Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Zonisamide, Topiramate, and Levetiracetam

Abstract The anticonvulsant topiramate not only decreases ethanol consumption in alcohol dependence (AD) but also may produce several adverse events including cognitive impairment. Zonisamide is a structurally related anticonvulsant that is a promising agent for the treatment of AD and may have greater tolerability than topiramate. This study evaluated the effects of zonisamide (400 mg/d) on alcohol consumption and its neurotoxic effects in subjects with AD. A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted using 2 comparator anticonvulsant drugs, topiramate (300 mg/d) and levetiracetam (2000 mg/d), which does not impair cognition. Study medications were administered for 14 weeks, including a 2-week taper period. Medication adherence was facilitated using Brief Behavioral Compliance Enhancement Treatment. The neurotoxicity of the study drugs was assessed using neuropsychological tests and the AB-Neurotoxicity Scale. Compared with placebo, both zonisamide and topiramate produced significant reductions in the drinks consumed per day, percent days drinking, and percent days heavy drinking. Only the percent days heavy drinking was significantly decreased in the levetiracetam group. The topiramate cell was the only group that had a significant increase on the mental slowing subscale of the Neurotoxicity Scale compared with placebo at study weeks 11 and 12. Topiramate and zonisamide both produced modest reductions in verbal fluency and working memory. These findings indicate that zonisamide may have efficacy in the treatment of AD, with effect sizes similar to topiramate. Both of these drugs produced similar patterns of cognitive impairment, although only the topiramate group reported significant increases in mental slowing.
Clinical Interventions in Aging Dovepress Effects of Different Doses of High-speed Resistance Training on Physical Performance and Quality of Life in Older Women: a Randomized Controlled Trial

hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms Objective: This study aimed to compare the effects of two frequencies of high-speed resistance training (HSRT) on physical performance and quality of life of older women. Methods: A total of 24 older women participated in a 12-week HSRT program composed of either two or three sessions/week (equated for volume and intensity). Women were randomized into three arms: a control group (CG, n=8), a resistance training group performing two sessions/ week (RT2, n=8), and a resistance training group performing three sessions/week (RT3, n=8). The training program for both experimental groups included exercises that required high-speed concentric muscle actions. Results: No baseline differences were observed among groups. Compared with the CG, both training groups showed similar small to moderate improvements (P,0.05) in muscle strength, power, functional performance, balance, and quality of life. Conclusion: These results suggest that equated for volume and intensity, two and three training sessions/week of HSRT are equally effective for improving physical performance and quality of life of older women.
Replication of Colonic Crohn's Disease Mucosal Escherichia coli Isolates within Macrophages and Their Susceptibility to Antibiotics

ABSTRACT There is increasing evidence that Escherichia coli organisms are important in Crohn's disease (CD) pathogenesis. In CD tissue they are found within macrophages, and the adherent-invasive CD ileal E. coli isolate LF82 can replicate inside macrophage phagolysosomes. This study investigates replication and antibiotic susceptibility of CD colonic E. coli isolates inside macrophages. Replication of CD colonic E. coli within J774-A1 murine macrophages and human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDM) was assessed by culture and lysis after gentamicin killing of noninternalized bacteria and verified by electron microscopy (EM). All seven CD colonic isolates tested replicated within J774-A1 macrophages by 3 h (6.36-fold ± 0.7-fold increase; n = 7 isolates) to a similar extent to CD ileal E. coli LF82 (6.8-fold ± 0.8-fold) but significantly more than control patient isolates (5.2-fold ± 0.25-fold; n = 6; P = 0.006) and E. coli K-12 (1.0-fold ± 0.1-fold; P < 0.0001). Replication of CD E. coli HM605 within HMDM (3.9-fold ± 0.7-fold) exceeded that for K-12 (1.4-fold ± 0.2-fold; P = 0.03). EM showed replicating E. coli within macrophage vacuoles. Killing of HM605 within J774-A1 macrophages following a 3-h incubation with antibiotics at published peak serum concentrations (Cmax) was as follows: for ciprofloxacin, 99.5% ± 0.2%; rifampin, 85.1% ± 6.6%; tetracycline, 62.8% ± 6.1%; clarithromycin, 62.1% ± 5.6% (all P < 0.0001); sulfamethoxazole, 61.3% ± 7.0% (P = 0.0007); trimethoprim, 56.3% ± 3.4% (P < 0.0001); and azithromycin, 41.0% ± 10.5% (P = 0.03). Ampicillin was not effective against intracellular E. coli. Triple antibiotic combinations were assessed at 10% Cmax, with ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, and trimethoprim causing 97% ± 0.0% killing versus 86% ± 2.0% for ciprofloxacin alone. Colonic mucosa-associated E. coli, particularly CD isolates, replicate within macrophages. Clinical trials are indicated to assess the efficacy of a combination antibiotic therapy targeting intramacrophage E. coli.
Beyond 5-fluorouracil: new horizons in systemic therapy for advanced colorectal cancer

Worldwide, colorectal cancer is a common cancer and a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Patients frequently present with, or later develop, metastatic disease. Median survival with supportive care alone is ∼ 6 – 8 months. However, a number of recent developments have greatly increased the range of therapeutic options, improving median survival to > 20 months. Cytotoxic agents such as capecitabine, irinotecan and oxaliplatin are now established treatment strategies. In parallel, an improved understanding of tumour biology has led to the development of non-cytotoxic targeted therapies. Examples include bevacizumab (targeting tumour angiogenesis) and cetuximab (targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor). These agents have recently been incorporated into standard management. This paper reviews these and other advances in the care of patients with advanced colorectal cancer and discusses a number of agents that are currently under development.
Sports-related acute cardiovascular events in a general population: a French prospective study

Background The effects of physical exercise on the cardiovascular system are presented as a ‘paradox’ with beneficial effects and hazards. Most earlier studies were retrospective, were concerned with trained athletes, and focused on sudden death or myocardial infarction (MI). The aim of this study was to prospectively study the incidence and the causes of sports-related acute cardiovascular events in a general population. Design and method This 1-year prospective study concerned three regions of the southwest of France. Four hospital medical emergency departments participated in the study, and collected all cases of sports-related acute cardiovascular events. Results One hundred and twenty-seven sports-related cardiovascular events were collected. The mean age of the participants was 45.5 (14.6) years. Most of the events involved men (81.1%). Thus, global incidence of sports-related acute cardiovascular events was 6.5/100000 participants/year and 10.8/100000 men/year and 2.2/100000 women/year, respectively. Forty sports-related deaths [49.0 (13.9) years old; 38 men], 47 sports-related nonlethal MI [52.8 (10.7) years old; 42 men], and 32 (21 men) sports-related cardiac arrhythmias (21 supraventricular, 10 men) were reported. Sports-related deaths and MI were most often observed in the 35-59-years-old men group (P = 0.01). Running, cycling, and swimming were mainly concerned. Conclusion In the general population studied, the absolute incidence of sport-related acute cardiovascular events comprised 6.5/100 000 participants/year. Sports-related MI and deaths, which were the two main causes of emergency calls, were significantly more frequent in middle-aged men. In all cases, except for sports-related supraventricular arrhythmias, men were significantly more involved than women.
Prevalence and Determinants of Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents from Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Families in the United States—A Systematic Review and Qualitative Assessment

Overweight and obesity (OW/OB) is a pressing health concern among migrant and seasonal farmworker (MSFW) families in the US. The limited number of previously reported research on MSFW families suggests that their unique sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle predispose them to poor health outcomes including OW/OB. We aimed to synthesize and assess available data on the prevalence and modifiable health determinants of OW/OB in MSFW children and adolescents. Literature search, study selection, data extraction and synthesis, and qualitative assessment of selected studies were performed independently by two authors. Ten cross-sectional studies met the inclusion criteria: articles or dissertations investigating prevalence and association between health determinants and OW/OB in MSFW children and adolescents (<20 years) in the US. The prevalence of OW, OB, and OW/OB ranged from 10%–33%, 15%–37%, and 31%–73%, respectively. Children’s education, household food insecurity, parents’ weight status, parents’ distorted perception of their children’s weight status, and parents’ participation in the federal nutrition assistance program were significantly associated with the children’s and adolescents’ risk of OW/OB. Promotion of culturally relevant public health programs and implementation of a systematic health surveillance plan for MSFWs and their children should be emphasized to combat OW/OB among MSFW children and adolescents.
Robotic Follicular Unit Extraction in Hair Transplantation

BACKGROUND In recent years, there has been a shift toward minimally invasive procedures. In hair transplantation surgery, this trend has manifested with the emergence of follicular unit extraction (FUE). Recently, a robot has been introduced for FUE procedures. OBJECTIVE To determine the transection rate of a robotic FUE device. MATERIALS AND METHODS The authors discuss the procedure, technical requirements, optimal candidates, advantages, and disadvantages of robotic FUE compared with the standard ellipse. RESULTS Optimal candidates for robotic FUE are those with dark hair color who can sit for 45 to 120 minutes and are willing to shave a large area for donor harvesting. The main advantages of robotic FUE compared with the standard ellipse are its minimally invasive nature and the lack of a linear scar. The average transection rate with the robot to date is 6.6% (range, 0.4%–32.1%). CONCLUSION The robot is a new and innovative method for FUE hair transplantation of which hair transplant surgeons should be aware.
Two distinct extracellular RNA signatures released by a single cell type identified by microarray and next-generation sequencing

ABSTRACT Cells secrete extracellular RNA (exRNA) to their surrounding environment and exRNA has been found in many body fluids such as blood, breast milk and cerebrospinal fluid. However, there are conflicting results regarding the nature of exRNA. Here, we have separated 2 distinct exRNA profiles released by mast cells, here termed high-density (HD) and low-density (LD) exRNA. The exRNA in both fractions was characterized by microarray and next-generation sequencing. Both exRNA fractions contained mRNA and miRNA, and the mRNAs in the LD exRNA correlated closely with the cellular mRNA, whereas the HD mRNA did not. Furthermore, the HD exRNA was enriched in lincRNA, antisense RNA, vault RNA, snoRNA, and snRNA with little or no evidence of full-length 18S and 28S rRNA. The LD exRNA was enriched in mitochondrial rRNA, mitochondrial tRNA, tRNA, piRNA, Y RNA, and full-length 18S and 28S rRNA. The proteomes of the HD and LD exRNA-containing fractions were determined with LC-MS/MS and analyzed with Gene Ontology term finder, which showed that both proteomes were associated with the term extracellular vesicles and electron microscopy suggests that at least a part of the exRNA is associated with exosome-like extracellular vesicles. Additionally, the proteins in the HD fractions tended to be associated with the nucleus and ribosomes, whereas the LD fraction proteome tended to be associated with the mitochondrion. We show that the 2 exRNA signatures released by a single cell type can be separated by floatation on a density gradient. These results show that cells can release multiple types of exRNA with substantial differences in RNA species content. This is important for any future studies determining the nature and function of exRNA released from different cells under different conditions.
Linear and cubic box splines for the body centered cubic lattice

We derive piecewise linear and piecewise cubic box spline reconstruction filters for data sampled on the body centered cubic (BCC) lattice. We analytically derive a time domain representation of these reconstruction filters and using the Fourier slice-projection theorem we derive their frequency responses. The quality of these filters, when used in reconstructing BCC sampled volumetric data, is discussed and is demonstrated with a raycaster. Moreover, to demonstrate the superiority of the BCC sampling, the resulting reconstructions are compared with those produced from similar filters applied to data sampled on the Cartesian lattice.
Listeriosis in the Pregnant Guinea Pig: a Model of Vertical Transmission

ABSTRACT Feto-placental infections represent a major cause of pregnancy complications, and yet the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms of vertical transmission are poorly understood. Listeria monocytogenes, a facultative intracellular pathogen, is one of a group of pathogens that are known to cause feto-placental infections in humans and other mammals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate possible mechanisms of vertical transmission of L. monocytogenes. Humans and guinea pigs have a hemochorial placenta, where a single layer of fetally derived trophoblasts separates maternal from fetal circulation. We characterized L. monocytogenes infection of the feto-placental unit in a pregnant guinea pig model and in primary human trophoblasts and trophoblast-derived cell lines. The clinical manifestations of listeriosis in the pregnant guinea pigs and the tropism of L. monocytogenes to the guinea pig placenta resembled those in humans. Trophoblast cell culture systems were permissive for listerial growth and cell-to-cell spread and revealed that L. monocytogenes deficient in internalin A, a virulence factor that mediates invasion of nonphagocytic cells, was 100-fold defective in invasion. However, crossing of the feto-placental barrier in the guinea pig model was independent of internalin A, suggesting a negligible role for internalin-mediated direct invasion of trophoblasts in vivo. Further understanding of vertical transmission of L. monocytogenes will help in designing more effective means of treatment and disease prevention.
When Symmetrization Guarantees Synchronization in Directed Networks

We review and illustrate our recent results on globally stable synchronization in directed oscillator networks. We consider asymmetrically connected networks with node balance, the property that the sum of the coupling coefficients of all edges directed to a node equals the sum of the coupling coefficients of all the edges directed outward from the node. We show that for such directed but node balanced networks, it is sufficient to symmetrize all connections by replacing a unidirectional coupling with a bidirectional coupling of half the coupling strength. The synchronization condition for the symmetrized network then guarantees synchronization in the original directed network. By considering an example of coupled driven pendula, we show how to prove global stability of synchronization in a concrete unidirectional network. We also discuss the relation between local and global synchronization.
The Effect of Attention on Repetition Suppression and Multivoxel Pattern Similarity

Fundamental to our understanding of learning is the role of attention. We investigated how attention affects two fMRI measures of stimulus-specific memory: repetition suppression (RS) and pattern similarity (PS). RS refers to the decreased fMRI signal when a stimulus is repeated, and it is sensitive to manipulations of attention and task demands. In PS, region-wide voxel-level patterns of responses are evaluated for their similarity across repeated presentations of a stimulus. More similarity across presentations is related to better learning, but the role of attention on PS is not known. Here, we directly compared these measures during the visual repetition of scenes while manipulating attention. Consistent with previous findings, we observed RS in the scene-sensitive parahippocampal place area only when a scene was attended both at initial presentation and upon repetition in subsequent trials, indicating that attention is important for RS. Likewise, we observed greater PS in response to repeated pairs of scenes when both instances of the scene were attended than when either or both were ignored. However, RS and PS did not correlate on either a scene-by-scene or subject-by-subject basis, and PS measures revealed above-chance similarity even when stimuli were ignored. Thus, attention has different effects on RS and PS measures of perceptual repetition.
Ceiling and floor effects on the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test in patients with alcohol-related memory disorders and healthy participants

Abstract Objective. The Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (RBMT) is a widely used measure of everyday memory performance. In the most recent revision of this test (RBMT-3) some important changes have been made compared with the RBMT. This study examines whether this revision has improved the quality of the clinical classifications using this test, as well as the frequency of floor and ceiling performances that were prominent on some subtests of the RBMT, using a heterogeneous study sample. Methods. Twenty-five healthy adults and 25 patients with alcohol-related memory impairment (including 15 Korsakoff patients) were examined using both the RBMT and the RBMT-3. The number of perfect scores and floor performances, as well as the percentage of individuals classified as impaired (< 5th percentile), were scored and compared. Results. Administration of the RBMT-3 results in less participants performing at or near individual subtest's ceiling, and resulted in less floor performances. Moreover, the RBMT-3 misclassifies less healthy participants as impaired than the RBMT. Conclusions. The RBMT-3 is a substantial improvement over the original RBMT, as it reduces the problem of ceiling and floor performances and the number of misclassifications. However, more research is needed on the ecological validity of the RBMT-3.
The Field of War: LiDAR Identification of Earthwork Defences on Tongatapu Island, Kingdom of Tonga

Warfare and conflict are associated with complex societies in Polynesia where competition and coercion were common in island chiefdoms. In prehistoric Oceania, Tonga was unique for an Archaic state that under the Tu‘i Tonga dynasty established control over an entire archipelago from AD 1200 to AD 1799 prior to a prolonged period of warfare. Lidar data was used to identify earthwork fortifications over the entirety of Tongatapu and to examine the conflict landscape using lidar-derived attributes in tandem with archaeological and historical information. The distribution of earthwork defences indicates a complex history of conflict and political machinations across Tongatapu beginning with the Tu‘i Tonga chiefs at Lapaha, but resulting in a mid-19th century civil war ending with a new royal dynasty. Fortifications offer important evidence of social-political change, and the heritage condition of earthwork defences, many of which are under threat from development, was assessed with lidar.
Simulation of Sea Level Variations in The Tropical Pacific Using A Linear Multi-mode Model with Application to The Emergence of Central Pacific ENSO

The interannual sea level variability in the tropical Pacific is dominated by El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). In recent two decades, the increasing occurrence of Central Pacific ENSO (CP ENSO) contrasting with the classical Eastern Pacific ENSO (EP ENSO), termed with respect to the locations of maximum Sea Surface Temperature anomalies (SSTa) during the mature phase, post new challenges to the prediction of ENSO. In this thesis, the interannual sea level variations in the tropical Pacific over the time span 1961-2014 are simulated to investigate the dynamics of ENSO, especially of CP ENSO, using a linear multi-mode model, given the good agreement of the ENSO-related sea level variations with the linear wave dynamics.
Using an elaboration likelihood approach to better understand the persuasiveness of website privacy assurance cues for online consumers

Privacy concerns can greatly hinder consumers’ intentions to interact with a website. The success of a website therefore depends on its ability to improve consumers’ perceptions of privacy assurance. Seals and assurance statements are mechanisms often used to increase this assurance; however, the findings of the extant literature regarding the effectiveness of these tools are mixed. We propose a model based on the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) that explains conditions under which privacy assurance is more or less effective, clarifying the contradictory findings in previous literature. We test our model in a free-simulation online experiment, and the results of the analysis indicate that the inclusion of assurance statements and the combination, understanding, and assurance of seals influence privacy assurance. Privacy assurance is most effective when seals and statements are accompanied by the peripheral cues of website quality and brand image and when counter-argumentation - through transaction risk - is minimized. Importantly, we show ELM to be an appropriate theoretical lens to explain the equivocal results in the literature. Finally, we suggest theoretical and practical implications.
Treatment of uninvestigated dyspepsia with cisapride for patients with negative Helicobacter pylori serologies

OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to compare symptoms for patients with uninvestigated dyspepsia and a negative Helicobacter pylori serology who were treated with cisapride or placebo.METHODS:Helicobacter pylori-seronegative patients with chronic dyspepsia were randomized to receive cisapride 10 mg t.i. d. or placebo t.i. d. for 30 days. Symptom scores were performed 1 month and 3 months after randomization. Outcomes measured were dyspepsia symptom scores and a treatment “success” variable defined as absence of symptoms or decrease in the most severe individual symptom by two grades.RESULTS:A total of 60 patients were randomized; 56 completed the 1-month follow-up and 40 completed the 3-month follow-up interview. The mean score for all patients at the time of entry was 11.0 and declined to 8.3 and 8.2 at 1 and 3 months, respectively, after randomization. At 1 month and 3 months after randomization, there was no significant difference in the number of patients meeting the “success” variable for patients receiving cisapride as compared to placebo. The mean decline in symptom severity scores was not significantly different for patients receiving placebo or cisapride at 1 month (mean, −2.8 vs−3.1; difference = 0.3, p = 0.74) or 3 months (−3.1 vs−2.6, difference =−0.5, p = 0.58) after randomization.CONCLUSIONS:No significant difference in the severity of dyspeptic symptoms was found for patients receiving cisapride as compared to placebo in the setting of uninvestigated dyspepsia and a negative Helicobacter pylori serology.