Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antidepressants for bipolar depression: a systematic review of randomized, controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE This study reviewed the evidence from randomized, controlled trials on the efficacy and safety of antidepressants in the short-term treatment of bipolar depression. METHOD The authors performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials. They searched the Cochrane Collaboration Depression, Anxiety, and Neurosis Controlled Trials Register, incorporating results of searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycLIT, PSYNDEX, and LILACS. The main outcome measures were the proportion of patients who clinically responded to treatment and the rate of switching to mania. RESULTS Twelve randomized trials were included, with a total of 1,088 randomly assigned patients. Five trials compared one or more antidepressants with placebo: 75% of these patients were receiving a concurrent mood stabilizer or an atypical antipsychotic. Antidepressants were more effective than placebo. Antidepressants did not induce more switching to mania (the event rate for antidepressants was 3.8% and for placebo, it was 4.7%). Six trials allowed comparison between two antidepressants. The rate of switching for tricyclic antidepressants was 10%, and for all other antidepressants combined, it was 3.2%. CONCLUSIONS Antidepressants are effective in the short-term treatment of bipolar depression. The trial data do not suggest that switching is a common early complication of treatment with antidepressants. It may be prudent to use a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or a monoamine oxidase inhibitor rather than a tricyclic antidepressant as first-line treatment. Given the limited evidence, there is a compelling need for further studies with longer follow-up periods and careful definition and follow-up of emerging mania and partial remission.
Alpha Interferon Induces Long-Lasting Refractoriness of JAK-STAT Signaling in the Mouse Liver through Induction of USP18/UBP43

ABSTRACT Recombinant alpha interferon (IFN-α) is used for the treatment of viral hepatitis and some forms of cancer. During these therapies IFN-α is injected once daily or every second day for several months. Recently, the long-acting pegylated IFN-α (pegIFN-α) has replaced standard IFN-α in therapies of chronic hepatitis C because it is more effective, supposedly by inducing a long-lasting activation of IFN signaling pathways. IFN signaling in cultured cells, however, becomes refractory within hours, and little is known about the pharmacodynamic effects of continuously high IFN-α serum concentrations. To investigate the behavior of the IFN system in vivo, we repeatedly injected mice with IFN-α and analyzed its effects in the liver. Within hours after the first injection, IFN-α signaling became refractory to further stimulation. The negative regulator SOCS1 was rapidly upregulated and likely responsible for early termination of IFN-α signaling. For long-lasting refractoriness, neither SOCS1 nor SOCS3 were instrumental. Instead, we identified the inhibitor USP18/UBP43 as the key mediator. Our results indicate that the current therapeutic practice using long-lasting pegIFN-α is not well adapted to the intrinsic properties of the IFN system. Targeting USP18 expression may allow to exploit the full therapeutic potential of recombinant IFN-α.
Impaired Platelet Aggregation and Rebalanced Hemostasis in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Increased risk of both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and bleeding has been found in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection, and a re-balanced hemostasis has been proposed. The aim of this study was to investigate functional whole blood coagulation and platelet function in CHC infection. The prospective study included 82 patients with CHC infection (39 with advanced liver fibrosis and 43 with no or mild liver fibrosis) and 39 healthy controls. A total of 33 patients were treated for CHC infection and achieved sustained virological response (SVR). Baseline and post-treatment blood samples were collected. Hemostasis was assessed by both standard coagulation tests and functional whole blood hemostatic assays (thromboelastograhy (TEG), and platelet aggregation (Multiplate). Patients with CHC and advanced fibrosis had impaired platelet aggregation both compared to patients with no or mild fibrosis and to healthy controls. Patients with CHC and advanced fibrosis also had lower antithrombin, platelet count, and coagulation factors II-VII-X compared to healthy controls. In contrast, TEG did not differ between groups. In treated patients achieving SVR, post-treatment platelet count was higher than pre-treatment counts (p = 0.033) and ADPtest, ASPItest, and RISTOhightest all increased post treatment (all p < 0.05). All Multiplate tests values, however, remained below those in the healthy controls. CHC-infected patients displayed evidence of rebalanced hemostasis with only partly hemostatic normalization in patients achieving SVR. The implications of rebalanced hemostasis and especially the impact on risk of CVD and bleeding warrants further studies.
Interactions between DNA viruses, ND10 and the DNA damage response

ND10 are small nuclear substructures that are defined by the presence the promyelocytic leukaemia protein PML. Many other proteins have been detected within ND10, a complexity that is reflected in reports of their involvement in multiple cellular pathways that include the regulation of gene expression, chromatin dynamics, protein modification, apoptosis, p53 function, senescence, DNA repair, the interferon response and viral infection. This review summarizes recent evidence of similarities between the behaviour of ND10 components and DNA repair pathway proteins in response to viral infection and DNA damage. ND10 structures become associated with the parental genomes and early replication compartments of many DNA viruses, and DNA repair pathway proteins are also recruited to these sites. Similarly, PML and DNA repair proteins are recruited to sites of DNA damage. The mechanisms by which these events might occur, and the implications for ND10 function in DNA virus infection and chromatin metabolism, are discussed.
Corporate Governance Best Practice and Stock Performance: Case of CEE Companies

Corporate governance (CG) becomes a very essential factor to consider prior to investing in the company. A number of studies proved its importance on the developed equity markets. However, intuitively corporate governance should gain more importance due to high degree of uncertainty because of the unstable environment. In order to assess the influence of corporate governance quality on Central and Eastern European companies‟ stock performance, the CG assessment model, which includes 21 evaluation criteria, was developed. Based on the model rating, the companies with the highest CG quality (top 25%) outperformed companies with the worst CG quality (bottom 25%) by 0.98% on a monthly basis during the period of 2008 - 2010. Study demonstrate that companies with good CG quality are able to offer lower risk.
NPC2 is expressed in human and murine liver and secreted into bile: Potential implications for body cholesterol homeostasis

The liver plays a critical role in the metabolism of lipoprotein cholesterol and in controlling its elimination through the bile. Niemann‐Pick type C 2 (NPC2), a cholesterol‐binding protein, is key for normal intracellular trafficking of lipoprotein cholesterol, allowing its exit from the endolysosomal pathway into the metabolically active pool of the cell. In addition, NPC2 is a secretory protein from astrocytes and epididymal cells. Although NPC2 mRNA is detected in the liver, plasma and biliary NPC2 protein levels and function have not been reported. This study demonstrates that NPC2 is present in murine and human plasma and bile. In addition, hepatic NPC2 protein expression was dramatically increased in NPC1‐deficient mice but not regulated by cholesterol feeding or pharmacological modulation of various nuclear receptors involved in cholesterol and bile acid metabolism. Interestingly, biliary NPC2 levels were 3‐fold increased in gallstone‐susceptible C57BL6/J versus gallstone‐resistant BALB/c mice. Furthermore, NPC2 was exclusively found in the cholesterol pro‐nucleating ConA‐binding fraction of human bile. In conclusion, NPC2 is secreted from the liver into bile and plasma, where it may have a functional role in cholesterol transport in normal and disease conditions. (HEPATOLOGY 2006;43:126–133.)
Ethics training for accountants: does it add up?

Purpose - – The purpose of this article is to investigate the effectiveness of an International Federation of Accountants (IFAC)-aligned business ethics course in relation to its ability to positively influence the ethical sensitivity of accounting students. Design/methodology/approach - – Using a quantitative, quasi-experimental design, senior accounting students were subjected to a pre- and post-test, measuring ethical sensitivity, with an IFAC-aligned business ethics course as the intervention. Multivariate analysis also focused on the interrelation of demographic characteristics with ethical sensitivity. Findings - – The results indicate that the business ethics course was indeed effective in increasing the ethical sensitivity of accounting students. Students' demographic characteristics, in terms of accounting specialisation area and years of work experience, did play a role in the extent of their changes in ethical sensitivity. However, gender and previous ethics education as influencing factor in ethical sensitivity was negated. Research limitations/implications - – The study focused on the first component (ethical sensitivity) of Rest's four-component model that predicts ethical behaviour. Additional research is therefore needed into the other components in Rest's model and their respective interrelations. The current study also used a small convenience sample rather than one that was randomly selected. The findings in this study do, however, add to the limited body of evidence on ethical sensitivity in accounting education world-wide. Practical implications - – The results can assist accounting professional bodies, associated higher education institutions and accounting firms in implementing specific educational interventions to develop greater ethical sensitivity in prospective and current accountants. Originality/value - – The audit failures at the start of this century placed a renewed focus on the ethical behaviour of accountants. Consequently, ethics training was included in the curriculum of aspiring accountants. The research that informed this article attempted to gauge the effectiveness of this response, given the current knowledge gap, specifically in the South African context. Professional accounting bodies, associated higher education institutions and accounting firms could use the curriculum design presented in this study to implement a similar intervention. Such interventions could enhance the ethical behaviour of both prospective and current accountants, and this, in turn, should aid in lessening ethical crises, thus protecting the social stature of the accounting profession.
BOCOG's road to success: predictors of commitment to organizational success among Beijing Olympic employees

Abstract The success of mega sport event organizing committees is measured by their capacity to deliver the event at the end of their lifecycle when committees undergo fast growth and staff members are under high pressure. To examine event employee commitment during later stages of event preparation, we tested the relationship between organizational identity, national identity, benefits of working for an organizing committee, job satisfaction, and the commitment to organizational success (COS) among Chinese employees of the Beijing Organizing Committee (N=307) through structural equation modeling. It appeared that COS is explained by national identity and the particular benefits of working toward the organization of the Olympic Games. Whether they are satisfied with the job, and their levels of organizational identity do not affect their commitment to the event. These findings suggest that these employees view their work as an investment in their future and as a service to their nation.
Predictors of HIV-associated nephropathy

Renal disease accounts for significant morbidity and mortality in patients with HIV-1 infection. HIV-associated nephropathy (HIVAN) is an important cause of end stage renal disease in this population. Although multiple genetic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics such as Apolipoproetin-1 genetic polymorphism, high viral load, low CD-4 count, nephrotic range proteinuria, and increased renal echogenicity on ultrasound are predictive of HIVAN, kidney biopsy remains the gold standard to make the definitive diagnosis. Current treatment options for HIVAN include initiation of combined active antiretroviral therapy, blockade of the renin-angiotensin system, and steroids. In patients with progression of HIVAN, renal transplant should be pursued as long as their systemic HIV infection is controlled.
The welfare impacts of a revenue-neutral switch from tariffs to VAT with intermediate inputs and a VAT threshold

The debate about replacing tariffs with value-added tax (VAT) in developing countries has paid little attention to the role of VAT as an input tax on the informal sector and has overlooked the usefulness of changing the VAT threshold in a revenue-neutral switch from tariffs to VAT. This paper contributes to the literature by addressing these two issues via a heterogeneous firm model of a small open economy with endogenous firm entry and VAT compliance. The results found indicate that the VAT collected on intermediate inputs consumed by the informal sector not only reduces the benefits of evading VAT, but also diminishes the production distortion between the formal and the informal sectors. The use of a change in the VAT threshold to offset lost tariff revenue leads to welfare gains; however, the source of such gains is different from that of a change in the VAT rate. While an increase in the VAT rate expands informality, a revenue-equivalent decrease in the VAT threshold reduces informality. These novel results suggest that the VAT threshold plays an important role in the design of revenue-neutral tax reforms.
Strong associations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations with all-cause, cardiovascular, cancer, and respiratory disease mortality in a large cohort study.

BACKGROUND Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration has been linked to mortality in several studies, but appropriate cutoffs to define risk categories are under debate. OBJECTIVE We aimed to conduct a repeated-measurements analysis on the association of serum 25(OH)D concentrations with all-cause and cause-specific mortality, with particular attention given to the shape of dose-response relations. DESIGN Concentrations of 25(OH)D were measured in n = 9578 baseline and n = 5469 5-y follow-up participants of the ESTHER study, which is a German population-based cohort aged 50-74 y at baseline. Deaths were recorded during 9.5 y of follow-up (median). Restricted cubic splines were used to assess dose-response relations, and Cox regression with time-dependent variables was used to estimate hazard ratios. RESULTS During follow-up, 1083 study participants died; of those, 350 individuals died of cardiovascular diseases, 433 individuals died of cancer, and 55 individuals died of respiratory diseases. The overall mortality [HR (95% CI)] of subjects with vitamin D deficiency [25(OH)D concentrations <30 nmol/L] or vitamin D insufficiency [25(OH)D concentrations from 30 to 50 nmol/L) was significantly increased [1.71 (1.43, 2.03) and 1.17 (1.02, 1.35), respectively] compared with that of subjects with sufficient 25(OH)D concentrations (>50 nmol/L)]. Vitamin D deficiency was also associated with increased cardiovascular mortality [1.39 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.89)], cancer mortality [1.42 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.88)] and respiratory disease mortality [2.50 (95% CI: 1.12, 5.56)]. The association of 25(OH)D concentrations with all-cause mortality proved to be a nonlinear inverse association with risk that started to increase at 25(OH)D concentrations <75 nmol/L. CONCLUSIONS In this large cohort study, serum 25(OH)D concentrations were inversely associated with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. In particular, vitamin D deficiency [25(OH)D concentration <30 nmol/L] was strongly associated with mortality from all causes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and respiratory diseases.
The reproducibility of COPD blood eosinophil counts

Post hoc and pre-specified analyses of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) randomised controlled trials have shown that higher blood eosinophil counts predict greater inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) effects on exacerbation prevention [1–5]. COPD patients with higher blood eosinophil counts have greater eosinophil numbers in sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage and bronchial tissue, and more reticular basement membrane thickening [6]. Furthermore, increased sputum eosinophil counts are associated with reduced airway presence of pathogenic bacteria in COPD [7]. Eosinophilic COPD therefore has distinct biological features associated with increased ICS responsiveness. Blood eosinophil counts in COPD are stable over the long term http://ow.ly/aDlN30jVBCg
Comparison of recto-anal mucosal swab and faecal culture for the detection of Escherichia coli O157 and identification of super-shedding in a mob of Merino sheep

SUMMARY We compared the use of recto-anal mucosal swab (RAMS) culture and faecal culture for the detection of E. coli O157 in a mob of Merino sheep. Fifty Merino wethers and maiden ewes housed in indoor pens were sampled on five occasions. We detected E coli O157 in 32% (16/50) of sheep, with weekly prevalence ranging from 4% (2/50) to 16% (8/50). Overall, 12·5% (2/16) were detected by RAMS culture only, and 37·5% (6/16) were detected by faecal culture only. The level of agreement between the two sampling methods was moderate [kappa statistic = 0·583, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·460–0·707]. The relative sensitivities of RAMS and faecal culture were 67% (95% CI 41–86) and 57% (95% CI 34–77), respectively. We identified four super-shedding sheep using direct faecal culture. Although the majority of culture-positive sheep were detected at one sampling point only, 3/4 super-shedding sheep were culture-positive at two sampling points, and 1/4 was culture-positive at four sampling points. Persistent culture positivity may indicate sheep that could be considered ‘super-shedders' at some point. The use of immunomagnetic separation further improved the rate of detection of E. coli O157, which was isolated from 1/34 animals that were previously negative by enrichment culture alone. A significant difference between sampling weeks was detected for both faecal (P = 0·021) and RAMS (P = 0·006), with the prevalence at the mid-point of sampling (week 4) significantly (P < 0·05) higher than at the beginning or end of the study. Study conditions (penned sheep) might have been responsible for the high prevalence and the epidemic pattern of infection observed, and could serve as a future model for studies of E. coli O157 transmission, shedding and super-shedding in sheep.
Expression of Actinomyces viscosus antigens in Escherichia coli: cloning of a structural gene (fimA) for type 2 fimbriae

A cosmid gene library of Actinomyces viscosus T14V was prepared in Escherichia coli to examine the expression of A. viscosus antigens and to gain insight into the structure of A. viscosus type 1 and type 2 fimbriae. Out of this library of 550 clones, 28 reacted in a colony immunoassay with antibodies against A. viscosus cells. The proteins responsible for these reactions were identified in three clones. Clones AV1209 and AV2009 displayed nonfimbrial antigens with subunits of 40 and 58 kilodaltons, respectively. Clone AV1402 showed a 59-kilodalton protein that reacted with monospecific antibody against type 2 fimbriae and that comigrated with a subunit of type 2 fimbriae during sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This indicates that AV1402 expresses a gene (fimA) for a subunit of A. viscosus type 2 fimbriae.
Public and Private Ownership of British Industry 1820-1990

Britain led the way for much of the world with industrial privatization during the 1980s. Yet the historical origins of the process that was being reversed have rarely been examined. This is a study of public and private ownership in industries such as railways, gas, water, electricity, and telecommunications. Industries such as these rely upon a substanial physical distribution network that `channels' their service from source to destination. They thus raise distinctive problems for government policy, as their requirement for some sort of unified system is incompatible with the coexistence of a number of competing service suppliers. Yet competition has been the traditional guarantee of `fair' and minimum prices in British industrial policy. This tension between experience and ideology provoked a variety of government policies over the last two centuries. Robert Millward and James Foreman-Peck provide a coherent and thorough economic history of the network industries, which continue to play an important role in the British economy. They trace the development of various institutional arrangements from the early nineteenth century until the end of the 1980s, and provide quantitative estimates of their performance. Their book offers a valuable historical approach to the contentious issue of privatization.
Too Big to Learn: The Effects of Major Acquisition Failures on Subsequent Acquisition Divestment

We examine whether firms learn from their major acquisition failures. Drawing from a threat-rigidity theoretical framework, we suggest that firms do not learn from their major acquisition failures. Furthermore, we hypothesize that host-country experience reinforces the negative effects of major acquisition failures. Our research hypotheses are tested using an event history analysis of 741 acquisitions undertaken by French listed and non-listed firms in the USA between January 1988 and December 2008. We use failure divestment (divestment resulting from acquisition failure) as a proxy for acquisition performance. Consistent with our theoretical framework, we find that major acquisition failures have a negative impact on future acquisition performance. Furthermore, we find that such negative effects are reinforced by firms’ host-country experience.
Performance comparison of sub 1 nm sputtered TiN/HfO/sub 2/ nMOS and pMOSFETs

HfO/sub 2/ nMOSFETs and pMOSFETs were fabricated using scaled chemical oxides as a starting interface, together with sputtered (PVD) TiN gate electrodes. Aggressively scaled stacks of 8.2 /spl Aring/ EOT on nMOS and 7.5 /spl Aring/ EOT on pMOS were achieved with leakage current of <5 A/cm/sup 2/ at V/sub FB/ +1 volts. Low fixed charge density in the HfO/sub 2/ layer was observed from VFB extraction, using high frequency-CV measurements, when considering a TiN workfunction of 4.78 eV. Conventional C-V hysteresis and transient V/sub T/ instability measurements on sub 1 nm TiN/HfO/sub 2/ devices indicated reduced instability as a result of EOT scaling. The electron mobility is degraded with EOT scaling whereas hole mobility remains constant down to an EOT of 8 /spl Aring/.