Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A review of national health policies and professional guidelines on maternal obesity and weight gain in pregnancy

Maternal obesity creates an additional demand for health‐care services, as the routine obstetric care pathway requires alterations to ensure the most optimal care for obese women of childbearing age. This review examines the extent to which relevant national health documents reflect and respond to the health implications of maternal obesity and excessive gestational weight gain. A targeted search of peer‐reviewed publications and grey literature was conducted for each country to identify national health documents, which were subsequently content analyzed according to an adapted framework. A total of 37 documents were identified, including one policy, 10 strategies and 26 guidelines, published within the last 10 years. Out of the 31 countries investigated, only 13 countries address maternal obesity while none address excessive gestational weight gain. We found inconsistencies and gaps in the recommendations to health‐care service providers for the management of maternal obesity and weight gain in pregnancy. The findings show that only limited guidance on maternal obesity and gestational weight gain exists. The authors recommend that international, evidence‐based guidelines on the management of maternal obesity and excessive gestational weight gain should be developed to reduce the associated health‐care and economic costs.
Efficacy of Undecylenic Acid–Zinc Undecylenate Powder in Culture Positive Tinea Pedis

ABSTRACT: One hundred fifty‐one patients with tinea pedis participated in a double‐blind study to assess the efficacy and safety of d powder containing undecylenic acid 2% and line undecylenate 20% versus a placebo powder. Patients were assigned to apply twice‐daily applications of either active powder or placebo for a period of 4 weeks. Trichophyton rubrum or Trichophyton mentagrophytes were isolated from pre‐treatment cultures of 85 patients. Of these, 88% treated with active powder had negative cultures after 4 weeks compared with 17% of those treated with placebo powder (p < 0.001). Fungus was identified in potassium hydroxide (KOH) treated skin scrapings of all 151 patients before treatment. Of those treated with active powder. 80% were KOH negative after 4 weeks compared with 49% of those treated with placebo powder (p = 0.001). Erythema and scaling were significantly improved by therapy with active powder, as were subjective evaluations of itching and burning. There were no side‐effects or adverse reactions to undecylenic acid and its zinc salt.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects and Joint Protection in Collagen-Induced Arthritis after Treatment with IQ-1S, a Selective c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Inhibitor

c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) participate in many physiologic and pathologic processes, including inflammatory diseases. We recently synthesized the sodium salt of IQ-1S (11H-indeno[1,2-b]quinoxalin-11-one oxime) and demonstrated that it is a high-affinity JNK inhibitor and inhibits murine delayed-type hypersensitivity. Here we show that IQ-1S is highly specific for JNK and that its neutral form is the most abundant species at physiologic pH. Molecular docking of the IQ-1S syn isomer into the JNK1 binding site gave the best pose, which corresponded to the position of cocrystallized JNK inhibitor SP600125 (1,9-pyrazoloanthrone). Evaluation of the therapeutic potential of IQ-1S showed that it inhibited matrix metalloproteinase 1 and 3 gene expression induced by interleukin-1β in human fibroblast-like synoviocytes and significantly attenuated development of murine collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Treatment with IQ-1S either before or after induction of CIA resulted in decreased clinical scores, and joint sections from IQ-1S–treated CIA mice exhibited only mild signs of inflammation and minimal cartilage loss compared with those from control mice. Collagen II–specific antibody responses were also reduced by IQ-1S treatment. By contrast, the inactive ketone derivative 11H-indeno[1,2-b]quinoxalin-11-one had no effect on CIA clinical scores or collagen II–specific antibody titers. IQ-1S treatment also suppressed proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine levels in joints and lymph node cells. Finally, treatment with IQ-1S increased the number of Foxp3+CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells in lymph nodes. Thus, IQ-1S can reduce inflammation and cartilage loss associated with CIA and can serve as a small-molecule modulator for mechanistic studies of JNK function in rheumatoid arthritis.
A 6-month, open-label, extension study of the tolerability and effectiveness of the methylphenidate transdermal system in adolescents diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the tolerability and effectiveness of the methylphenidate transdermal system (MTS) over 6 months in adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS This was an industry-sponsored, 30-center, open-label study of subjects aged 13-17 years with ADHD. Subjects were dose-optimized with MTS (10-30 mg/9 hours) over 5 weeks and then dose-maintained for up to 5 months. Tolerability evaluations included treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and dermal responses. Effectiveness was assessed with the ADHD-Rating Scale-IV (ADHD-RS-IV). RESULTS A total of 162 subjects received MTS treatment. The majority of TEAEs (>99%) were mild or moderate in intensity, and the most frequently reported TEAE was decreased appetite (15.4%). Thirteen subjects discontinued the study due to TEAEs. The majority (93.6%) of dermatologic reactions indicated mild erythema. There was significant improvement in mean ADHD-RS-IV total scores from study entry to end point (p<0.001). CONCLUSION Slightly more than half (54.0%) of subjects completed this 6-month, open-label extension study of MTS; the primary reason for discontinuation was withdrawn consent (36.0%). Reported TEAEs and skin tolerability findings were similar to those observed with MTS use in children and adolescents. MTS treatment resulted in a decrease in ADHD symptoms as rated by clinicians.
Implementation of bidirectional power flow based centrality measure in bulk and smart power transmission systems

Bidirectional or two way power flow based centrality measure has been implemented in bulk and smart power transmission systems. Proposed model can identify critical nodes from the system whose removal would affect the system severely. A combination of two models has been adopted to capture the power flow scenario of smart grid. Impacts of removal of critical nodes have been analyzed in terms of increase in path length, connectivity loss and load loss. Rank similarity analysis has been carried out to check the numerical stability of rank of the critical nodes found from proposed method based on complex network theory.
Statins modulate expression of components of the plasminogen activator/plasmin system in human cardiac myocytes in vitro

previous study in which we did not find an association of these haplotypes with fibrinogen levels in the 473 control subjects of the Leiden Thrombophilia Study [6]. We conclude that none of the four common haplotypes of the FGG gamma gene has a strong effect on the risk of MI. Homozygosity for FGG-H2, which we found previously to be a risk factor for venous thrombosis, might slightly increase the risk ofMI in patients younger than 50 years. These findings are in line with the studies on other prothrombotic factors that affect the risk of venous thrombosis but have small or no effects on arterial disease [13].
Incidence of brain metastases in renal cell carcinoma treated with sorafenib.

BACKGROUND This retrospective study evaluated the incidence of brain metastases in a subgroup of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who were randomly assigned to receive sorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor (400 mg b.i.d.), versus placebo in the phase III Treatment Approaches in Renal Cancer Global Evaluation Trial (TARGET). PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients enrolled in TARGET at two centres (Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France, n = 85; Central Clinical Hospital of Military Medical Academy, Warsaw, Poland, n = 54) made up the current subgroup, who were retrospectively evaluated for the incidence of brain metastases during follow-up. The association between treatment (sorafenib versus placebo) and occurrence of brain metastases was evaluated by univariate analysis. RESULTS The overall incidence of brain metastases in patients receiving sorafenib was 3% (2 of 70 patients) compared with 12% (8 of 69 patients) in patients receiving placebo (P < 0.05). The incidence of brain metastases was also significantly lower in the sorafenib group after 1 (P = 0.0447) and 2 years (P = 0.005) of treatment compared with the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS In this subpopulation, sorafenib may reduce the occurrence of brain metastases. Antiangiogenic therapy, such as sorafenib, could be an effective preventive therapy for brain metastases in advanced RCC.
Glycotoxins: a missing link in the "relationship of dietary fat and meat intake in relation to risk of type 2 diabetes in men".

We have read with great interest the article entitled “Dietary Fat and Meat Intake in Relation to Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Men,” by Van Dam et al. (1), which suggests a relationship between increased consumption of animal fat and red and processed meats and higher risk of type 2 diabetes in men. We propose that the recently recognized toxic derivatives of advanced glycation and lipoxidation abundant in diets may explain the associations observed. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and lipoxidation end products (ALEs) are well-known glucose-derived factors contributing to diabetes-related complications (2). In addition to endogenous glucose, diet constitutes an important exogenous source of …
Characterization of Diverse Non‐covalent Interactions Associated with Protein Acetylation

Protein acetylation has early emerged as a major posttranslational modification for histones and was recently found to be involved in a variety of biological events such as enzymatic activation and signal transduction. Traditional notion about the physicochemical effects associated with protein acetylation is mainly because of its presence capable of neutralizing positively charged protein system, while diverse non‐covalent interactions arising from the acetylation are largely ignored and have never been investigated systematically. In the current work, we perform a comprehensive examination of the geometrical profile and energetic landscape of such acetylation‐related non‐covalent interactions in protein context by using a combination of high‐level ab initio calculations, crystal structure survey, and hybrid mechanical/molecular mechanical analysis, on the basis of small model complexes and real protein systems. It is all coming together to suggest that the formation of complicated non‐covalent networks around the acetylated site of protein is fundamentally important for stabilizing local structure, improving systemic rigidity, and even conducting more sophisticated biological functions such as switching enzymatic activity.
Prophenoloxidase Activation: Nonself Recognition and Cell Cooperation in Insect Immunity

The mechanism of nonself recognition by the immune system of insects is unknown. In this report the activation of the prophenoloxidase system in the wax moth Galleria mellonella by a microbial product is shown to enhance the recognition of nonself material. These results explain previous observations of the interaction of two different blood cell populations in the cellular defense reactions of insects.
Preparative Enzymatic Synthesis of Activated Neuraminic Acid by Using a Microbial Enzyme

Using Escherichia coli K-235 as a production strain in a fed-batch fermentation process with an optimized sorbitol/yeast extract medium, we were able to produce 640 U of CMP-Neu5Ac synthetase in 10 l scale (64 U/l) and 9200 U (total enzyme) in 200 l scale (390 U/kg wet weight). By simple one-step purification procedures, enzyme preparations were obtained that could be used efficiently for the synthesis of CMP-Neu5Ac from CTP and Neu5Ac with over 90% yield, from Neu5Ac, CMP, and ATP or phosphoenolpyruvate by in situ generation of CTP, and from CTP, pyruvate, and ManNAc or GlcNAc by in situ generation of Neu5Ac.
Making sense of the sensory regulation of hunger neurons

AgRP and POMC neurons are two key cell types that regulate feeding in response to hormones and nutrients. Recently, it was discovered that these neurons are also rapidly modulated by the mere sight and smell of food. This rapid sensory regulation “resets” the activity of AgRP and POMC neurons before a single bite of food has been consumed. This surprising and counterintuitive discovery challenges longstanding assumptions about the function and regulation of these cells. Here we review these recent findings and discuss their implications for our understanding of feeding behavior. We propose several alternative hypotheses for how these new observations might be integrated into a revised model of the feeding circuit, and also highlight some of the key questions that remain to be answered.
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION OF FLUSHED DAIRY MANURE

In Florida, dairies use water extensively for barn flushing and waste collection, because it is sanitary and less labor-intensive. However, the practice of hydraulic flushing results in greatly increased volumes of dilute wastewater. In addition, many dairies have incorporated fan and sprinkler cooling systems for cow comfort in the warm Florida climate, which contributes even more water to the waste stream. The use of large volumes of flushwater for dairy manure collection, however, means that conventional anaerobic digestion using complete-mix or plugflow technologies is neither practical nor economical, since the dilute manure streams (typically less than 1% TS) would require excessively large digester volumes and higher heat inputs in order to achieve the hydraulic residence times and operating temperatures required for stable digestion (HRT > 15 days at 35C).
Service on Demand of Transportation Information Grid System Model and Analysis Based on TCPN

Along with the application and popularity of transportation information grid system, users become more and more, original configuration can't meet actual demand. In this paper we establish timed colored Petri net process model for Service On Demand process, which is one of the main service provided by the system. Through simulating increasing users and the amount of processes waiting for Service On Demand request, we analysis request response time change, and provide beneficial reference for extension of system configuration.
Cyclotides Insert into Lipid Bilayers to Form Membrane Pores and Destabilize the Membrane through Hydrophobic and Phosphoethanolamine-specific Interactions*

Background: Cyclotides are plant defense peptides that act via membrane interactions. Results: Cyclotides bind specifically to and progressively insert into phosphoethanolamine-containing lipid bilayers via a predominantly entropy-driven process. Conclusion: Cyclotides insert deeply into lipid bilayers due to hydrophobic interactions with lipid tails and specific interactions with the phosphoethanolamine headgroup. Significance: Our study broadens knowledge of how cyclotides interact with membranes. Cyclotides are a family of plant-derived circular proteins with potential therapeutic applications arising from their remarkable stability, broad sequence diversity, and range of bioactivities. Their membrane-binding activity is believed to be a critical component of their mechanism of action. Using isothermal titration calorimetry, we studied the binding of the prototypical cyclotides kalata B1 and kalata B2 (and various mutants) to dodecylphosphocholine micelles and phosphoethanolamine-containing lipid bilayers. Although binding is predominantly an entropy-driven process, suggesting that hydrophobic forces contribute significantly to cyclotide-lipid complex formation, specific binding to the phosphoethanolamine-lipid headgroup is also required, which is evident from the enthalpic changes in the free energy of binding. In addition, using a combination of dissipative quartz crystal microbalance measurements and neutron reflectometry, we elucidated the process by which cyclotides interact with bilayer membranes. Initially, a small number of cyclotides bind to the membrane surface and then insert first into the outer membrane leaflet followed by penetration through the membrane and pore formation. At higher concentrations of cyclotides, destabilization of membranes occurs. Our results provide significant mechanistic insight into how cyclotides exert their bioactivities.
Deep convolutional dynamic texture learning with adaptive channel-discriminability for 3D mask face anti-spoofing

3D mask spoofing attack has been one of the main challenges in face recognition. A real face displays a different motion behaviour compared to a 3D mask spoof attempt, which is reflected by different facial dynamic textures. However, the different dynamic information usually exists in the subtle texture level, which cannot be fully differentiated by traditional hand-crafted texture-based methods. In this paper, we propose a novel method for 3D mask face anti-spoofing, namely deep convolutional dynamic texture learning, which learns robust dynamic texture information from fine-grained deep convolutional features. Moreover, channel-discriminability constraint is adaptively incorporated to weight the discriminability of feature channels in the learning process. Experiments on both public datasets validate that the proposed method achieves promising results under intra and cross dataset scenario.
Overview of legacy systems in L-band and its influence on the future aeronautical communication system LDACS1

Currently, air traffc management is undergoing an extensive modernization process within SESAR [1] and Next-Gen [2] in Europe and the United States, respectively. This also includes the development of the future communication infrastructure (FCI) [3], which is jointly carried out by EUROCONTROL and the Federal Aviation Administration. Within the FCI, the L-band has been allocated for air-to-ground communications. Currently, two candidate systems for superseding the analogue voice communication system in the VHF band are taken into consideration. The frst candidate L-band digital aeronautical communications system type 1 (LDACS1) is a broadband system employing orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) and frequency-division duplex (FDD). LDACS1 has been designed as a combination of P34 (TIA 902 standard) and the broadband aeronautical multicarrier communications system [4]. The second candidate LDACS2 is a narrowband single-carrier system using time-division duplex as duplex scheme. This system is a derivative of the L-band digital link and the all-purpose multichannel aviation communication system.
Quality of Use of a Complex Technology: A Learning-Based Model

It has been argued that simple conceptualizations of usage are inadequate for understanding and studying the use of complex information technologies. In this article, we contend that quality of use, instead of the dichotomy of use vs. nonuse, is appropriate for understanding the extent to which a complex information technology is being used. An inductive case study of the implementation of a complex information technology was conducted, which led to the development of a learningbased model of quality of use. This model suggests the inclusion of factors relating to training (either formal or informal), learning, and beliefs, their impact on quality of use, and their change over time. Moreover, it describes how quality of use evolves over time as learning increases and perceptions of the system change. Evidence from the case study along with relationships from the literature are provided to support the model. Implications for future research are also discussed.
Inhibitory effects of Schisandra chinensis extract on acne-related inflammation and UVB-induced photoageing

Abstract Context: Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. (Schisandraceae) fruit extract (SFE) has been reported to induce non-specific tissue protection against inflammation in vivo. However, the effects of SFE on Propionibacterium acnes-stimulated acne and UVB-irradiated photoageing have yet to be investigated. Objective: To systematically investigate the effects of SFE against P. acnes and photoageing in vitro. Materials and methods: Qualitative and quantitative analyses of SFE were performed by HPLC. SFE concentrations from 2.5 to 50 μg/mL were tested. Specifically, ELISA was used to examine the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in THP-1 cells as well as of collagen I and matrix metalloproteinases-1 in HDF cells. The anti-bacterial effect of SFE was determined using the microdilution broth method. Glutathione and malondialdehyde levels were examined using the colorimetric and TBA methods, respectively. The degree of ageing was determined by cytochemical staining. Results: SFE significantly inhibited P. acnes growth (MIC 0.5 mg/mL) and 50 μg/mL of SFE suppressed the production of interleukin-1β, interleukin-8 and tumour necrosis factor α, by 59.67%, 62.69% and 68.30%, respectively, in P. acnes-stimulated THP-1 cells. Additionally, 10 μg/mL of SFE suppressed photoageing in UVB-exposed fibroblasts by decreasing metalloproteinase levels by 88.4%, inducing collagen by 58.4% and activating the anti-oxidant defence system, by limiting lipid peroxidation by 51.1% and increasing glutathione production by 34.1% (2.5 μg/mL SFE). Discussion and conclusion: These results indicated that SFE could significantly ameliorate the inflammatory state in P. acnes-stimulated THP-1 and UVB-irradiated HDF cells, suggesting its potential as a novel agent for acne therapy and photoageing prevention.
Suicide in the Middle Ages. Volume I: The violent against themselves

Why attempt the history of suicide? Leaving aside the rare episodes of mass self-destruction by such people as sect members and warriors determined to die rather than fall into the hands of their enemies, suicides have never made up more than a tiny m inority of any known human population. A rate of 25 per 100,000, or one in four thousand, counts as high in the late twentieth century. Yet the subject has attracted an increasing amount of attention from social historians driven to enquire what motives underlay so drastic a response to human misfortune, and to what extent those motives changed in the course of time. As Alexander Murray points out, suicide is an extreme reaction to situations which many other people besides those who ultimately take the ir own lives find hard to bear. Each self-killer is a promontory of mankind, feeling an anguish which may differ only in degree from that felt by countless fellow human beings. Suicides provide 'a searchlight into otherwise elusive areas of private emot ion' (p. 11). Historians and sociologists writing about suicide since Émile Durkheim transformed its study in 1897 have seen its incidence as a barometer of powerful social pressures and forces. So much for the general considerations which have dr awn historians to the study of suicide. But the 'first idea' or hypothesis which 'provoked and shaped this project' (p. 7) was the notion that material progress, and the diminution of physical dangers, may have exacerbated the 'problems of the soul' which underlie suicide. Of this idea more must be said in the discussion of Murray's provisional conclusions.