Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pharmacoeconomics of linezolid

Background: New antibiotics efficacious in infections caused by resistant Gram-positive microorganisms and with acceptable costs for national health systems per unit of effectiveness are needed. Objective: This paper aimed to summarize all available evidence regarding the pharmacoeconomics of linezolid. Methods: A systematic review of pharmacoeconomic analyses through a non-restricted literature search was conducted. Results/conclusions: Linezolid, as compared to vancomycin and teicoplanin, results in a reduction of the necessary resources for the treatment of infections caused by Gram-positive microorganisms. These benefits are attributable to clinical outcomes and to savings associated with the ease of switching from intravenous to oral administration, the shorter duration of intravenous therapy and earlier hospital discharge. Likewise, linezolid, compared to vancomycin and teicoplanin, is a cost-effective treatment.
A tail inequality for suprema of unbounded empirical processes with applications to Markov chains

We present a tail inequality for suprema of empirical processes generated by variables with finite $\psi_\alpha$ norms and apply it to some geometrically ergodic Markov chains to derive similar estimates for empirical processes of such chains, generated by bounded functions. We also obtain a bounded difference inequality for symmetric statistics of such Markov chains.
The architecture of the corneal stroma

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis is the most common opportunistic ocular infection in patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). 1 Before the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), CMV retinitis affected 30% of patients with AIDS at some time during the course of their disease.2 Cytomegalovirus retinitis is a late stage complication associated with low CD4+ T cell counts, typically less than 50 cells × 106/l.34 Cytomegalovirus retinitis was rare at CD4+ T cells >100 cells × 106/l.34 All of the available anti-CMV therapies suppress viral replication, but do not eliminate the virus. Unless immune reconstitution occurs, prolonged suppressive anti-CMV therapy (maintenance therapy) is required.15 Without immune reconstitution or maintenance therapy, CMV retinitis relapses within 3 weeks. As such, in the pre-HAART era, patients with CMV retinitis required lifetime maintenance anti-CMV therapy. HAART consists of combination therapy for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with at least three drugs, typically two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and either a protease inhibitor or a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor. HAART can result in marked suppression of HIV replication, improvement in immune function, increases in CD4+ T cells, decreases in opportunistic infections, and improved survival.6 With HAART, there has been a 55%–95% reduction in the number of new cases of the CMV retinitis, and the decrease varies depending upon the population being served.6-8 However, CMV retinitis continues to occur, albeit at a reduced incidence, and there …
Migration Inhibitory Factor and Macrophage Bactericidal Function

A homogeneous population of immunologically active lymphocytes was obtained from peritoneal exudates of guinea pigs with delayed hypersensitivity to bovine gamma globulin (BGG). The lymphocytes were cultured with and without BGG for 24 hr, and cell-free supernatant fluids were then assayed simultaneously for their ability to influence two in vitro parameters of macrophage function: migration from capillary tubes and bactericidal capacity. In four consecutive experiments, supernatants from antigenically stimulated lymphocytes exhibited substantial migration-inhibitory-factor activity without enhancing the ability of macrophages to kill Listeria monocytogenes. Lymphocyte lysates were inactive in both assays. Possible mechanisms of lymphocyte-macrophage interactions are discussed.
Immunocytochemical Approaches to the Identification of Membrane Topology of the Na+/Cl--Dependent Neurotransmitter Transporters

Transporters, located in the cell surface plasma membrane and intracellular organelle membrane, compose a major class of integral membrane proteins, as distinguished with their specialized functions as channels and receptors. They are divided into two groups of gene family; one is the solute carrier (SLC) super family and the other is the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) gene family (Giacomini & Sugiyama, 2006). The transporters for neurotransmitters in the plasma membrane, which belong to the SLC6 gene family, terminate synaptic neurotransmission by Na+/Cl--dependent uptake of released neurotransmitters into the neuronal and/or glial cells (Iversen, 1971). They are responsible for the reuptake not only of neurotransmitters, monoamines (dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NA), and serotonin (5-HT)) and amino acids (-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine), but also of neuromodulators and/or osmolytes (proline, taurine, betaine, and creatine). Cloning of their cDNA has facilitated the understanding of the primary structure, gene expression, and their roles in neuronal functions (Amara & Kuhar, 1993). Cellular and molecular aspects of these transporters are needed for the clarification of their physiological and pathological relevance, since it seems likely that alterations of their structure, function and expression produce their anatomical and functional divergence, resulting in an involvement of a number of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Effect of therapeutic exercise and sleeping neck support on patients with chronic neck pain: a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of therapeutic exercises and sleeping neck support contoured pillows on patients with chronic neck pain. METHODS Using a factorial design in a prospective clinical trial, participants were equally allocated at random to 4 treatment groups in the study: (1) placebo control, of hot or cold packs and massage; (2) sleeping neck support pillow and placebo; (3) active neck exercises and placebo; and (4) combined exercise and sleeping neck support pillow and placebo. Participants were treated by physical therapists over a 6 week period and assessed by masked independent assessors at 0, 3, 6, 12, 24 weeks, and 12 months, with the 12 week assessment being the primary decision time. The primary outcome measure was the Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPQ). RESULTS For the 128/151 (85%) participants tested at 12 weeks, the NPQ descriptive statistics of count, mean (standard deviation) were: Initial: 128, 31.0 (11.3) at Week 12; All: 128, 18.5 (11.6); CONTROL 34, 18.6 (10.0); Pillow: 32, 21.5 (13.1); Active neck exercises: 29, 20.1 (11.6); and Combined: 33, 14.1 (10.6). Factorial analysis of variance showed that the main effects of Exercise (p = 0.146) and Pillow (p = 0.443) were not statistically significant; but the interaction of Exercise plus Pillow (p = 0.029) was statistically significant and clinically meaningful. CONCLUSION Treatment by physiotherapists trained to teach both exercises and the use of a neck support pillow achieved the most favorable benefit for participants with chronic neck pain; either strategy alone was not more effective than a control regimen. Time was an important cofactor.
Thermal requirements of young calves during standing and lying.

A study of 23, 6-d-old Holstein-Friesian male calves was conducted to evaluate the thermal requirements of young calves in relation to their posture (standing or lying). Calves were housed individually and were assigned to one of four ambient temperatures: 5, 9, 13, or 18 degrees C. Heat production of each calf was measured continuously every 9 min by indirect calorimetry for 5 d. The posture during these 9-min periods was derived from the continuous measurement of physical activity. For both standing and lying, heat production was increased at 5 and 9 degrees C compared with 13 and 18 degrees C. This increase in heat production was larger during standing than during lying. Consequently, the energy cost of standing was affected by ambient temperature (173, 189, 144, and 114 kJ.kg-.75 x d-1 at 5, 9, 13, and 18 degrees C, respectively). The time spent standing was not affected by ambient temperature. The thermal requirements of the calves were dependent on the posture. Lower critical temperature was 13.5 degrees C during lying and 17.0 degrees C during standing. The rate of increase in heat production below the lower critical temperature was 7.47 kJ.kg-. 75 x d-1 x Co-1 during lying and 11.24 kJ.kg-. 75 x d-1 x Co-1 during standing. These results indicate that the increase in heat loss upon standing in the cold is greater than the increase in heat production upon standing at thermoneutrality. Consequently, young calves require increased cold-induced thermogenesis when they are standing.
Comparative efficacy of probiotic yoghurt and clindamycin in treatment of bacterial vaginosis in pregnant women: A randomized clinical trial

Objective: This study was performed to determine the comparative efficacy of probiotic yoghurt and clindamycin in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis in pregnant women in the third trimester. Methods and materials: This randomized clinical trial was performed as an open-label study. 310 symptomatic patients with BV were recruited. Diagnosis of BV was through Amsel criteria. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either probiotic yoghurt (100 g twice a day/week) or orally administered clindamycin (300 mg twice a day/week). Results: Ten patients in probiotic group and 9 subjects in clindamycin group had symptom recurrence (p > 0.05). 132 patients in probiotic group and 105 subjects in clindamycin group had pH decrease (p < 0.0001). 140 patients in probiotic group and 141 subjects in clindamycin group had complete symptomatic cure (p > 0.05). Twelve patients in probiotic group and seven subjects in clindamycin group had preterm birth. Nine women in probiotic group and five subjects in clindamycin group had PROM (p > 0.05). Conclusions: According to the obtained results, it may be concluded that probiotics would have a good efficacy in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy leading to decreased burden of subsequent preterm birth.
Chronological Analysis of the Electronic Word- of-Mouth effect of Four Social Media channels on Movie Sales: Comparing Twitter, Yahoo!Movies, YouTube, and Blogs

Based on Rogers’s innovation diffusion model, we investigate how electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) through different types of social media impacts movie sales across the different phases of movie screening. We collected eWOM information on movies from February to October 2012 from Twitter, Yahoo! Movies, YouTube, and blogs on a daily basis. The results indicate that Twitter is relatively influential on movie revenue in the initial stage of opening because of its mass media characteristic. On the other hand, Yahoo! Movies and blogs are relatively influential on movie revenue in the late stages of opening because of their interpersonal communication characteristics. Since YouTube contains both characteristics of mass media and interpersonal communication, we determine that there is no difference in the impact of YouTube on movie revenue between the initial and late stages of opening.
Deterministic BIST based on a reconfigurable interconnection network

We present a new approach for deterministic BIST in which a reconfigurable interconnection network (RIN) is placed between the outputs of a pseudo-random pattern genera- tor and the scan inputs of the circuit under test (CUT). The RIN, which consists only of multiplexer switches, replaces the phase shifter that is typically used in pseudo-random BIST to reduce correlation between the test data bits that are fed into the scan chains. The connections between the LFSR and the scan chains can be dynamically changed (reconfigured) during a test session. In this way, the RIN is used to match the LFSR outputs to the test cubes in a deterministic test set. The control data bits used for re- configuration ensure that all the deterministic test cubes are em- bedded in the test patterns applied to the CUT. The proposed ap- proach requires very little hardware overhead, and fewer control bits compared to the storage required for reseeding techniques or for hybrid BIST. Moreover, as a non-intrusive BIST solution, it does not require any circuit redesign and has minimal impact on circuit performance.
Group Linguistic Bias Aware Neural Response Generation

For practical chatbots, one of the essential factor for improving user experience is the capability of customizing the talking style of the agents, that is, to make chatbots provide responses meeting users’ preference on language styles, topics, etc. To address this issue, this paper proposes to incorporate linguistic biases, which implicitly involved in the conversation corpora generated by human groups in the Social Network Services (SNS), into the encoder-decoder based response generator. By attaching a specially designed neural component to dynamically control the impact of linguistic biases in response generation, a Group Linguistic Bias Aware Neural Response Generation (GLBA-NRG) model is eventually presented. The experimental results on the dataset from the Chinese SNS show that the proposed architecture outperforms the current response generating models by producing both meaningful and vivid responses with customized styles.
Comparison of zero-profile anchored spacer versus plate-cage construct in treatment of cervical spondylosis with regard to clinical outcomes and incidence of major complications: a meta-analysis

Purpose Meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate whether zero-profile anchored spacer (Zero-P) could reduce complication rates, while maintaining similar clinical outcomes compared to plate-cage construct (PCC) in the treatment of cervical spondylosis. Methods All prospective and retrospective comparative studies published up to May 2015 that compared the clinical outcomes of Zero-P versus PCC in the treatment of cervical spondylosis were acquired by a comprehensive search in PubMed and EMBASE. Exclusion criteria were non-English studies, noncomparative studies, hybrid surgeries, revision surgeries, and surgeries with less than a 12-month follow-up period. The main end points including Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) and Neck Disability Index (NDI) scores, cervical lordosis, fusion rate, subsidence, and dysphagia were analyzed. All studies were analyzed with the RevMan 5.2. 0 software. Publication biases of main results were examined using Stata 12.0. Results A total of 12 studies were included in the meta-analysis. No statistical difference was observed with regard to preoperative or postoperative JOA and NDI scores, cervical lordosis, and fusion rate. The Zero-P group had a higher subsidence rate than the PCC group (P<0.05, risk difference =0.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.00–0.26). However, the Zero-P group had a significantly lower postoperative dysphagia rate than the PCC group within the first 2 weeks (P<0.05, odds ratio [OR] =0.64, 95% CI 0.45–0.91), at the 6th month [P<0.05, OR =0.20, 95% CI 0.04–0.90], and at the final follow-up time [P<0.05, OR =0.13, 95% CI 0.04–0.45]. Conclusion Our meta-analysis suggested that surgical treatments of single or multiple levels of cervical spondylosis using Zero-P and PCC were similar in terms of JOA score, NDI score, cervical lordosis, and fusion rate. Although the Zero-P group had a higher subsidence rate than the PCC group, Zero-P had a lower postoperative dysphagia rate and might have a lower adjacent-level ossification rate.
Lysophosphatidic Acid Increases the Electrophysiological Instability of Adult Rabbit Ventricular Myocardium by Augmenting L-Type Calcium Current

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) has diverse actions on the cardiovascular system and is widely reported to modulate multiple ion currents in some cell types. However, little is known about its electrophysiological effects on cardiac myocytes. This study investigated whether LPA has electrophysiological effects on isolated rabbit myocardial preparations. The results indicate that LPA prolongs action potential duration at 90% repolarization (APD90) in a concentration- and frequency-dependent manner in isolated rabbit ventricular myocytes. The application of extracellular LPA significantly increases the coefficient of APD90 variability. LPA increased L-type calcium current (ICa,L) density without altering its activation or deactivation properties. In contrast, LPA has no effect on two other ventricular repolarizing currents, the transient outward potassium current (Ito) and the delayed rectifier potassium current (IK). In arterially perfused rabbit left ventricular wedge preparations, the monophasic action potential duration, QT interval, and Tpeak-end are prolonged by LPA. LPA treatment also significantly increases the incidence of ventricular tachycardia induced by S1S2 stimulation. Notably, the effects of LPA on action potentials and ICa,L are PTX-sensitive, suggesting LPA action requires a Gi-type G protein. In conclusion, LPA prolongs APD and increases electrophysiological instability in isolated rabbit myocardial preparations by increasing ICa,L in a Gi protein-dependent manner.
Cooperative Interaction of trp Melastatin Channel Transient Receptor Potential (TRPM2) With Its Splice Variant TRPM2 Short Variant Is Essential for Endothelial Cell Apoptosis

Rationale: Oxidants generated by activated endothelial cells are known to induce apoptosis, a pathogenic feature of vascular injury and inflammation from multiple pathogeneses. The melastatin-family transient receptor potential 2 (TRPM2) channel is an oxidant-sensitive Ca2+ permeable channel implicated in mediating apoptosis; however, the mechanisms of gating of the supranormal Ca2+ influx required for initiating of apoptosis are not understood. Objective: Here, we addressed the role of TRPM2 and its interaction with the short splice variant TRPM2 short variant (TRPM2-S) in mediating the Ca2+ entry burst required for induction of endothelial cell apoptosis. Methods and Results: We observed that TRPM2-S was basally associated with TRPM2 in the endothelial plasmalemma, and this interaction functioned to suppress TRPM2-dependent Ca2+ gating constitutively. Reactive oxygen species production in endothelial cells or directly applying reactive oxygen species induced protein kinase C-&agr; activation and phosphorylation of TRPM2 at Ser 39. This in turn stimulated a large entry of Ca2+ and activated the apoptosis pathway. A similar TRPM2-dependent endothelial apoptosis mechanism was seen in intact vessels. The protein kinase C-&agr;–activated phosphoswitch opened the TRPM2 channel to allow large Ca2+ influx by releasing TRPM2-S inhibition of TRPM2, which in turn activated caspase-3 and cleaved the caspase substrate poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Conclusions: Here, we describe a fundamental mechanism by which activation of the trp superfamily TRPM2 channel induces apoptosis of endothelial cells. The signaling mechanism involves reactive oxygen species–induced protein kinase C-&agr; activation resulting in phosphorylation of TRPM2-S that allows enhanced TRPM2-mediated gating of Ca2+ and activation of the apoptosis program. Strategies aimed at preventing the uncoupling of TRPM2-S from TRPM2 and subsequent Ca2+ gating during oxidative stress may mitigate endothelial apoptosis and its consequences in mediating vascular injury and inflammation.
Discussion Paper Series Demand for Slant : How Abstention Shapes Voters ’ Choice of News Media Santiago Oliveros and

Political commentators warn that the fragmentation of the modern media landscape induces voters to withdraw into “information cocoons” and segregate along ideological lines. We show that the option to abstain breaks ideological segregation and generates “cross-over” in news consumption: voters with considerable leanings toward a candidate demand information that is less biased toward that candidate than voters who are more centrist. This non-monotonicity in the demand for slant makes voters’ ideologies non-recoverable from their choice of news media and generates disproportionate demand for media outlets that are centrist or only moderately biased. It also implies that polarization of the electorate may lead to ideological moderation in news consumption. Thus, our results cast doubt on the oft-prophesied, imminent demise of mainstream media and may help to explain recent empirical ndings showing less ideological segregation in news consumption than predicted by extant theories. JEL Codes: C7, D7, D8.
RBM20 Regulates Circular RNA Production From the Titin Gene.

RATIONALE RNA-binding motif protein 20 (RBM20) is essential for normal splicing of many cardiac genes, and loss of RBM20 causes dilated cardiomyopathy. Given its role in splicing, we hypothesized an important role for RBM20 in forming circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of noncoding RNA molecules. OBJECTIVE To establish the role of RBM20 in the formation of circRNAs in the heart. METHODS AND RESULTS Here, we performed circRNA profiling on ribosomal depleted RNA from human hearts and identified the expression of thousands of circRNAs, with some of them regulated in disease. Interestingly, we identified 80 circRNAs to be expressed from the titin gene, a gene that is known to undergo highly complex alternative splicing. We show that some of these circRNAs are dynamically regulated in dilated cardiomyopathy but not in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We generated RBM20-null mice and show that they completely lack these titin circRNAs. In addition, in a cardiac sample from an RBM20 mutation carrier, titin circRNA production was severely altered. Interestingly, the loss of RBM20 caused only a specific subset of titin circRNAs to be lost. These circRNAs originated from the RBM20-regulated I-band region of the titin transcript. CONCLUSIONS We show that RBM20 is crucial for the formation of a subset of circRNAs that originate from the I-band of the titin gene. We propose that RBM20, by excluding specific exons from the pre-mRNA, provides the substrate to form this class of RBM20-dependent circRNAs.
Welfare and Citizenship: The Effects of Government Assistance on Young Adults' Civic Participation

Recent scholarship and public discourse highlight an apparent waning of civic engagement in the United States. Although the welfare state is generally thought to support democracy by reducing economic inequality, it may paradoxically contribute to political disempowerment of some groups. We examine the effects of state interventions on civic participation among young adults, hypothesizing that involvement with stigmatizing social programs, such as welfare, reduces political engagement, while receipt of nonstigmatizing government assistance does not dampen civic involvement. Using official voting records and survey data from the Youth Development Study (YDS), a longitudinal community sample of young adults, a series of regression models suggests that welfare recipients are less likely to vote than nonrecipients, whereas recipients of non-means-tested government assistance participate similarly to young adults who do not receive government help. These effects hold even when background factors, self-efficacy, and prior voting behavior are controlled. Welfare receipt is not associated, however, with suppressed participation in nonstate arenas such as volunteer work. Intensive interviews with YDS welfare recipients are used to illustrate and develop the analysis.