Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and Safety of Lacosamide in Diabetic Neuropathic Pain: An 18-week Double-blind Placebo-controlled Trial of Fixed-dose Regimens

ObjectivesThe aims of this multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial were to confirm the efficacy of lacosamide at a daily dose of 400 mg/d and to explore the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of lacosamide 200 mg/d and 600 mg/d in the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy. MethodsThe trial consisted of a 2-week run-in period, a 6-week titration phase, and a 12-week maintenance phase, during which patients received placebo or fixed doses of lacosamide 200, 400, or 600 mg/d. No back titration was allowed during the trial. The primary efficacy criterion was the change in Likert pain score from baseline to the average over the last 4 weeks of the maintenance phase in the intent-to-treat population. ResultsThe lacosamide 400 mg/d group demonstrated statistically significant improvement in Likert pain score over placebo for the primary efficacy measure. At the end of treatment, 58% of patients in the lacosamide 400 mg/d treatment group achieved at least a 2-point or 30% reduction in Likert pain score, compared with 46% of placebo-treated patients. The lacosamide 200 mg/d group separated from placebo, but failed to show statistical significance for any of the primary or secondary outcome measures. The lacosamide 600 mg/d group was significantly more efficacious than placebo in the observed cases but not in the intent-to-treat population. This was probably secondary to a relatively high-premature withdrawal rate due to adverse events that occurred during the titration phase in that group. Overall lacosamide at daily doses of 200 to 400 mg was well tolerated, with 8% of patients discontinuing due to an adverse event from the 200 mg/d group and 23% from the 400 mg/d group compared with 9% in the placebo group. Discontinuations due to adverse events were highest in the 600 mg/d group (40%). The most common adverse events consisted of dizziness, nausea, tremor, headache, and fatigue. Somnolence, cognitive and behavioral side effects, weight change, and edema were notably low. DiscussionSafety and efficacy analyses indicated that lacosamide 400 mg/d provided an optimal balance between efficacy and side effects in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy.
Investigation of the effects of chest physiotherapy in different positions on the heart and the respiratory system after coronary artery bypass surgery

This trial was conducted to investigate the effect of chest physiotherapy in different positions on the heart and the respiratory system after coronary artery bypass surgery. Patients are divided into two groups of 30 patients each in the study. To the patients in the first group (30 patients), percussion–vibration was performed in the 45° supine position, while slightly laterally lying and endotracheal aspiration was performed in the supine position. To the patients in the second group (30 patients), percussion–vibration was performed in the 0° supine position, while slightly laterally lying and endotracheal aspiration was performed in the supine position. The procedures are repeated two times for all patients and their means were taken. The pre- and postapplication values of patients were measured from central venous and arterial catheters and the values of patient monitors were recorded. Comparison of the two groups in terms of respiratory values did not reveal a significant difference, but chest physiotherapy with the head of the bed at 0° was determined to improve cardiac functions. Evaluation of the groups in terms of pre- and postphysiotherapy applications showed a significant increase in mixed venous oxygen saturation in both groups. Chest physiotherapy with the head of the bed elevated to 45° may be recommended in patients who carry a risk of pulmonary complications and who are candidates for chest physiotherapy at an early stage.
Evaluation of quantitative trait loci regulating severity of mycobacterial adjuvant-induced arthritis in monocongenic and polycongenic rats: identification of a new regulatory locus on rat chromosome 10 and evidence of overlap with rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility loci.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the regulatory potential of genetic loci controlling Mycobacterium butyricum adjuvant-induced arthritis (Mbt-AIA) using mono- and polycongenic rats. METHODS Of 4 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that regulate Mbt-AIA, F344 alleles at 3 of these loci, Aia1, Aia2, and Aia3, are associated with lower arthritis severity, whereas F344 alleles at Aia4 are associated with greater arthritis severity. In this study, we constructed congenic lines by transferring 1 or more of the F344 genomic segments containing Aia1, Aia2, and Aia3 onto the DA genome. We comparatively evaluated their responses to Mbt-AIA with the responses of parental DA and F344 rats. RESULTS Aia1, encompassing the rat major histocompatibility complex, reduced arthritis severity in monocongenic rats of both sexes. The arthritis-lowering effects of Aia2 and Aia3 were sex-influenced and were therefore observed in only males and only females, respectively. Polycongenic rats containing F344 genomic regions at Aia1, Aia2, and Aia3 developed Mbt-AIA of relatively greater severity than did F344 rats, implying that in DA and F344 rats, there could be other Mbt-AIA loci in addition to Aia1, Aia2, Aia3, and Aia4. To test the possibility that some of these Mbt-AIA-regulatory loci may colocalize with other arthritis QTLs, we evaluated Mbt-AIA in DA.F344 monocongenic rats containing collagen-induced arthritis QTLs. Cia5 (the QTL region on chromosome 10), but not Cia5a, Cia4, or Cia6, also regulated Mbt-AIA, and was named Aia5. CONCLUSION F344 genomic regions at Aia1, Aia2, and Aia3 and the newly identified Aia5 contain genes that reduce Mbt-AIA severity in DA rats. These Mbt-AIA-regulatory loci overlap rheumatoid arthritis-susceptibility loci in humans.
Successful repositioning of an Amplatzer duct occluder immediately after inadvertent embolization in the descending aorta

A case is described of the inadvertent embolization of an Amplatzer duct occluder in the descending aorta in a 10‐year‐old girl. It was possible to snare the device and bring it in its normal position in the aortic ductus ampulla. With a second snare, the recessed screw of the device could be caught and the device was successfully pulled back into the ductus. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2003;59:83–85. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evaluation of Corrosion Stability of Water Soluble Epoxy-Ester Primer through Electrochemical Studies

The corrosion behavior of water borne epoxy-ester primer coatings (10% - 50% PVCs) was evaluated through electrochemical techniques such as polarization and impedance spectroscopic (EIS) measurements. Studies were carried out for a longer duration of exposure extending up to 60 days in aqueous solution of NaCl (5%). Corrosion current (icorr), Corrosion potential (Ecorr), Coating resistance (Rc), Charge transfer resistance (Rct), Coating capacitance (Cc), Double layer capacitance (Cdl), break point frequency (fb), Water uptake (∮), diffusion coefficient (Dw) etc., indicated that 10% - 30% PVC coatings performed well in comparison to higher PVCs. Changes in the electrochemical characteristics were found to occur as a function of exposure time in all cases. The corrosion stability of the coatings were found to be greatly affected by the percentage of PVCs. Studies further indicated that when lower concentration of pigments were available, they remained completely surrounded by the binder; Thus leaving no space for the entry of corrosive agents. From these studies, it was concluded that the water borne paints could replace the conventional coatings, containing organic solvents. Therefore, water soluble epoxy-ester primers have to be employed in paints for developing eco- friendly coatings.
INVESTMENT ON FREEHOLD AND TRUST FARMS: THEORY WITH SOME EVIDENCE FROM KWAZULU

Abstract This paper outlines relationships between exclusive and secure property rights to land, land transfers, farm productivity, access to credit and on-farm investment. A survey of freehold and Trust farmers was conducted in the Madadeni district of KwaZulu to investigate these relationships. Despite the existence of title-deeds, it was found that many of the respondents did not have exclusive use rights to land. Non-exclusive use rights occurred where land was co-owned, mutually occupied by two or more members of a family or registered in the name of a deceased person. Land market activity was generally confined to rental transactions by individuals who had exclusive use of land. In the absence of zoning regulations, several landowners had leased plots to residential tenants, with some farms becoming entirely residential. Results of logit analysis indicate that investment in on-farm improvements is higher where tenure is private and secure. It is concluded that exclusive and secure property rights fa.
A longitudinal study of the effects of syllabic structure on the development of reading and spelling skills in French

ABSTRACT The central hypothesis of this study was that phonological mediation plays a critical role in the early development of reading and spelling in French. Therefore, the phonological structure of items, as opposed to their visual characteristics, was expected to be a significant determinant of performance. This hypothesis was tested in a short-term longitudinal study with a group of first graders (N = 57) who were administered a reading and a spelling task involving pseudowords of different syllabic structures. The first prediction was that there would be better performance on pseudowords with a simple structure (CVCVCV) than on pseudowords with a complex structure (CCVCVC or CVCCVC), and that errors on syllables with a complex structure would involve the deletion of codas or the simplification of complex onsets. We also predicted that errors would be consistent with a sonority hierarchy; for example, we expected more deletions of liquids than obstruents in clusters.
The Making of an Oligopoly: Firm Survival and Technological Change in the Evolution of the U.S. Tire Industry

The number of producers in the U.S. tire industry grew for 25 years and then declined sharply, and the industry evolved to be an oligopoly. The role of technological change in shaping the industry’s market structure is explored. A model of industry evolution featuring technological change is used to derive predictions that are tested using a novel data set on firm entry, exit, size, location, distribution networks, and technological choices prior to the shakeout of producers. Consistent with the model, earlier‐entering and larger firms survived longer, principally because of the influence of age and size on technological change.
Transferring Japanese kaizen activities to overseas plants in China

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine management practices in transferring Japanese kaizen activities to overseas plants. The aim is to provide a greater understanding of organisational capabilities that facilitate an incremental organisation‐wide innovation.Design/methodology/approach – Case studies of nine medium‐ and large‐sized Japanese auto‐parts overseas plants in China were conducted. The data were analysed by comparing the successful cases of management practices concerning the transfer of Japanese kaizen activities to overseas plants with unsuccessful ones. Based on the assumption that learning is situated in the context, the concept of communities of practice promoted by Wenger is used as the analytical framework of this study.Findings – The results of the comparative analysis show some common characteristics of management practices in successful cases: they actively used team‐based rather than individual‐based suggestion schemes; they had human resource practices that emphasised the.
The determinants of HC disclosures of Indian firms

Purpose – Human capital (HC) disclosures by firms are voluntary as per the GAAPs in most of the countries including India. Therefore, a wide discrepancy exists across Indian firms with respect to their HC disclosures. This paper aims to investigate the extent and determinants of HC disclosure levels of the Indian listed firms in a two‐stage analysis.Design/methodology/approach – In the first stage, a 12‐item index is developed and is used to measure the extent of HC disclosures of 97 listed firms. In the second stage, a regression analysis is carried out to ascertain the determinants of HC disclosure levels of the Indian listed firms.Findings – The results point out that HC disclosure levels have high variations among the sample firms with information technology firms having highest average HC disclosure levels. Further, regression results indicate that a firm's “size” and “employees' expenses as a proportion of its total operating expenses” have a significant positive bearing on its level of HC disclosur.
The Long and Short of it

Research on the elasticity of substitution between capital and labor - a3C3 - has been proceeding for 75 years. While there is clearly a strong case for the importance of a3C3 in the analysis of growth and other economic issues, much less agreement exists on the value of a3C3. This paper offers some perspectives on prior estimates of a3C3, emphasizing the fundamental tension between the short-run data that are available and the long-run parameter that is required. Estimates of a3C3 based on various short-run and long-run models are discussed and, while the estimates range widely, the weight of the evidence suggests a value of a3C3 in the range of 0.40 to 0.60. There is little evidence to sustain the assumption of a Cobb-Douglas production function.
Early Marriages Last Longer: Pre-electoral Coalitions and Government Survival in Europe

While the existence of pre-electoral coalitions fundamentally modifies the bargaining environment in which potential cabinet formulas are negotiated, the survival chances of cabinets that include them follow predictable yet different patterns to those of ‘regular’ coalition governments. This article combines original and existing data sets on Western and Central and Eastern European cabinets with information about pre-electoral coalitions (1944–2008) in order to estimate the impact of such alliances on government survival rates. In doing so, I employ a Cox Proportional Hazard model and a ‘competing risks’ research design which distinguishes between replacement and early election hazards. The findings indicate that both Western and post-communist cabinets formed by pre-electoral coalitions exhibit considerably lower rates of discretionary terminations. This effect is reversed in the case of incumbent pre-electoral coalitions. Last but not least, Western European cabinets that replicate pre-electoral coalitions are significantly less likely to end through dissolution and early elections.
Population age structure and household portfolio choices in Italy

Based on the exceptional ageing of the Italian population, this paper aims to contribute to the current debate on population ageing and financial markets. To this end, we use the data taken by the Bank of Italy Survey of Household Income and Wealth over the period 1995–2006, and we analyse the average household portfolios in relation to age and net wealth (NW). Our analysis rests on a clustering of assets according to risk, which is different from the one used in Guiso and Jappelli (Guiso, L., and T. Jappelli. 2002. The portfolio of Italian households. In Household portfolios, eds. L. Guiso, M. Haliassos, and T. Jappelli. Cambridge: MIT Press). We find that age has affected financial choices of Italian households over the whole decade, but the portfolio age profile has significantly evolved over time with important differences across wealth quartiles. Overall, our analysis highlights a tendency towards a hump-shaped age profile of the allocation in risky assets for the most NW levels.
Political Institutions and International Patterns of Agricultural Protection

This paper analyzes the influence of political systems and rights in patterns of agricultural protection across commodities, countries, and over time. Four political systems and a qualitative index of political rights account for differences in political institutions. The analysis incorporates the effects of development, of constraints on tax collection feasibility, and of comparative advantages and terms of trade. Pluralistic systems are associated with higher agricultural protection levels, although in a nonlinear fashion. Access to pluralism appears to be important, although further democratization partly dissipates protection. Copyright 1994 by MIT Press.
Symmetric thermal optimal path and time-dependent lead-lag relationship: novel statistical tests and application to UK and US real-estate and monetary policies

We present the symmetric thermal optimal path (TOPS) method to determine the time-dependent lead-lag relationship between two stochastic time series. This novel version of the previously introduced thermal optimal path (TOP) method alleviates some inconsistencies by imposing that the lead-lag relationship should be invariant with respect to a time reversal of the time series after a change of sign. This means that, if ‘X comes before Y’, this transforms into ‘Y comes before X’ under a time reversal. We show that a previously proposed bootstrap test lacks power and leads too often to a lack of rejection of the null that there is no lead-lag correlation when it is present. We introduce instead two novel tests. The first criterion, based on the free energy p-value , quantifies the probability that a given lead-lag structure could be obtained from random time series with similar characteristics except for the lead-lag information. The second self-consistent test embodies the idea that, for the lead-lag path to be significant, synchronizing the two time series using the time varying lead-lag path should lead to a statistically significant correlation. We perform intensive synthetic tests to demonstrate their performance and limitations. Finally, we apply the TOPS method with the two new tests to the time-dependent lead-lag structures of house price and monetary policy of the United Kingdom (UK) and United States (US) from 1991 to 2011. We find that, for both countries, the TOPS paths indicate that interest rate changes were lagging behind house price index changes until the crisis in 2006–2007. The TOPS paths also suggest a catch up of the UK central bank and of the Federal Reserve still not being on top of the game during the crisis itself, as diagnosed by again the significant negative values of TOPS paths until 2008. Only later did the central banks interest rates as well as longer maturity rates lead the house price indices, confirming the occurrence of the transition to an era where the central bank is ‘causally’ influencing the housing markets more than the reverse. The TOPS approach stresses the importance of accounting for change of regimes, so that similar pieces of information or policies may have drastically different impacts and developments, conditional on the economic, financial and geopolitical conditions. This study reinforces the view that the hypothesis of statistical stationarity in economics is highly questionable.
Isotopic composition of precipitation at the station Ljubljana (Reaktor), Slovenia – period 2007–2010

The stable isotopic composition of hydrogen and oxygen (δ2H and δ18O) and the tritium activity (A) were monitored in monthly collected precipitation at Ljubljana (Reaktor) during the period 2007–2010. Monthly and yearly isotope variations are discussed and compared with those observed over the period 1981–2006 and with the basic meteorological parameters for Ljubljana (Bežigrad) and Ljubljana (Hrastje) stations for the period 2007−2010. The mean values for δ2H and δ18O, weighted by precipitation amount at Ljubljana (Reaktor), are –59.4 ‰ and –8.71 ‰. The reduced major axis local meteoric water line (LMWLRMA) is δ2H = (8.19 ± 0.22)×δ18O + (11.52 ± 1.97), while the precipitation weighted least square regression results in LMWLPWLSR-Re δ2H = (7.94 ± 0.21)×δ18O + (9.76 ± 1.93). The lack of significant difference in the LMWL slopes indicates a relatively homogeneous distribution of monthly precipitation as well as the small number of low-amount monthly precipitation events with low deuterium excess. The deuterium excess weighted mean value is 10.3 ‰ which indicates the prevailing influence of the Atlantic air masses. The temperature coefficient of δ18O is 0.30 ‰/°C. Tritium activity in monthly precipitation shows typical seasonal variations, with a weighted mean tritium activity in this period of 8.5 TU. No decrease of mean annual activity is observed.
Elk-1, C/EBPα, and Pit-1 Confer an Insulin-responsive Phenotype on Prolactin Promoter Expression in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells and Define the Factors Required for Insulin-increased Transcription*

The transcription factor(s) that mediate insulin-increased gene transcription are not well defined. These studies use phenotypic conversion of Rat2 and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells with transcription factors to identify components required for regulation of prolactin promoter activity and its control by insulin. The pituitary-derived GH4 cells contain all of the transcription factors required for insulin-increased prolactin-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) expression while HeLa cells require only Pit-1, a pituitary-specific factor. However, Rat2 and CHO cells require additional factors. We had determined previously that the transcription factor that mediates insulin-increased prolactin gene expression was likely an Ets-related protein. Elk-1 and Sap-1 were the only Ets-related transcription factors tested as chimeras with LexA DNA-binding domain that were able to mediate insulin-increased expression of a LexA-CAT reporter plasmid. Elk-1 and Sap-1 are expressed in GH4 and HeLa cells but Rat2 and CHO cells express Sap-1, but not Elk-1. Expression of Elk-1 made Rat2 cells (but not CHO cells) insulin responsive. C/EBPα also binds to the prolactin promoter at a sequence overlapping the binding site for Elk-1. Expression of both C/EBPα and Pit-1 in CHO cells is required for high basal transcription of prolactin-CAT. Expression of Elk-1 converts CHO cells into a phenotype in which prolactin gene expression is increased by insulin treatment. Finally, antisense mediated reduction of Elk-1 in GH4 cells decreased insulin-increased prolactin gene expression and confirmed the requirement for Elk-1 for insulin-increased prolactin gene expression. Thus, both C/EBPα and Pit-1 were required for high basal transcription while insulin sensitivity required Elk-1.
Effects of dietary crude protein on the growth performance, carcass characteristics and serum biochemical indexes of Lueyang black-boned chickens from seven to twelve weeks of age

This study was undertaken to assess dietary crude protein (CP) concentration for optimum growth performance and carcass characteristics of Lueyang black-boned chicken. In total, six hundred 42-day-old Lueyang black-boned chicks were randomly assigned to five treatments, each with six replicate pens with ten males and ten females. The birds fed experimental diets with different levels of protein concentration of 120, 140, 160, 180 and 200 g kg-1 from seven to twelve weeks of age respectively. On day of 84, weight gain, feed intake, and feed:gain ratio were measured, and two chickens (one male and one female) close to the average weight of all birds in each treatment were selected from each pen and sacrificed to evaluate carcass traits and selected serum biochemical indexes. Dietary CP concentration did not have any significant influence on feed intake (p>0.05). The birds fed the diet with 180 or 160 g kg-1 CP concentration exhibited greater (p<0.05) growth rate, better feed conversion ratio, relative breast weight and albumin concentration in serum than that of those fed other dietary CP concentrations. According to the results of regression analysis, the CP requirements of Lueyang black-boned chicken from seven to twelve weeks of age for optimal weight gain and feed:gain ratio were 174 and 170 g kg-1, respectively.