Web service composition allows users to create value-added composite Web services on existent services, where top-k composite services are helpful for users to find a satisfying composite service efficiently. However, with an increasing number of Web services and users’ various composition preferences, computing top-k composite services dynamically for different users is difficult. In view of t...

BACKGROUND To examine the effects of liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue, on visceral fat adiposity, appetite, food preference, and biomarkers of cardiovascular system in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS The study subjects were 20 inpatients with type 2 diabetes treated with liraglutide [age; 61.2 ± 14.0 years, duration of diabetes; 16.9 ± 6.6 years, glycate...

Perinatal brain injuries often result in irreversible learning disabilities, which manifest in early childhood. The molecular and cellular mechanisms of these injuries and potential pharmacological treatments are emerging, chiefly from studies in newborn rodents. In newborn mice, experimentally induced lesions can be dramatically reduced by appropriate neuroprotective treatments. However, the e...

Animal research finds that insulin regulates dopamine signaling and reward behavior, but similar research in humans is lacking. We investigated whether individual differences in body mass index, percent body fat, pancreatic β-cell function, and dopamine D2 receptor binding were related to reward discounting in obese and non-obese adult men and women. Obese (n = 27; body mass index>30) and non-o...

We introduce two criteria for judging “goodness” of the result when combining preference relations in information systems: completeness and consistency. Completeness requires that the result must be the union of all preference relations, while consistency requires that the result must be an acyclic relation. In other words, completeness requires that the result contain all pairs appearing in th...

objective: in the present study, the effects of aqueous saffron extract (crocus sativus l.) on the acquisition and reinstatement of morphine-induced conditioned place preference (cpp) in mice were investigated. materials and methods: subcutaneous administration of morphine (40 mg/kg for four days) produced place preference. intraperitoneal administration of aqueous extract (40 and 80 mg/kg for ...

objective : the aim of this study was to validate the well-recognized outcome measure instruments (medical outcome study short form-sf-36, western ontario and mcmaster university osteoarthritis index-womac, mcmaster toronto arthritis patient preference disability questionnaire -mactar) for patients who had undergone total knee arthroplasty in iran, with its cultural and ethnic differences and c...