Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Treatment Outcomes of Combination Therapy with 1,064-nm Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Laser and Efinaconazole 10% Solution for Big Toenail Onychomycosis: a Retrospective Study

Background: Laser therapy can be used as an alternative treatment for onychomycosis; however, there are some limitations to its efficacy as a single agent. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of combination therapy with 1,064-nm neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser and topical efinaconazole in onychomycosis treatment and identify factors influencing the therapeutic outcomes of combination treatment. Methods: Big toenails with onychomycosis were treated by 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser at 4-week intervals with daily application of topical efinaconazole. Therapeutic response was assessed through onychomycosis severity index (OSI) and percentage of nail infected (PNI), and its association with a variety of factors that may affect treatment outcome was evaluated. Results: One hundred big toenails were included in the study and significant clinical improvements were observed after treatment (OSI improvement score = 76.68 ± 28.83, PNI improvement score = 72.37 ± 30.37). There was no difference in treatment response according to the number of laser treatments, onychomycosis clinical type, or initial severity. However, patient age was negatively correlated with clinical improvement (p = 0.019). Also, female patients had better therapeutic responses than male patients. Conclusion: Combined treatment with Nd:YAG laser and topical efinaconazole has a significant therapeutic effect on onychomycosis. A randomized controlled trial is warranted in the future.
Children’s Moral Self-Concept: The Role of Aggression and Parent–Child Relationships

This study examined the role of aggressiveness and parenting in the development of children’s moral self-concept. Participants were 198 elementary school children and their parents (M = 8.65 years, SD = 2.44). Participants completed a structured moral self puppet interview and a questionnaire about their relationship to parents. Parents completed a questionnaire measuring their children’s aggressiveness. Results indicated that children who were more aggressive scored significantly lower on the moral self than did less aggressive children. Positive parent–child relationships predicted higher scores on children’s moral selves. Finally, negative parent–child interaction moderated the effect of aggression, with negative associations between aggression and children’s moral self exacerbated at high levels of negative parent–child interaction, and attenuated at lower levels. This study elucidates the importance of aggression and parenting in accounting for differences in children’s moral self.
Partition as a Solution to Wars of Nationalism: The Importance of Institutions

Civil war settlements create institutional arrangements that in turn shape postsettlement politics among the parties to the previous conflict. Following civil wars that involve competing nation-state projects, partition is more likely than alternative institutional arrangements—specifically, unitarism, de facto separation, and autonomy arrangements—to preserve the peace and facilitate democratization. A theory of domestic political institutions as a constraint on reescalation of conflict explains this unexpected relationship through four intermediate effects—specifically, the likelihood that each institutional arrangement will reinforce incompatible national identities, focus the pursuit of greed and grievance on a single zero-sum conflict over the allocation of decision rights, empower the parties to the previous conflict with multiple escalatory options, and foster incompatible expectations of victory. The theory's predictions stand up under statistical tests that use four alternative datasets.
The Hepatitis C Virus Replicon Presents a Higher Barrier to Resistance to Nucleoside Analogs than to Nonnucleoside Polymerase or Protease Inhibitors

ABSTRACT Specific inhibitors of hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication that target the NS3/4A protease (e.g., VX-950) or the NS5B polymerase (e.g., R1479/R1626, PSI-6130/R7128, NM107/NM283, and HCV-796) have advanced into clinical development. Treatment of patients with VX-950 or HCV-796 rapidly selected for drug-resistant variants after a 14-day monotherapy treatment period. However, no viral resistance was identified after monotherapy with R1626 (prodrug of R1479) or NM283 (prodrug of NM107) after 14 days of monotherapy. Based upon the rapid selection of resistance to the protease and nonnucleoside inhibitors during clinical trials and the lack of selection of resistance to the nucleoside inhibitors, we used the replicon system to determine whether nucleoside inhibitors demonstrate a higher genetic barrier to resistance than protease and nonnucleoside inhibitors. Treatment of replicon cells with nucleoside inhibitors at 10 and 15 times the 50% effective concentration resulted in clearance of the replicon, while treatment with a nonnucleoside or protease inhibitor selected resistant colonies. In combination, the presence of a nucleoside inhibitor reduced the frequency of colonies resistant to the other classes of inhibitors. These results indicate that the HCV replicon presents a higher barrier to the selection of resistance to nucleoside inhibitors than to nonnucleoside or protease inhibitors. Furthermore, the combination of a nonnucleoside or protease inhibitor with a nucleoside polymerase inhibitor could have a clear clinical benefit through the delay of resistance emergence.
Persistence of Nevirapine Exposure During the Postpartum Period After Intrapartum Single-Dose Nevirapine in Addition to Zidovudine Prophylaxis for the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV-1

Objective:To determine nevirapine (NVP) plasma levels during the postpartum period after a single intrapartum NVP dose for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission. Methods:Plasma samples at delivery and during days 8 to 45 postpartum were obtained from HIV-infected Thai women who received an intrapartum NVP dose in the Perinatal HIV Prevention Clinical Trial-2 (PHPT-2) for the prevention of perinatal HIV transmission. These data were combined with NVP concentration data from 2 phase 1 studies of NVP for a population analysis. Results:The median NVP level fell to 68 ng/mL (range: <50-228, n = 43) 8 to 14 days after dosing and to 51 ng/mL (range: <50-166, n = 25) between 15 and 21 days. During the second and third weeks postpartum, NVP levels were below the limit of quantitation in 23% and 44% of samples, respectively. Between 21 and 45 days, no sample had a quantifiable NVP concentration. A simulation derived from the population analysis predicts that NVP concentration falls to less than 10 ng/mL in 5% of women by 11 days, in 50% of women by 17.5 days, and in 95% of women by 28 days. Conclusions:Significant NVP concentrations remained for up to 20 days in these Thai women. To ensure that coverage is maintained until NVP concentrations fall to nonsuppressive levels, 1 month of additional antiretroviral treatment after delivery should be considered to prevent the emergence of resistant viruses.
Reelin Associated With Restricted and Stereotyped Behavior Based on Principal Component Analysis on Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised

Background: Twin and family studies have indicated a strong genetic component in autism spectrum disorders, and genetic studies have revealed highly heterogeneous risk factors. The range and severity of the symptom presentation also vary in the spectrum. Thus, symptom-based phenotypes are putatively more closely related to the underlying biology of autism than the end-state diagnosis. Methods: We performed principal component analysis on Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised algorithm for 117 Finnish families and 594 families from the Autism Genetic Research Exchange (AGRE). The resulting continuous component scores were used as quantitative phenotypes in family-based association analysis. In addition, K-means clustering was performed to cluster and visualize the results of the PCA. Unaffected siblings were included in the study. Results: The components were interpreted as Social Component (SC), communication component and Restricted and Stereotyped Behavior Component (RSBC). K-means clustering showed that, especially in SC, the range of the symptom severity was increased by the siblings. The association of neuroligin 1 with SC was increased, compared to a previous study where only the end-state diagnosis was used. In RSBC, the range of the symptom severity of siblings overlapped greatly with that of patients, which could explain why no association of reelin was found in previous studies in which only the end-state diagnosis was used, but a significant association of reelin with RSBC was now found in the Finnish families (Bonferroni-corrected p=0.029 for rs362644). Although, the Finnish sample is isolated and genetically very homogeneous, compared to the heterogeneous background of AGRE families, many single-nucleotide polymorphisms in reelin, showed modest association with RSBC in the AGRE sample, too. Conclusions: This study demonstrates how the quantitative phenotypes can affect the association analyses, and yields further support to the use of siblings in the study of complex neuropsychiatric disorders.
Contribution of Endothelin A Receptors in Endothelin 1–Dependent Natriuresis in Female Rats

Renal medullary endothelin B receptors contribute to blood pressure regulation by facilitating salt excretion. Premenopausal females have relatively less hypertension than males; therefore, we examined whether there is a sex difference in the natriuretic response to renal medullary infusion of endothelin peptides in the rat. All of the experiments were conducted in anesthetized wild-type (wt) or endothelin B–deficient (sl/sl) rats. Infusion of endothelin 1 (ET-1) significantly increased sodium excretion (UNaV) in female, but not male, wt rats (&Dgr;UNaV: 0.41±0.07 versus −0.04±0.06 &mgr;mol/min, respectively). The endothelin B receptor agonist sarafotoxin 6c produced similar increases in UNaV in both male (&Dgr;0.58±0.15 &mgr;mol/min) and female (&Dgr;0.67±0.18 &mgr;mol/min) wt rats. Surprisingly, ET-1 markedly increased UNaV in female (&Dgr;0.70±0.11 &mgr;mol/min) but not male sl/sl rats (&Dgr;0.00±0.05 &mgr;mol/min). ET-1 had no effect on medullary blood flow in females, although medullary blood flow was significantly reduced to a similar extent in males of both strains. These results suggest that the lack of a natriuretic response to ET-1 in male rats is because of reductions in medullary blood flow. Treatment with ABT-627, an endothelin A receptor antagonist, or NG-propyl-l-arginine, an NO synthase 1 inhibitor, prevented the increase in UNaV observed in female rats. Gonadectomy eliminated the sex difference in the UNaV and medullary blood flow response to ET-1. These findings demonstrate that there is no sex difference in endothelin B–dependent natriuresis, and the endothelin A receptor contributes to ET-1–dependent natriuresis in female rats, an effect that requires NO synthase 1. These findings provide a possible mechanism for why premenopausal women are more resistant to salt-dependent hypertension.
The Constitution of Impairment: Modernity and the aesthetic of oppression

Impairment has been set aside in debates about disability dominated by the social model. This paper seeks to go beyond the Cartesianism which produces this neglect. It suggests that radical disability studies can prosper from a critique of modernity which entails a shift from its singular epistemological origins in the critique of capitalism. The argument challenges the contention that the oppression of disabled people is reducible to social restrictions which are the outcome of a set of structural determinations. It suggests that the oppression of disabled people is also umbilically linked to the visual constitution of impairment in the scopic regime of modernity. The vision of modernity is impaired by the assumption that to see is to know, that is, by its ocularcentrism. In deconstructing the visual culture of modernity, it is possible to demonstrate that the non-disabled gaze is a product of this specific way of seeing which actually constructs the world that it claims to discover. Using the work of Sa.
Distinct and Separable Roles for Endogenous CRY1 and CRY2 within the Circadian Molecular Clockwork of the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus, as Revealed by the Fbxl3Afh Mutation

The circadian clock of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) drives daily rhythms of behavior. Cryptochromes (CRYs) are powerful transcriptional repressors within the molecular negative feedback loops at the heart of the SCN clockwork, where they periodically suppress their own expression and that of clock-controlled genes. To determine the differential contributions of CRY1 and CRY2 within circadian timing in vivo, we exploited the N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-induced afterhours mutant Fbxl3Afh to stabilize endogenous CRY. Importantly, this was conducted in CRY2- and CRY1-deficient mice to test each CRY in isolation. In both CRY-deficient backgrounds, circadian rhythms of wheel-running and SCN bioluminescence showed increased period length with increased Fbxl3Afh dosage. Although both CRY proteins slowed the clock, CRY1 was significantly more potent than CRY2, and in SCN slices, CRY1 but not CRY2 prolonged the interval of transcriptional suppression. Selective CRY-stabilization demonstrated that both CRYs are endogenous transcriptional repressors of clock-controlled genes, but again CRY1 was preeminent. Finally, although Cry1−/−;Cry2−/− mice were behaviorally arrhythmic, their SCN expressed short period (∼18 h) rhythms with variable stability. Fbxl3Afh/Afh had no effect on these CRY-independent rhythms, confirming its circadian action is mediated exclusively via CRYs. Thus, stabilization of both CRY1 and CRY2 are necessary and sufficient to explain circadian period lengthening by Fbxl3Afh/Afh. Both CRY proteins dose-dependently lengthen the intrinsic, high-frequency SCN rhythm, and CRY2 also attenuates the more potent period-lengthening effects of CRY1. Incorporation of CRY-mediated transcriptional feedback thus confers stability to intrinsic SCN oscillations, establishing periods between 18 and 29 h, as determined by selective contributions of CRY1 and CRY2.
혼란스러운 식이행동(disordered eating behaviors)과 보호요인

부모의 알코올 중독은 자녀의 사회ㆍ심리적 역기능에서 부정적인 결과를 가져온다고 보고되고 있다. 예를 들면, 알코올 중독자 자녀(COAs: Children of Alcoholics 이하 COAs로 칭함)들은 약물 혹은 음주문제, 비행, 학교적응, 정서적인 어려움, 행동장애, 가정해체, 식이장애(eating disorder)를 가지며, 신체적 학대와 임신의 위험 등이 있는 것으로 나타났다(Chandy 등, 1995: 284 재인용). 연구자들은 이상의 부정적인 결과 중에서 가장 연구가 미흡한 부분은 부모의 알코올중독이 자녀의 식이장애에 영향을 미치는가에 관한 것이라고 지적하고 있다(Chandy 등, 1985: 284).
Differentially Expressed Protein Profile of Renal Tubule Cell Stimulated by Elevated Uric Acid Using SILAC Coupled to LC-MS

Background/Aims: Hyperuricemia could lead to serious renal disease. It will advance our understanding of the mechanism of this disease to study the differentially expressed protein in renal tubular epithelial cells stimulated by elevated uric acid. Methods: We used SILAC coupled to LC-MS to study differentially expressed protein profile and to analysis the functional status of renal tubular epithelial cells stimulated by 600µM uric acid, and to investigate the potential biology function. The MS results were analyzed by online platform and further confirmed by western blotting. Results: 789 differentially expressed proteins were identified, of which 42 proteins and 49 proteins were related with cell proliferation and cell apoptosis, respectively. Pathway analysis showed that MAPK signaling pathway was a key pathway related to the function of these proteins. In addition, prohibitin-2 was identified to be related to renal cell transdifferentiation stimulated by elevated uric acid. Conclusion: This work provides an overview of protein expression changes in HK-2 cells treated with elevated uric acid and will contribute to further study of cell apoptosis and fibrosis in renal disease patients.
Chapter 8 Cognitive Function in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

This study examined the hypothesis that individuals with attention deficit hyperac‐ tivity disorder, predominantly inattentive type (ADHD-I), show both executive function (EF) deficits and non-EF deficits. A group with ADHD-I (n = 16) and a paired control group (n = 21) completed a battery of tasks covering the major domains of EF (planning, working memory, flexibility and inhibition) and non-EF (alertness, divided attention, flexibility, sustained attention, visual field and visual scanning). EF impairments in planning, spatial working memory, flexibility, and inhibition as well as non-EF impairments in divided attention, flexibility, sustained attention and visual scanning were observed in the ADHD-I group. Our results do not support Barkley’s (1997) view of ADHD which postulated that only ADHD-C and ADHD-H, but not ADHD-I, are associated with EF deficits. It suggests that ADHD-I and ADHD-C children had similar profiles of cognitive impairment, and the deficits in cognition are not good markers for the classification of ADHD subtypes in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V).
Basement membrane attachment is dispensable for radial glial cell fate and for proliferation, but affects positioning of neuronal subtypes

Radial glial cells have been shown to act as neuronal precursors in the developing cortex and to maintain their radial processes attached to the basement membrane (BM) during cell division. Here, we examined a potential role of direct signalling from the BM to radial glial cells in three mouse mutants where radial glia attachment to the BM is disrupted. This is the case if the nidogen-binding site of the laminin γ1 chain is mutated, in the absence of α6 integrin or of perlecan, an essential BM component. Surprisingly, cortical radial glial cells lacking contact to the BM were not affected in their proliferation, interkinetic nuclear migration, orientation of cell division and neurogenesis. Only a small subset of precursors was located ectopically within the cortical parenchyma. Notably, however, neuronal subtype composition was severely disturbed at late developmental stages (E18) in the cortex of the laminin γ1III4-/- mice. Thus, although BM attachment seems dispensable for precursor cells, an intact BM is required for adequate neuronal composition of the cerebral cortex.
Sequential Pattern Mining by Multi- Threading Techniques

Discovery of Sequential pattern mining is an important data mining mission with wide applications. One of the most important types of sequential patterns is closed sequential pattern, which holds all the information of the perfect patterns set but is much more compact than it. There is no model that used multi- threading techniques for parallel mining of closed sequential patterns. In this paper an algorithm called MTMCSP (multi-thread mining of closed sequential patterns) is recommended to conduct parallel mining of closed sequential patterns on a multi-processor system as a multi-threading technique. MTMCSP divides the works among the tasks by using the divide-and-conquer property. The proposed algorithm has used dynamic scheduling to avoid task idling, moreover we have employed a technique, called random selecting. The experimental results show that MTMCSP attains good parallelization efficiencies on various input datasets.
Posturographic analysis of balance control in patients with haemophilic arthropathy

Summary. Musculoskeletal disorders in haemophiliacs represent the highest percentage of lesions, giving rise to haemophilic arthropathy (HA) which predominantly affects lower limbs, influencing postural control, standing and walking. Leading a sedentary lifestyle seems to influence strength and muscular resistance in haemophiliacs which, in turn, are related to articular stability and the prevention of articular degenerative processes. The objective of this work was to study alterations in balance to subsequently evaluate the appropriate therapeutics and how this influences the development of arthropathy. Twenty‐five haemophiliacs with HA, 25 haemophiliacs without HA (NHA) and 25 healthy control subjects (CTL) took part in this study. Tests were performed on a force platform and the subjects remained as still as possible for 30 s under different conditions: (i) bilateral stance with eyes open; (ii) bilateral stance with eyes closed; (iii) right unilateral stance; and (iv) left unilateral stance. The results of these tests indicated significant differences (P < 0.05) between the groups HA, NHA and CTL. The HA group presented worse results for both unilateral and bilateral stance when compared with the other two cohorts. Surprisingly, the NHA group displayed a worse balance than the controls. A single calculated parameter (mean frequency) did not show significant differences. This apparently indicates the absence of pathology in the nervous system in relation to postural control. The results suggest that our patients should participate in physical exercise programmes, rehabilitation and physiotherapy to improve their postural control.
Cyclooxygenase-1–Deficient Mice Have High Sleep-to-Wake Blood Pressure Ratios and Renal Vasoconstriction

We used cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1)–deficient mice to test the hypothesis that COX-1 regulates blood pressure (BP) and renal hemodynamics. The awake time (AT) mean arterial pressures (MAPs) measured by telemetry were not different between COX-1+/+ and COX-1−/− (131±2 versus 126±3 mm Hg; NS). However, COX-1−/− had higher sleep time (ST) MAP (93±1 versus 97±2 mm Hg; P<0.05) and sleep-to-awake BP ratio (+8.6%; P<0.05). Under anesthesia with moderate sodium loading, COX-1−/− had higher MAP (109±5 versus 124±4 mm Hg; P<0.05), renal vascular resistance (23.5±1.6 versus 30.7±1.7 mm Hg · mL−1 · min−1 · g−1; P<0.05) and filtration fraction (33.7±2.1 versus 40.2±2.0%; P<0.05). COX-1−/− had a 89% reduction (P<0.0001) in the excretion of TxB2, a 76% reduction (P<0.01) in PGE2, a 40% reduction (P<0.0002) in 6-ketoPGF1&agr; (6keto), a 27% reduction (P<0.02) in 11-&bgr;PGF2&agr; (11&bgr;), a 35% reduction (P<0.01) in nitrate plus nitrite (NOx), and a 52% increase in metanephrine (P<0.02). The excretion of normetanephrine, a marker for sympathetic nervous activity, was reduced during ST in COX-1+/+ (6.9±0.9 versus 3.2±0.6 g · g−1 creatinine · 10−3; P<0.01). This was blunted in COX-1−/− (5.1±0.9 versus 4.9±0.7 g · g−1 creatinine · 10−3; NS). Urine collection during ST showed lower excretion of 6keto, 11&bgr;, NOx, aldosterone, sodium, and potassium than during AT in both COX-1+/+ and COX-1−/−, and there were positive correlations among these parameters (6keto versus NOx; P<0.005; 11&bgr; versus NOx; P<0.005; and NOx versus sodium; P<0.005). In conclusion, COX-1 mediates a suppressed sympathetic nervous activity and enhanced NO, which may contribute to renal vasodilatation and a reduced MAP while asleep or under anesthesia. COX-1 contributes to the normal nocturnal BP dipping phenomenon.
Engaging the Reluctant? Service Learning, Interpersonal Contact, and Attitudes toward Homeless Individuals

Abstract This article examines the extent to which service-learning courses affect students' attitudes and opinions. Elsewhere, we used a pre/postsurvey field experiment to demonstrate that volunteering with a homeless person tends to erode the stereotypes held by the domiciled—a confirmation of the venerable contact hypothesis. Here we use the same research design to assess whether students in service-learning courses exhibit a similar type of opinion change after spending a day with a homeless person. We find that even with limited contact a significant number of service-learning students came away from their time with homeless individuals holding fewer stereotypes and with a more nuanced perspective on the causes and consequences of homelessness. Nevertheless, working with a homeless person did have a negative effect on some students and contact generally failed to change students' views on public policy.