustained attention was measured using the Rapid Visual Information Processing (RVP) task in the Cambridge Neuropsychological Tests Automated Battery. The serum IL-6 levels of all subjects were assessed by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results There were significant differences in the log10RVP total hits, log10RVP total misses, and log10RVP mean latency between patients with MDD and healthy controls (F = 6.04, p = 0.017; F = 19.77, p < 0.0001; F = 14.42, p < 0.0001, respectively). The serum levels of Log10IL-6 were significantly higher in patients with MDD than in healthy controls (F = 192.27, p < 0.0001). The log10IL-6 levels were also positively correlated with the log10RVP mean latency in patients with MDD (r = 0.45, p = 0.013). A further stepwise multivariate regression analysis indicated that the log10IL-6 levels were significantly associated with the log10RVP mean latency in patients with MDD (β = 0.31, t = 2.41, p = 0.025). Conclusions Our data suggested that increased IL-6 levels were associated with the psychopathology of MDD, and that abnormal IL-6 levels were implicated in the impairment of sustained attention in patients with MDD.
Directed threat imagery in generalized anxiety disorder

Background Worrying has been suggested to prevent emotional and elaborative processing of fears. In cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) patients are exposed to their fears during the method of directed threat imagery by inducing emotional reactivity. However, studies investigating neural correlates of directed threat imagery and emotional reactivity in GAD patients are lacking. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study aimed at delineating neural correlates of directed threat imagery in GAD patients. Method Nineteen GAD patients and 19 healthy controls (HC) were exposed to narrative scripts of either disorder-related or neutral content and were encouraged to imagine it as vividly as possible. Results Rating results showed that GAD patients experienced disorder-related scripts as more anxiety inducing and arousing than HC. These results were also reflected in fMRI data: Disorder-related v. neutral scripts elicited elevated activity in the amygdala, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and the thalamus as well as reduced activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex/subgenual anterior cingulate cortex in GAD patients relative to HC. Conclusion The present study presents the first behavioral and neural evidence for emotional reactivity during directed threat imagery in GAD. The brain activity pattern suggests an involvement of a fear processing network as a neural correlate of initial exposure during directed imagery in CBT in GAD.
Local tetra pattern based on contourlet directions

Content based image retrieval relay on the features that is extracted either in transform domain or in spatial domain and also locally or globally. In this paper, a modified version of local tetra pattern is proposed for image retrieval which uses the contourlet directions to derive the local tetra pattern. The proposed method is evaluated using the COREL database. Database of 1000 images are formed from the Corel database by taking 100 images from 10 different classes. The retrieval result shows the good improvement in success rate with the proposed technique when compared with LBP and local tetra patterns.
Performances comparison of nonlinear hydrodynamic journal bearing with rotor internal damping using optimal and fractional order controllers

Hydrodynamic journal bearings are one of the most widely used bearings to support the rotating shafts. Rotating machines have a number of complicated accessories attached with it and they are also made extremely flexible. Rotating machines are also required to run at higher speed, much higher than their first threshold speed. Rotor-hydrodynamic journal bearing systems exhibit different kinds of phenomena pertaining to its operations. Hydrodynamic journal bearing and integrated model tends to be unstable due to nonconservative nature of hydrodynamic forces and stiffness coefficients. First, we linearized the non-linear system using state feedback linearization. Second, optimal and fractional order control methods are used for stabilizing the integrated system. Modeling and simulation are done by using MATLAB-Simulink programming. The performances are discussed for both cases.