Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Different effects of itraconazole on the pharmacokinetics of fluvastatin and lovastatin.

AIMS The effects of itraconazole on the pharmacokinetics of fluvastatin and lovastatin, two inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase with different pharmacokinetic properties, were studied. METHODS Two separate randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over studies, each involving 10 healthy volunteers, were carried out. The general design was identical in both studies. The subjects took either 100 mg itraconazole or matched placebo orally once daily for 4 days. On day 4, 40 mg fluvastatin or 40 mg lovastatin was administered orally. Plasma concentrations of fluvastatin, lovastatin, lovastatin acid, itraconazole and hydroxyitraconazole were determined up to 24 h. RESULTS Itraconazole had no significant effect on the Cmax (190 +/- 124 ng ml(-1) vs 197 +/- 189 ng ml(-1) (mean +/- s.d.)) or total AUC (368 +/- 153 ng ml(-1) h vs 324 +/- 155 ng ml(-1) h) of fluvastatin compared with placebo. However, the t1/2,z of fluvastatin was slightly prolonged by itraconazole (2.8 +/- 0.49 h vs 2.4 +/- 0.51 h; P < 0.05). The Cmax of lovastatin was increased about 15-fold (P < 0.01) and the total AUC more than 15-fold (P < 0.01) by itraconazole. Similarly, the Cmax and total AUC of lovastatin acid were increased about 12-fold (95% CI, 5.3 to 17.7-fold; P < 0.01) and 15-fold (95% CI, 4.6 to 26.2-fold; P < 0.01) by itraconazole, respectively. The t1/2,z of lovastatin averaged 3.7 +/- 3.8 h and that of lovastatin acid 4.7 +/- 4.0 h during the itraconazole phase; these variables could not be determined in all subjects during the placebo phase. CONCLUSIONS Itraconazole, even at a small dosage of 100 mg daily, greatly elevated plasma concentrations of lovastatin and its active metabolite, lovastatin acid. Lovastatin should therefore not be used concomitantly with itraconazole and other potent CYP3A4 inhibitors, or the dosage of lovastatin should be greatly reduced while using a CYP3A4 inhibitor. In contrast, fluvastatin concentrations were not significantly increased by itraconazole, indicating that fluvastatin has much less potential than lovastatin for clinically significant interactions with itraconazole and other CYP3A4 inhibitors.
Land use change alters functional gene diversity, composition and abundance in Amazon forest soil microbial communities

Land use change in the Amazon rainforest alters the taxonomic structure of soil microbial communities, but whether it alters their functional gene composition is unknown. We used the highly parallel microarray technology GeoChip 4.0, which contains 83 992 probes specific for genes linked nutrient cycling and other processes, to evaluate how the diversity, abundance and similarity of the targeted genes responded to forest‐to‐pasture conversion. We also evaluated whether these parameters were reestablished with secondary forest growth. A spatially nested scheme was employed to sample a primary forest, two pastures (6 and 38 years old) and a secondary forest. Both pastures had significantly lower microbial functional genes richness and diversity when compared to the primary forest. Gene composition and turnover were also significantly modified with land use change. Edaphic traits associated with soil acidity, iron availability, soil texture and organic matter concentration were correlated with these gene changes. Although primary and secondary forests showed similar functional gene richness and diversity, there were differences in gene composition and turnover, suggesting that community recovery was not complete in the secondary forest. Gene association analysis revealed that response to ecosystem conversion varied significantly across functional gene groups, with genes linked to carbon and nitrogen cycling mostly altered. This study indicates that diversity and abundance of numerous environmentally important genes respond to forest‐to‐pasture conversion and hence have the potential to affect the related processes at an ecosystem scale.
The past in prehistoric societies

The idea of prehistory dates from the nineteenth century, but Richard Bradley contends that it is still a vital area for research. He argues that it is only through a combination of oral tradition and the experience of encountering ancient material culture that people were able to formulate a sense of their own pasts without written records. The Past in Prehistoric Societies presents case studies which extend from the Palaeolithic to the early Middle Ages and from the Alps to Scandinavia. It examines how archaeologists might study the origin of myths and the different ways in which prehistoric people would have inherited artefacts from the past. It also investigates the ways in which ancient remains might have been invested with new meanings long after their original significance had been forgotten. Finally, the author compares the procedures of excavation and field survey in the light of these examples. The work includes a large number of detailed case studies, is fully illustrated and has been written in an extremely accessible style.
Prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in women in China: a large community-based study.

STUDY QUESTION What is the prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in Han Chinese women from different communities? SUMMARY ANSWER The prevalence of PCOS in Chinese women aged 19-45 years is 5.6%. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY The prevalence of PCOS is reported to range from 5 to 10% but to the best of our knowledge the Han Chinese population has not been studied. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A large-scale epidemiological study was carried out between October 2007 and September 2011 in 15 924 Han Chinese women of reproductive age (19-45 years) from the 10 provinces and municipalities in China. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS A total of 16 886 women from 152 cities and 112 villages were involved in the study. All study participants received a questionnaire and underwent a physical and transvaginal ultrasound examination. Blood samples were collected from a subsample of women (n = 3565) for analysis of metabolic markers and hormones. Based on the Rotterdam PCOS criteria, we assessed hyperandrogenism (H), chronic anovulation (O) and polycystic ovaries (P). Following diagnosis, women with PCOS were assigned to one of four different phenotypes. Finally, the prevalence and related risks of PCOS among Chinese women were estimated based on all the data sources. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE A total of 16 886 women were initially involved in the study and 15 924 eligible participants then completed the study; the overall response rate was 94.3% (15 924/16 886). The prevalence of PCOS in the Chinese community population was 5.6% (894/15 924). Blood samples were analyzed from 833 of these women who were assigned to the four PCOS phenotypes as follows: 19% H + O, 37% H + P, 15% O + P and 29% H + O + P. Comparing the 833 women with PCOS to 2732 women without PCOS indicated that PCOS occurs in younger women (P < 0.05) and these women were prone not only to menstrual problems, hyperandrogenism, PCO and infertility but also metabolic syndrome (MS) and insulin resistance (IR). However, there was no significant difference in the rate of hypertension or hyperlipemia between the two groups. Obese patients with PCOS had a higher rate of MS (16 versus 48%), IR (7 versus 28%), hypertension (8 versus 30%) and hyperlipemia (48 versus 73%) compared with non-obese patients (all P < 0.05), respectively. The rates of metabolic complications in patients with PCOS increased with age. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Age and ethnic origin contribute to the differing manifestations of PCOS; therefore, sampling is one of the most important issues in epidemiological research into PCOS. Owing to the mobility of the Chinese population, the survey among resident populations caused a certain deviation in the age distribution. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The prevention and treatment of PCOS, particularly in those who are obese, are essential in Chinese women of reproductive age.
Effect of Latanoprost on the Diurnal Variations in the Intraocular and Ocular Perfusion Pressure in Normal Tension Glaucoma

PurposeTo evaluate the effects of latanoprost on the diurnal variations in the intraocular pressure (IOP) combined with the ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) in patients with normal tension glaucoma (NTG). Patients and MethodsTwenty-two eyes from 22 patients with NTG were used for the study. The diurnal variations in the IOP and blood pressure (BP) were measured every 3 hours without therapy, and then the patients were treated with latanoprost (0.005%) once daily for more than 12 weeks. The diurnal variations in the IOP and BP under medication were again measured every 6 hours. The diurnal variation of IOP for 24 hours, mean diurnal IOP, maximum IOP, minimum IOP, range of variation in IOP, OPP, and BP were compared between the baseline and after treatment by means of a paired t test. ResultsAt 3 months after the start of the latanoprost treatment regimen, the IOP showed a statistically significant decrease at every assessed time point over 24 hours (P<0.001). Latanoprost significantly reduced the mean diurnal IOP, maximum IOP, minimum IOP, and mean range of variation in the IOP values from baseline (P<0.001, <0.001, <0.001, and 0.009, respectively). OPP after treatment showed no significant difference at any assessed time points from the baseline (P>0.1). Latanoprost did not significantly alter the mean diurnal OPP (P>0.1), and BP (P>0.5) from the baseline. ConclusionsLatanoprost was thus found to significantly reduce IOP over 24 hours, whereas it does not affect OPP and BP in NTG patients. Therefore, it may be a useful medication for NTG.
The Aftermath of Megafaunal Extinction: Ecosystem Transformation in Pleistocene Australia

Human Impact? Following the arrival of humans in Australia 40- to 50,000 years ago, many species of large vertebrates rapidly became extinct. By analyzing sediment cores from a site in northeastern Australia, Rule et al. (p. 1483; see the Perspective by McGlone) show that the extinction of the Australian megafauna caused important ecosystem shifts. Prominent among these were a shift from rainforest vegetation to sclerophyllous vegetation and a sustained increase in the incidence of fire. The cores also provide evidence of the cause of megafaunal extinction in Australia, ruling out climate and anthropogenic fire as possible causes while confirming that the extinctions closely followed human arrival. These findings show how landscapes sometimes have been fundamentally changed by the indirect effects of early humans—which underscores the impact that even prehistoric human societies had on natural systems. The extinction of megafauna 40,000 years ago after the arrival of humans led to major changes in vegetation and fire regimes. Giant vertebrates dominated many Pleistocene ecosystems. Many were herbivores, and their sudden extinction in prehistory could have had large ecological impacts. We used a high-resolution 130,000-year environmental record to help resolve the cause and reconstruct the ecological consequences of extinction of Australia’s megafauna. Our results suggest that human arrival rather than climate caused megafaunal extinction, which then triggered replacement of mixed rainforest by sclerophyll vegetation through a combination of direct effects on vegetation of relaxed herbivore pressure and increased fire in the landscape. This ecosystem shift was as large as any effect of climate change over the last glacial cycle, and indicates the magnitude of changes that may have followed megafaunal extinction elsewhere in the world.
Health effects of occupational pentachlorophenol exposure in timber sawmill employees: a preliminary study.

AIMS To study the health effects of pentachlorophenol (PCP) exposure in the timber sawmill industry. METHOD A questionnaire-based, non-random survey was undertaken amongst a group of current and ex-workers who had identified their health concerns as being related to PCP exposure. RESULTS Low, medium and high exposure groups were identified. A significant dose-response was found between past exposure to Pentachlorophenol and reported symptoms of fever/sweating (47% in the high exposure group), weight loss (33% in the high exposure group), persisting fatigue (74% in the high exposure group), nausea (40% in the medium and high exposure groups) and responses to a screening test for neuropsychological dysfunction (Questionnaire 16) (81% in the high exposure group). No associations were observed with other chronic diseases, apart from emphysema and chronic bronchitis. CONCLUSIONS This study is based on a self selected sample of PCP-exposed workers whose precise exposure levels are unclear. Thus the findings presented should be regarded as preliminary. Nevertheless, they support clinical experiences and point to the need for further investigation.
Phosphorylated AKT preserves stallion sperm viability and motility by inhibiting caspases 3 and 7.

AKT, also referred to as protein kinase B (PKB or RAC), plays a critical role in controlling cell survival and apoptosis. To gain insights into the mechanisms regulating sperm survival after ejaculation, the role of AKT was investigated in stallion spermatozoa using a specific inhibitor and a phosphoflow approach. Stallion spermatozoa were washed and incubated in Biggers-Whitten-Whittingham medium, supplemented with 1% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in the presence of 0 (vehicle), 10, 20 or 30 μM SH5, an AKT inhibitor. SH5 treatment reduced the percentage of sperm displaying AKT phosphorylation, with inhibition reaching a maximum after 1 h of incubation. This decrease in phosphorylation was attributable to either dephosphorylation or suppression of the active phosphorylation pathway. Stallion spermatozoa spontaneously dephosphorylated during in vitro incubation, resulting in a lack of a difference in AKT phosphorylation between the SH5-treated sperm and the control after 4 h of incubation. AKT inhibition decreased the proportion of motile spermatozoa (total and progressive) and the sperm velocity. Similarly, AKT inhibition reduced membrane integrity, leading to increased membrane permeability and reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential concomitantly with activation of caspases 3 and 7. However, the percentage of spermatozoa exhibiting oxidative stress, the production of mitochondrial superoxide radicals, DNA oxidation and DNA fragmentation were not affected by AKT inhibition. It is concluded that AKT maintains the membrane integrity of ejaculated stallion spermatozoa, presumably by inhibiting caspases 3 and 7, which prevents the progression of spermatozoa to an incomplete form of apoptosis.
Influence of Clinical Characteristics and Shock Occurrence on ICD Patient Outcome: A Multicenter Report

Data on 1,281 patients from the Bilitch impIantabje cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) registry were reviewed to evaluate ICD patient characteristics and survival, and the impact of ICD shock occurrence on outcome. The mean ejection fraction was 34.3%; 78% had coronary disease, 471 patients had at least one shock thought to be appropriate, and 231 patients died. Causes of death included: arrhythmic (41%), nonarrhythmic cardiac (37%), and noncardiac (22%). Cumulative survival from all‐cause mortality at 1, 3, and 5 years was 89%, 76%, and 64%; survival from all‐cause cardiac death was 93%, 90%, and 76%; survival from arrhythmic death was 96%, 92%, and 87%. Patients who had received a shock had a trend towards a worse long‐term prognosis. Shock patients also had a small increase in the prevalence of coronary disease and a somewhat lower ejection fraction than the remainder of the population.
Access to health care for ethnic minority populations

This paper reviews the research evidence on access to health care by ethnic minority populations, and discusses what might need to be done to improve access to services. Research on the process of care, and the quality of care received, is considered as well as studies examining uptake of services. Changes in legal context are increasing the pressure on healthcare organisations to examine and adapt their services to ensure equitable access. Examples presented include a new UK population cancer screening programme. The main challenges for clinicians, managers, and policy makers in ensuring equitable access are discussed.
Leg Length Discrepancy in Total Hip Arthroplasty with the use of Cemented and Uncemented Femoral Stems. A Prospective Radiological Study

Leg length discrepancy may occur following total hip arthroplasty, with a potentially impaired functional outcome as a result. The aim of this study was to compare the leg length discrepancy between both cemented and uncemented femoral stems when used in total hip arthroplasty. A prospective radiological study of 200 consecutive primary total hip arthroplasties was performed between June 2005 and December 2006. Pre and post-operative radiographs were analysed. 56 (56%) of the total hip arthroplasties where an uncemented femoral stem was used had a leg length discrepancy over 1 cm. However only 23 (23%) of the total hip arthroplasties with a cemented femoral stem had a leg length discrepancy over 1 cm. The use of cemented femoral stems in total hip arthroplasty results in a lower incidence of leg length discrepancy, with a potentially better functional outcome.
A fully unsupervised approach for mining parallel data from comparable corpora

This paper presents an unsupervised method for extracting parallel sentence pairs from a comparable corpus. A translation system is used to mine the comparable corpus and to detect parallel sentence pairs. An iterative process is implemented not only to increase the number of extracted parallel sentence pairs but also to improve the overall quality of the translation system. A comparison between this unsupervised method and a semi-supervised method is also presented. The unsupervised method was tested in a hard condition: no available parallel corpus to bootstrap the process and the comparable corpus contained up to 50% of non parallel data. The experiments conducted show that the unsupervised method can be really applied in the case of lacking parallel data. While preliminary experiments are conducted on French-English translation, this unsupervised method is also applied successfully to a low e-resourced language pair (French-Vietnamese).
Algorithmic Approach to the Design and Harvest of Abdominal Flaps for Microvascular Breast Reconstruction in Patients With Abdominal Scars

IntroductionRisk of abdominal free flaps complications and the risk of abdominal wound complications from surgery are significantly increased in patients with previous abdominal surgeries. Previous scars can limit the vascularized territories suitable for transfer and can lead to significant partial flap necrosis. MethodsA retrospective review of abdominal free flap breast reconstructions performed by the senior author (GKL) over 5 years (2008–2013). Patients were grouped based on the presence or absence of abdominal scars and specific type/location of scar(s). In addition, we analyzed patient information. including demographics, body mass index, smoking history, comorbid conditions, and most importantly, surgical techniques to optimize vascular perfusion. ResultsWe identified 169 patients that underwent abdominal perforator free flap breast reconstruction. One hundred nine patients underwent previous abdominal surgery. Within this group, we had 2 complete flap losses, 5 major flap complications, 9 minor flap complications, and 9 donor site complications. Sixty patients had no previous abdominal surgery. Of these patients, we had no complete flap losses, 2 major flap complications, 1 minor flap complication, and 4 donor site complications. Patients with previous abdominal surgeries undergoing abdominal free flap breast reconstruction had a statistically significant higher rate of flap complications (P = 0.02). Donor site wound healing complications were not statistically significant (P = 0.5). The subgroup of patients that had both a previous intra-abdominal surgery scar and Pfannenstiel scar (21 patients) were at greatest risk for both free flap (19% of patients) and donor site wound healing (19% of patients) complications. ConclusionsAbdominal scars increase the risk of complications to the free flap. Unlike previous studies, patients with abdominal scars do not appear to have a statistically significant increase for donor site complications. Using the data from our study, we developed an algorithm for abdominal flap harvest in patients with abdominal scars. The algorithm emphasizes the importance of bipedicled perforator flaps and supercharging/turbocharging when blood flow is required across scars or when a large volume of tissue is needed crossing the midline. In specific cases, where perforator viability is in question because of a previous abdominal surgical procedure, we recommend the inclusion of muscle (Muscle-Sparing-transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous vs transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous).
Histological Study of Effect of Pegnam Harmala Eqeuos Extract on Spleen ; Liver Enzymes and Parameters of Blood in Albino Rats

Four groups of male albino rats (Mus musculus) were subcutaneously administrated with normal saline(0.9 % NaCl2) or peganum harmala alcoholic seed extract (1%,2%,3%) mg/ kg) at daily interval for one month period. Thereafter, animals were scarified and specimens from the spleen were examined under light microscope for structural changes. Repeated treatment with peganum harmala seeds equeos extract caused doserelated structural changes in the spleen treated groups. severe changes were observed following 3% mg/ kg dose that were manifested by hemorrhage in interstitial connective tissue and blood vessels of the white and red bulbe of spleen as well as degeneration and necrosis in the epithelial lining of spleen.Peganum harmala seeds Aqueous extract at 1% and 2% mg/ kg caused slight to moderate histological changes in the white and red bulb of spleen manifested as degeneration and hypertrophy of tubular epithelial lining with narrowing of germinal artery . In the spleen, repeated treatment of peganum harmala seeds aqueous extract at 3% mg/ kg dose caused severe destruction of cells, by Histological study of the effect spleen,some liver enzymes and blood parameters in Albino Rats knotic of splenic cell and vesiculation in the cytoplasm due to degeneration. In addition, a significant effect(0.05) of p.harmala on total body weight compared with control ,the hight body weight was at second concentration 2%( 295)gm while,the lowest body weight was( 222.5)gm. liver weight also,affect significantly (0.05) with p.harmala ,it was 9.75gm at dose 2% compared with control( 3.30)gm . both kidney and spleen have no affect significantly by p.harmala treatment . The oral administration of extractcauses maximum fall of blood glucose level to(138 and 35.5 ) at(p<0.01) respectively with the normal ratsCholesterol was decreasedsignificantly ( 0.01 ) in treatedgroup compared with control . Lowestvalue was in second dose 2% (29.0 ) while the highest value was in control group ( 148.5 ) . significant changes (0.05 ) in GPT and GOT enzymes were observed between treated and control group. The highest values were in control groups while the lowest values were in treated group No significant changes were observed in the values of WBC and RBC in treated rats compared to controls.