Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-related Protein/α2-Macroglobulin Receptor Is a Receptor for Connective Tissue Growth Factor*

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) expression is regulated by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and strong up-regulation occurs during wound healing;in situ hybridization data indicate that there are high levels of CTGF expression in fibrotic lesions. Recently the binding parameters of CTGF to both high and lower affinity cell surface binding components have been characterized. Affinity cross-linking and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis demonstrated the binding of CTGF to a cell surface protein with a mass of ∼620 kDa. We report here the purification of this protein by affinity chromatography on CTGF coupled to Sepharose and sequence information obtained by mass spectroscopy. The binding protein was identified as the multiligand receptor, low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein/α2-macroglobulin receptor (LRP). The identification of LRP as a receptor for CTGF was validated by several studies: 1) binding competition with many ligands that bind to LRP, including receptor-associated protein; 2) immunoprecipitation of CTGF-receptor complex with LRP antibodies; and 3) cells that are genetically deficient for LRP were unable to bind CTGF. Last, CTGF is rapidly internalized and degraded and this process is LRP-dependent. In summary, our data indicate that LRP is a receptor for CTGF, and may play an important role in mediating CTGF biology.
Safety and tolerability of aripiprazole for irritability in pediatric patients with autistic disorder: a 52-week, open-label, multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE Evaluate the long-term safety and tolerability of aripiprazole in the treatment of irritability in pediatric subjects (6-17 years) with autistic disorder. METHOD A 52-week, open-label, flexibly dosed (2-15 mg/d) study of the safety and tolerability of aripiprazole in outpatients with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of autistic disorder who either had completed 1 of 2 antecedent, 8-week randomized trials or were enrolled de novo (ie, not treated in the randomized trials). Safety and tolerability measures included incidences of adverse events, extrapyramidal symptoms, weight, metabolic measures, vital signs, and other clinical assessments. RESULTS Subjects were enrolled between September 2006 and June 2009. Three hundred thirty subjects entered the treatment phase: 86 de novo, 174 prior aripiprazole, and 70 prior placebo. A total of 199 (60.3%) subjects completed 52 weeks of treatment. Adverse events were experienced by 286/330 subjects (86.7%). Common adverse events included weight increase, vomiting, nasopharyngitis, increased appetite, pyrexia, upper respiratory tract infection, and insomnia. Discontinuations due to adverse events occurred in 35/330 randomized subjects (10.6%)-most commonly aggression and weight increase. One patient discontinued from the study due to a laboratory-related adverse event (moderately increased alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase). Nine subjects experienced serious adverse events-most frequently aggression. Extrapyramidal symptoms-related adverse events occurred in 48/330 subjects (14.5%)-most commonly tremor (3.0%), psychomotor hyperactivity (2.7%), akathisia (2.4%), and dyskinesia (not tardive, 2.4%). At > 9 months' aripiprazole exposure (n = 220), mean change in body weight z score was 0.33 and body mass index z score was 0.31. The percentages of subjects with clinically significant fasting metabolic abnormalities at > 9 months were 2% for glucose, 5% for total cholesterol, 7% for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 30% for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and 5% for triglycerides. CONCLUSIONS Aripiprazole was generally safe and well tolerated in the long-term treatment of irritability associated with autistic disorder in pediatric subjects. Weight should be proactively monitored during long-term treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinical trials.gov Identifier: NCT00365859.
Need for speed: Hard information processing in a high‐frequency world

I study the role of highâ€ frequency traders (HFTs) and nonâ€ highâ€ frequency traders (nHFTs) in transmitting hard price information from the futures market to the stock market using an index arbitrage strategy. Using intraday transaction data with HFT identification, I find that HFTs process hard information faster and trade on it more aggressively than nHFTs. In terms of liquidity supply, HFTs are better at avoiding adverse selection than nHFTs. Consequently, HFTs enhance the linkage between the futures and stock markets, and significantly contribute to information efficiency in the stock market by reducing the delay between the stock and the futures markets.
Cannibalism in pigs.

Weaver, A. D. (1969). Fracture of the equine pedal bone. Equine vet. J. 1, 283-286 (f.g.sp.). (Univ. Vet. Hospital, Bearsden, Glasgow). Nine cases of intra-articular fracture of the third phalanx are reported. Five of the horses recovered and were able to resume normal work. It is difficult to form a prognosis by examining X-ray plates. Reprinted from "The Veterinary Bulletin", Vol. 40, No. 3, March, 1970.
Antiviral Activity and Safety of Aplaviroc with Lamivudine/Zidovudine in HIV-Infected, Therapy-Naive Patients: The ASCENT (CCR102881) Study

Background This Phase IIb study explored the antiviral activity and safety of the investigational CCR5 antagonist aplaviroc (APL) in antiretroviral-naive patients harbouring R5-tropic virus. Methods One hundred and forty-seven patients were randomized 2:2:1 to one of two APL dosing regimens or efavirenz (EFV). All dosage arms were administered twice daily and in combination with lamivudine/zidovudine (3TC/ZDV; Combivir, COM). Efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetic parameters were assessed. Results This study was prematurely terminated due to APL-associated idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity. The primary endpoint of the study was the proportion of patients with plasma HIV-1 RNA <400 copies/ml who remained on randomized treatment through week 12. Of the 147 patients enrolled, 145 patients received one dose of treatment and were included in the intention-to-treat population. The proportion of patients with HIV-1 RNA <400 copies/ml at week 12 was 53%, 50% and 66% in the APL 600 mg twice daily, APL 800 mg twice daily, and EFV arms, respectively. Common clinical adverse events (AEs) were diarrhoea, nausea, fatigue and headache. APL demonstrated non-linear pharmacokinetics with high interpatient variability. In addition to the hepatic findings, there was an apparent dose–response relationship in the incidence of diarrhoea. Conclusions Whereas target plasma concentrations of APL were achieved, the antiviral activity of APL as the third agent in a triple drug regimen did not appear to be comparable to EFV in this treatment-naive patient population.
Fluconazole versus itraconazole for antifungal prophylaxis in neutropenic patients with haematological malignancies: a meta‐analysis of randomised‐controlled trials

Fluconazole and itraconazole are used as antifungal prophylaxis in neutropenic patients with haematological malignancies. A meta‐analysis of randomised‐controlled trials (RCTs) was performed in order to compare their safety and effectiveness in this population. Data were obtained from PubMed, Current Contents, Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials and references from relevant articles. Five RCTs were included in the analysis. Publication bias and statistically significant heterogeneity was not observed among the analysed studies. Fewer patients were withdrawn due to the development of adverse effects associated with fluconazole when compared with itraconazole [odds ratio (OR) = 0·27, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0·18–0·41]. On the contrary, prophylactic use of fluconazole resulted in significantly more fungal infections (documented and suspected infections combined, OR = 1·62, 95% CI: 1·06–2·48). There were no statistically significant differences regarding documented fungal infections (OR = 1·51, 95% CI: 0·97–2·35), invasive fungal infections (OR = 1·44, 95% CI: 0·96–2·17), overall mortality (OR = 0·89, 95% CI: 0·63–1·24) and mortality attributed by the authors to fungal infections (OR = 1·30, 95% CI: 0·75–2·25) between the two medications. These data suggest that, even though itraconazole is more effective than fluconazole in the prevention of fungal infections in neutropenic patients with haematological malignancies, the development of more adverse effects may limit its use.
Balancing inside and outside lobbying: The political strategies of lobbyists at global diplomatic conferences

This article seeks to explain the use of inside and outside lobbying by organised interests at global diplomatic conferences. At first sight, the lobbying at these venues is puzzling as it does not seem to be a very fruitful way to acquire influence. The use of outside strategies especially is perplexing because most aspects of international negotiations fall outside of the purview of national constituencies. It is argued in this article, however, that the presence of outside lobbying is not so puzzling if lobbying is seen both as a way to attain influence and as a way to pursue organisational maintenance goals. Empirically, the article draws on interview data with 232 interest group representatives that participated at either the 2012 session of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Geneva, or the 2011 (Durban) and 2012 (Doha) United Nations Climate Conferences. The analysis demonstrates that organisational needs, and especially the competition actors face in obtaining resources, significantly affects the relative focus of organised interests on inside and outside lobbying.
How Do Money and Time Restrictions Influence Self-Constraining Behavior in Polluting the Commons?

Commons are resources shared by a group of people, and are studied using the commons dilemma paradigm. Despite Hardin’s prediction that the only sustainable management options are government regulation or private ownership, sustainable commons management has been observed with unregulated groups; however, global commons such as the atmosphere and oceans seem to conform to the prediction of “tragedy” because self-interests among users lead to degradation of the commons through overuse. The present study examined whether the factors of commons type (consumption or waste disposal) and cost (money or time) influence individual self-constraint in harvesting/polluting decisions to prolong the longevity of the shared resource, in the absence of social communication. Results indicate an interaction of the two factors: Individual self-constraint was greatest with the combination of disposal commons and time cost. These findings suggest that creative strategies to manage global commons may be possible, at least for waste-disposal commons.
Revisiting location efficiency: strategies to graduate thinking on mortgage policy

ABSTRACT In recent years, mortgage credit has become scarce, especially for low-to-middle income (LMI) individuals, including the working class and minorities. This has limited the ability of many of these individuals to purchase in sustainable, transportation accessible urban locations. This paper explores location efficient mortgages (LEM), their effectiveness in encouraging home ownership in highly connected urban locations with access to non-motorized transportation, and their viability in urban markets in the US. Cases are evaluated using inferential and descriptive statistics to evaluate potential opportunities for LEMs and building on these cases, additional strategies are suggested and discussed that could increase the efficacy of LEM tools. These included: 1) integration of shared responsibility LEMs; 2) utilizing local tax structures; and 3) exploring community-based finance programs. These tools could be useful in allowing LMI buyers purchase in sustainable and high-cost, urban environments.
Why are infants held on the left? A test of the attention hypothesis with a doll, a book, and a bag

Most adults, especially women, hold infants and objects representing infants, such as dolls, preferentially on the left side. The attention hypothesis credits the effect to left-directed attention for perception of emotionally salient targets, faces being prime examples. Support comes from studies showing stronger left visual hemispace (LVH) biases in left-holders than right-holders on the Chimeric Faces Test (CFT), but control tests with non-social/emotional objects are needed. We therefore observed young women holding a doll, a book, and a bag, and compared their scores with their performance on the CFT. We also assessed their handedness to check on its possible role. Overall, only the doll elicited a significant side bias, with 57% of all holds on the left, 2% in the middle, and 41% on the right. On the CFT, only left-holders had an LVH bias, whereas right-holders had no bias in either direction. Only the doll-hold scores were consistently related to CFT scores, and for none of the objects was handedness related to side-of-hold.
Nephrotoxicity of high‐dose gadolinium compared with iodinated contrast

To determine if high‐dose gadolinium chelates are less nephrotoxic than iodinated contrast. Records of 342 patients who had received high‐dose gadolinium (.2 to .4 mmol/kg) for magnetic resonance imaging were reviewed to identify patients who had also received iodinated contrast for radiographic examinations. Their clinical course and laboratory data were reviewed to identify changes in serum creatinine attributable to the contrast agents. In 64 patients, serum creatinine data were available pre and post both gadolinium and iodinated contrast. The mean change in serum creatinine after gadolinium in these 64 patients was −. 07 mg/dL (−6 μmol/L). By comparison, the mean change in serum creatinine in the same patients after iodinated contrast was . 35 mg/dL (+31 μmol/L) from 2.0 ± 1.4 to 2.3 ± 1.8 (P=.002). Eleven of the 64 patients had iodinated contrast‐induced renal failure (.5 mg/dL or greater rise in serum creatinine); none had gadolinium contrast‐induced renal failure despite the high gadolinium dose and high prevalence of underlying renal insufficiency. High‐dose gadolinium chelates are significantly less nephrotoxic than iodinated contrast.
Risk and protective factors in the origin of conotruncal defects of heart—a population‐based case–control study

Congenital heart defect (CHD) cases have been evaluated together as a group in some previous epidemiological studies. However, different CHD entities have different etiologies, and the underlying causes are unclear in the vast majority of patients. Thus the aim of this study was to analyze the possible association of different maternal diseases with the risk of four types of conotruncal defects (CTD), that is, truncus arteriosus, d‐transposition of the great arteries, tetralogy of Fallot, and double‐outlet right ventricle based on autopsy or surgical report diagnosis. Acute and chronic diseases with related drug treatments and peri‐conceptual folic acid or multivitamin supplementations were compared in mothers of 598 CTD cases, of 902 matched controls, and 38,151 population controls without any defects, and with 20,896 malformed controls with other isolated non‐cardiac defects in the population‐based large dataset of the Hungarian Case–Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities. Mothers who had medically recorded influenza and the common cold with secondary complications in the prenatal maternity logbook during the second and/or third gestational months were associated with a higher risk of CTD (OR with 95% CI: 2.22, 1.19–3.88). The common denominator of these maternal diseases may be high fever, which could be prevented by antifever therapies. On the other hand, high doses of medically recorded folic acid in early pregnancy were able to reduce the birth prevalence of CTD (OR with 95% CI: 0.54, 0.39–0.73), and this reduction was significant in transposition of the great arteries (0.46, 0.29–0.71) as well. In conclusion, high fever related maternal diseases may have a role in the origin of CTD, while high doses of folic acid in early pregnancy were able to reduce of CTD, particularly transposition of great vessels. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Institutions-FDI Nexus in ECOWAS Countries

ABSTRACT Of the foreign capital flows that are required for stimulating the process of economic growth, foreign direct investment (FDI) has been the most elected candidate that is often sought. This explains why so much effort has been geared towards its attraction thus paving the way for enquiry into its determinants. Arguably, apart from the conventional FDI-drivers, the importance of institutions has been grossly undermined. On this basis, the study sets out to unravel the causal linkage between institutions and FDI with a special focus on ECOWAS countries. The results showed the existence of prevalent weak governance structure among the ECOWAS countries. Further, on component-by-component basis, this result was robust to the decomposition of the governance indicator into the six sub-indices, namely: voice and accountability, political stability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law and control of corruption. We split the sample size into low (poor institutions) and high regimes (better institutions) and found that countries with better institutions were able to attract FDI more than countries with poorer institutional infrastructure. Thus, instituting sustainable governance structure will offer a leeway towards attraction of more FDI into the sub-region.
Assessing the comparative effectiveness of antidepressant therapies: a prospective clinical practice study.

BACKGROUND Although efficacy studies suggest equal potency among antidepressant treatments, their effectiveness in clinical practice appears more variable, particularly in that the newer antidepressants may be less effective in either more severe depression or the melancholic subtype of depression. We pursue some factors that may impact the effectiveness of antidepressant treatments in a clinical sample. METHOD A sample of 182 patients with DSM-IV major depressive disorder was assessed at baseline and 12 months later to establish treatments provided, identify patients who had recovered from the index episode, and quantify likely treatment determinants. Four systems for distinguishing patients with melancholic and non-melancholic depression were examined to assess for differential effects of the antidepressant strategies across those subtypes. RESULTS Multimodal therapy (commonly, psychotherapy combined with an antidepressant drug) and patients' frequent attribution of recovery to spontaneous improvement made for difficulty in disentangling recovery determinants. After excluding a spontaneous improvement component, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and the irreversible monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) appeared to be the most effective therapies across the sample, while the reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase-A (RIMA) appeared to be the least effective. The distinct gradient of suggested effectiveness of various strategies appeared to be contributed to principally by the varied effectiveness of alternate treatments across the melancholic subtype, whereby ECT, tricyclic antidepressants, and MAOIs were the most effective, and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), RIMAs, and antipsychotic drugs were much less effective. For the nonmelancholic disorders, the effectiveness of SSRIs appeared to be comparable with that of older antidepressants. CONCLUSION Although most patients received a physical treatment, they commonly judged psychotherapy and spontaneous improvement to be influential in their recovery. Reasons for such attributions are worthy of clarifying studies. Despite patients' concerns about the side effects and stigma of ECT as well as the side effects associated with the older antidepressants, these therapies were rated as more helpful by patients-and were more strongly associated with recovery-than the newer antidepressant drugs. Such overall results are compatible with an earlier study undertaken by us involving an independent sample and retrospective data. The overall gradient is clarified by studying depressive subtypes, allowing an important conclusion. Although the newer and older antidepressant drugs may be of similar effectiveness in nonmelancholic depression, the newer agents appear comparatively inferior for the treatment of melancholia, findings that have clinical implications and perhaps inform us about the pathogenesis of melancholia.
Quadriceps femoris muscle activity in patellofemoral pain syndrome

To elucidate and attempt to dissociate the two mech anisms, neuromuscular and mechanical, underlying pa tellofemoral pain syndrome, 18 subjects, divided into two groups based on a diagnosis of patellofemoral pain syndrome and the knee Q angle, were studied. The control group was asymptomatic and exhibited a nor mal Q angle (mean, 8.25°), whereas the other group, diagnosed as patellofemoral pain syndrome patients, reported knee pain and had an above-normal Q angle (mean, 21.05°). All subjects were tested for isometric maximum knee extension at 90°, 30°, and 15° of knee flexion while they were seated in a special restraining chair. During testing, surface electromyography at the oblique and long fibers of the vastus medialis, and at the vastus lateralis were recorded along with the knee moment of force. The integrated electromyographic signals associated with the peak torque for all of the vastus muscles, along with the vastus medialis obli quus :vastus lateralis and vastus medialis longus:vastus lateralis activity ratios showed no significant differences between groups nor between the three angles, sug gesting that all vasti measured were consistently active throughout the studied range of motion. This suggests that the neural drive was not affected in the patellofem oral pain syndrome patients. However, when the five patients showing the largest Q angles were isolated, they revealed a significantly smaller vastus medialis obliquus:vastus lateralis ratio when compared to the other group. The same ratio was also significantly smaller at 15° compared to 90°. These results did demonstrate that in advanced cases of patellofemoral pain syndrome the vastus medialis may even be less active relative to the vastus lateralis in the last degrees of extension compared to 90°. Furthermore, one may suggest that in patellofemoral pain syndrome the me chanical disturbances are exhibited first, at which time the vastus medialis atrophy, if present, would have a mechanical origin.
Critical Analysis of Results in Club Feet Treated Surgically Along the Norris Carroll Approach: Seven Years of Experience

We have used the Norris Carroll approach to the surgical release of resistant club feet for the last 7 years. Critical analysis of 33 idiopathic club feet, after an average follow-up of 4 years, by clinical and radiological methods showed 82% satisfactory results and 18% unsatisfactory. The results indicated a trend toward limited plantar flexion in these feet, as well as mild supination that disappeared with walking. The advantage of the dual skin incision approach is easy access to both plantar medial and posterolateral structures. The calcaneocuboid joint is released and emphasis is put on release of the lateral tether.