Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Duloxetine: a serotonin-noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitor for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the accidental leakage of urine associated with physical activities such as running, jumping or lifting or with sneezing and coughing. For many patients it can be a very bothersome symptom, causing social isolation, loss of self-esteem and increased financial outlays. Although there is currently no medication approved worldwide for the treatment of SUI, a variety of off-label agents are sometimes prescribed. Duloxetine (LY-248686; Eli Lilly), a new centrally acting compound with dual activity as a serotonin and noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitor, offers a promising new approach for treatment. Due to its inhibition of presynaptic neuron re-uptake of serotonin and noradrenaline in the sacral spinal cord, duloxetine is believed to increase the strength of urethral sphincter contractions and thereby prevent accidental urine leakage by increasing urethral closure pressure. In three published trials in women with the predominant symptom of SUI, duloxetine significantly reduced the number of incontinence episodes compared to placebo. Adverse events were usually observed early in treatment, were mild-to-moderate in severity and were transient. Nausea was the most common reason for discontinuation.
Removing symbiotic Wolbachia bacteria specifically inhibits oogenesis in a parasitic wasp

Wolbachia are bacteria that live in the cells of various invertebrate species to which they cause a wide range of effects on physiology and reproduction. We investigated the effect of Wolbachia infection in the parasitic wasp, Asobara tabida Nees (Hymenoptera, Braconidae). In the 13 populations tested, all individuals proved to be infected by Wolbachia. The removal of Wolbachia by antibiotic treatment had a totally unexpected effect—aposymbiotic female wasps were completely incapable of producing mature oocytes and therefore could not reproduce. In contrast, oogenesis was not affected in treated Asobara citri, a closely related species that does not harbor Wolbachia. No difference between natural symbiotic and cured individuals was found for other adult traits including male fertility, locomotor activity, and size, indicating that the effect on oogenesis is highly specific. We argue that indirect effects of the treatments used in our study (antibiotic toxicity or production of toxic agents) are very unlikely to explain the sterility of females, and we present results showing a direct relationship between oocyte production and Wolbachia density in females. We conclude that Wolbachia is necessary for oogenesis in these A. tabida strains, and this association would seem to be the first example of a transition from facultative to obligatory symbiosis in arthropod–Wolbachia associations.
Climate and Land Use Changes on Streamflow and Subsurface Recharge in the Fluvià Basin, Spain

Climate change impact on water resources (streamflow and deep natural recharge) based on the downscaled outputs from the ECHAM5 general circulation model (GCM) has been investigated in the Mediterranean basin (Fluvia, Spain) for the A2, B1 greenhouse scenarios and 2000–2024/2025–2050 time slices. The HEC-HMS 3.4 rainfall-runoff numerical model was the basic tool used to generate streamflow for the historical period, and deep natural recharge was calculated from Visual-BALAN 2.0, a water-soil-plant distributed model. The hydrologic and recharge models were employed to generate future climate change hydrographs and the deep recharge amount. Furthermore, the selected future climate scenarios, subject to possible changes in the land use/land cover forecast, were integrated into the models, and water resource impacts were assessed. The multiple combinations of climate model, time slices, greenhouse scenarios, land use/land cover scenarios and hydrological estimation methods resulted in six scenarios. The obtained results estimate an increase in temperature (1.5 °C), a decline in precipitation (17%) and a maximum decrease of 49.5% and 16.8% in runoff and groundwater recharge, respectively, for 2050 (A2) compared to the historical values. Planned land cover scenarios, implying small changes of agricultural and forested land, show no major contribution to future water resource changes. According to the results, the most sensitive parameters conditioning future water resources are changes in temperature and precipitation.
The key informant method: a novel means of ascertaining blind children in Bangladesh

Background: Most information on the causes of blindness has come from examining children in special education. To obtain a more representative population-based sample of children, a novel method was developed for ascertaining severe visually impaired (SVI) or blind (BL) children by training local volunteers to act as key informants (KIs). Objective: To compare the demography and cause of blindness in children recruited by KIs with other ascertainment methods. Method: Children with SVI/BL were recruited in all 64 districts of Bangladesh. Three sources for case ascertainment were utilised: schools for the blind (SpEdu), community-based rehabilitation (CBR) programmes and KIs. All data were recorded using the standard WHO/PBL Eye Examination Record. Results: 1935 children were recruited. Approximately 800 KIs were trained. The majority of the children were recruited by the KIs (64.3%). Children recruited by KIs were more likely to be female (odds ratio (OR) 1.6, p<0.001), of pre-school age (OR 14.1, p<0.001), from rural areas (OR 5.9, p<0.001), be multiply impaired (OR 3.1, p = 0.005) and be suffering from treatable eye diseases (OR 1.3, p = 0.005) when compared with those in SpEdu. Overall a child with an avoidable causes of SVI/BL had 40% (adjusted CI 1.1 to 1.7, p = 0.015) and 30% (CI 1.0 to 1.7, p = 0.033) higher odds of being ascertained using the KIs compared with SpEdu and CBR methods, respectively. Conclusion: Using this innovative approach has resulted in one of the largest studies of SVI/BL children to date. The findings indicate that KIs can recruit large numbers of children quickly, and that the children they recruit are more likely to be representative of all blind children in the community.
Assessing impacts of declines in the world price of tobacco on China, Malawi, Turkey, and Zimbabwe

This study quantitatively analyzes the general equilibrium effects of declines in world demand for tobacco products. The study finds that tobacco exports and production in the three developing countries, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Turkey, would be badly hit if world tobacco prices fall due to the decline in tobacco demand. Moreover, for a given decrease in the world tobacco price, the more important the tobacco sector is in an economy, the worse the tobacco sector is hit. Tobacco is quite important to the Malawian and Zimbabwean economies as tobacco production and trade accounted for, respectively, 17% and 43% of agricultural GDP and tobacco exports accounted for 50% and 35% of national exports in these two countries. The negative effects of a decline in world tobacco prices on the Malawian and Zimbabwean economies are much larger than that on the Turkish economy. In the case of China, tobacco production, marketing, cigarette processing, distribution, and foreign trade are strictly controlled by the government and tobacco trade accounted for a small share of production and consumption. Thus, the decline in the world tobacco prices would hardly affect China's tobacco sector. The study shows that it is highly risky for a developing country to highly depend on exports of a single agricultural commodity. To reduce such risk, a country has to create a more diversified and flexible export structure.
Single-Molecule Fluorescence Reveals Commonalities and Distinctions among Natural and in Vitro-Selected RNA Tertiary Motifs in a Multistep Folding Pathway

Decades of study of the RNA folding problem have revealed that diverse and complex structured RNAs are built from a common set of recurring structural motifs, leading to the perspective that a generalizable model of RNA folding may be developed from understanding of the folding properties of individual structural motifs. We used single-molecule fluorescence to dissect the kinetic and thermodynamic properties of a set of variants of a common tertiary structural motif, the tetraloop/tetraloop-receptor (TL/TLR). Our results revealed a multistep TL/TLR folding pathway in which preorganization of the ubiquitous AA-platform submotif precedes the formation of the docking transition state and tertiary A-minor hydrogen bond interactions form after the docking transition state. Differences in ion dependences between TL/TLR variants indicated the occurrence of sequence-dependent conformational rearrangements prior to and after the formation of the docking transition state. Nevertheless, varying the junction connecting the TL/TLR produced a common kinetic and ionic effect for all variants, suggesting that the global conformational search and compaction electrostatics are energetically independent from the formation of the tertiary motif contacts. We also found that in vitro-selected variants, despite their similar stability at high Mg2+ concentrations, are considerably less stable than natural variants under near-physiological ionic conditions, and the occurrence of the TL/TLR sequence variants in Nature correlates with their thermodynamic stability in isolation. Overall, our findings are consistent with modular but complex energetic properties of RNA structural motifs and will aid in the eventual quantitative description of RNA folding from its secondary and tertiary structural elements.
Effect of Salt Stress on Growth, Na+ Accumulation and Proline Metabolism in Potato (Solanum tuberosum) Cultivars

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a major crop world-wide and the productivity of currently used cultivars is strongly reduced at high soil salt levels. We compared the response of six potato cultivars to increased root NaCl concentrations. Cuttings were grown hydroponically and treated with 0 mM, 60 mM and 180 mM NaCl for one week. Growth reduction on salt was strongest for the cultivars Mozart and Mona Lisa with a severe senescence response at 180 mM NaCl and Mozart barely survived the treatment. The cultivars Desiree and Russett Burbank were more tolerant showing no senescence after salt treatment. A clear difference in Na+ homeostasis was observed between sensitive and tolerant cultivars. The salt sensitive cultivar Mozart combined low Na+ levels in root and stem with the highest leaf Na+ concentration of all cultivars, resulting in a high Na+ shoot distribution index (SDI) for Mozart as compared to Desiree. Overall, a positive correlation between salt tolerance and stem Na+ accumulation was found and the SDI for Na+ points to a role of stem Na+ accumulation in tolerance. In stem tissue, Mozart accumulated more H2O2 and less proline compared to the tolerant cultivars. Analysis of the expression of proline biosynthesis genes in Mozart and Desiree showed a clear reduction in proline dehydrogenase (PDH) expression in both cultivars and an increase in pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase 1 (P5CS1) gene expression in Desiree, but not in Mozart. Taken together, current day commercial cultivars show promising differences in salt tolerance and the results suggest that mechanisms of tolerance reside in the capacity of Na+ accumulation in stem tissue, resulting in reduced Na+ transport to the leaves.
Comparison of seven screening methods in the diagnosis of bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND We compared the validity (evaluated by sensitivity and specificity), reliability (evaluated by reproducibility) and yield (evaluated by predictive value, examining complexity and cost) of individual and combined tests for bladder tumour antigen stat (BTAstat), nuclear matrix protein 22 (NMP22), hyaluronic acid (HA), survivin, CD44v6, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and voided urine cytology (VUC) in detecting bladder cancer. And at the same time we evaluated the clinical value of these seven detecting methods in the diagnosis of bladder cancer. METHODS The six markers and VUC were detected in the urine of cancer group (151 patients with bladder cancer) and two control groups (50 patients with benign urological diseases and 50 healthy controls). The sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, reproducibility, examining complexity and checking cost of each marker and combined markers were calculated. RESULTS There was a significant difference between bladder cancer group and the two control groups. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value were as follows: VUC (36.4%, 100.0%, 100%), BTAstat (76.8%, 87.0%, 89.9%), NMP22 (77.5%, 81.0%, 86.0%), HA (82.8%, 83.0%, 88.0%), survivin (70.2%, 85.0%, 87.6%), CD44v6 (50.3%, 79.0%, 78.4%), and VEGF (68.2%, 93.0%, 93.6%). The highest sensitivities were 91.4% for NMP22 + BTAstat and HA + NMP22, whereas the combined marker with the lowest sensitivity (62.3%) was VUC + CD44v6. The highest specificity was 93.0% for the combined use of VUC + VEGF and HA + CD44v6 had the lowest specificity (73.0%). The most convenient examining method was the detection for BTAstat, the lowest cost was the detection for HA, and the best reproducibility were the detection for BTAstat and VUC. CONCLUSIONS All the markers have obvious clinical value in diagnosis of bladder cancer. The use of BTAstat + HA or NMP22 + BTAstat are better examining methods in terms of validity, reliability, and yield.
Optimal Signcryption from Any Trapdoor Permutation

We build several highly-practical and optimized signcryption constructions directly from trapdoor permutations, in the random oracle model. All our constructions share features such as simplicity, efficiency, generality, near-optimal exact security, flexible and ad-hoc key management, key reuse for sending/receiving data, optimally-low message expansion, “backward” use for plain signature/encryption, long message and associated data support, the strongest-known qualitative security (so-called IND-CCA and sUF-CMA) and, finally, complete compatibility with the PKCS#1 infrastructure. While some of these features are present in previous works to various extents, we believe that our schemes improve on earlier proposals in at least several dimensions, making the overall difference quite noticeable in practice. Concretely, we present three methods generally based on what we call Parallel, Sequential, and eXtended sequential Padding schemes (P-Pad, S-Pad, X-Pad). P-Pad offers parallel “signing” and “encrypting”, optimal exact security, and minimum ciphertext length twice as long as the length of a TDP, while still maintaining optimal bandwidth. S-Pad loses parallelism and some exact security, but has minimal ciphertext length equal to that of a TDP. Any S-Pad can also be used as a “universal padding” scheme. X-Pad is similar to S-Pad, but regains optimal exact security at the expense of a marginally-longer minimum ciphertext length. Moreover, to unify various padding options, we construct a single versatile padding scheme PSEP which, by simply adjusting the lengths of the parameters, can work optimally as either a P-Pad, S-Pad or X-Pad.
A New Route Selection System: Multiparameter Ant Algorithm Based Vehicle Navigation Approach

In this paper, a dynamic multiparameter ant algorithm based route selection system is proposed. This system finds optimum multiparameter route between two desired points, origin and destination (O/D). This method recognizes routes according to user desired parameters in two traffic information availability (online/offline) modes. In the online mode, routes traffic conditions are supplied by a traffic control center (TCC). Since the online system might rarely be unavailable, an offline system is considered. The offline system uses routes statistical and historical conditions, saved in the memory of system, and employs artificial neural networks (ANNs) for traffic estimation. The proposed method is simulated on a part of London, UK, and the results indicate its feasibility and performance.
Cilostazol Promotes Vascular Smooth Muscles Cell Differentiation Through the cAMP Response Element-Binding Protein-Dependent Pathway

Objective— Cilostazol, a potent type 3 phosphodiesterase inhibitor, has recently been found to reduce neointimal formation by inhibiting vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation. The aim of this study is to investigate whether cilostazol exerts an action on phenotypic modulation of VSMCs, another important process in the pathogenesis of neointimal formation. Methods and Results— Cilostazol may convert VSMCs from a serum-induced dedifferentiation state to a differentiated state, as indicated by a spindle-shaped morphology and an increase in the expression of smooth muscle cell differentiation marker contractile proteins. The upregulation of contractile proteins by cilostazol involves the cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway, because the cAMP analog mimicked and specific cAMP/PKA inhibitors opposed the effect of cilostazol. Furthermore, cilostazol-activated cAMP response element (CRE)-binding protein (CREB), including phosphorylation at Ser133 and its nuclear translocation. Deletion and mutational analysis of the contractile protein promoters along with chromatin immunoprecipitation using anti-CREB antibody showed that CRE is essential for cilostazol-induced contractile protein expression. Transfection of dominant-negative CREB (mutated Ser133) plasmid in VSMCs blocked cilostazol-stimulated contractile protein expression. In vivo, cilostazol upregulated contractile proteins and induced the activation of CREB in the neointima of balloon-injured arteries. Conclusion— Cilostazol promotes VSMC differentiation through the cAMP/PKA/CREB signaling cascade.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS) in Canadian Children

The purpose of the current study was to assess the validity of the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scale’s (RIAS) index and subtest scores by examining whether the RIAS conforms to Carroll’s (1993) three-stratum theory of cognitive ability and the Cattell-Horn Gf-Gc (Horn & Cattell, 1966) theory of intelligence upon which it was based. Factor structures of RIAS scores from typically developing (n = 187) and mixed clinical groups (n = 164), 4–18 years old, were compared using confirmatory factor analysis. The results were mixed, with some findings supporting the validity of the Composite Intelligence Index (CIX), Nonverbal Intelligence Index (NIX), and Verbal Intelligence Index (VIX) while others suggested that the CIX and NIX in particular should be interpreted with caution, depending on the population in which the RIAS is being used. The functioning of the two nonverbal subtests in all analyses suggested that the RIAS’s nonverbal subtests are most problematic, with the greatest impact on the RIAS’s validity as a measure of overall, verbal, and nonverbal intelligence. The RIAS’s use as a general cognitive screener is supported but caution is recommended if the RIAS is being used to make important diagnostic, qualification for services, forensic, or placement decisions.
Do Macroeconomic Policy Decisions Affect the Private Sector Ex Ante ?-- The EEC Experience with Crowding Out

The history of the European Economic Community (EEC) is replete with attempts to bring about fuller integration of Member States. The process has been slow; reversals have occurred. Nevertheless, the Community today is closer to achieving the goal of an integrated community than at its inception. Pessimists argue that the goal is unachievable because Member States will not relinquish the necessary power. Optimists, on the other hand, argue that the process is necessarily slow and painful. The process of evolving into an economic union requires continuing concern about policy coordination and policy convergence. The establishment of fixed parities between currencies necessitates a convergence of monetary policies or, in the absence of such convergence, frequent realignment of parities. A convergence of monetary policies entails, in the long run, a convergence of budget policies. Convergent monetary policies probably are unsustainable if countries run widely differing budget deficits. That is, the larger a budget deficit is, the more likely it is to be monetized. What are the potential costs and benefits to members of an economic union from the convergence of budget policies? One part of the answer depends upon each country’s experience with crowding out. If increases in public demand largely crowd out private demand, then budget discipline only affects the division of existing output between the public and private sectors. If crowding out is small or nonexistent, then budget discipline has implications for a country’s total output. In such a situation, a country might be reluctant to reduce the size of government expenditure and absorb
THE EFFECT OF FINANCIAL STABILITY, NATURE OF INDUSTRY AND TOTAL ACCRUAL ON FRAUDULENT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

This study aimed to investigate the impact of Financial Stability (ACHANGE), Nature of Industry (REC), and Total Accruals (TATA) on fraudulent financial statements, using the Modified Jones model as a proxy. The study used the documentation method to collect data from 55 industry companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2020. Annual financial reports were obtained from the IDX website, and a sample of 34 companies was selected using purposive sampling. Multiple linear regression analysis, prerequisite analysis tests, classical assumption tests, and hypothesis testing were used to analyze the data. The multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between variables, while the prerequisite test checked the normal distribution of data, the classic assumption test checked for data acceptability, and the hypothesis test determined the acceptance or rejection of hypotheses. The results revealed that Financial Stability (ACHANGE) and Nature of Industry (REC) had a significant impact on fraudulent financial statements, while Total Accruals (TATA) did not have a significant effect.
Association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and symptoms of respiratory tract infection in a Norwegian population: the Tromsø Study

Abstract Objective Previous studies have suggested anti-infection effects of vitamin D, although the associations reported between vitamin D (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration) and respiratory tract infection (RTI) are conflicting. The main aim of the present study was to explore this association in a Norwegian population. Design We examined the association between serum 25(OH)D and recent RTI symptoms in 6350 middle-aged and elderly participants in the Tromsø Study 6. The main outcome measurement was self-reported RTI symptoms in the previous week. Setting Tromsø, Norway, 69°N. Subjects Six thousand three hundred and fifty middle-aged and elderly residents of Tromsø. Results Of the 6350 included, 791 (12·5 %) reported RTI symptoms in the previous week. We classified serum 25(OH)D concentrations into quartiles and adjusted the data for current smoking habit and month of attendance. The prevalence of RTI symptoms did not increase with decreasing serum 25(OH)D level, was highest in quartile 3 (15·0 %) followed by quartile 4 (12·4 %), and was lowest in quartiles 1 and 2 (11·1 % and 11·4 %). There was no trend for increasing duration of illness with decreasing serum 25(OH)D. The prevalence of RTI symptoms was not significantly associated with the intake of fish, n-3 capsules or vitamin and/or mineral supplements, or sun exposure. Only use of cod-liver oil or fish oil capsules daily or sometimes was significantly associated with fewer RTI symptoms during the preceding 7 d (P = 0·04). Conclusions Low serum 25(OH)D was not associated with increased prevalence of recent RTI symptoms. Our findings do not support the idea that vitamin D supplementation can reduce the incidence of RTI in Norway.