Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential access in the receipt of antiretroviral drugs for the treatment of AIDS and its implications for survival.

BACKGROUND Recently published research based on selected samples of patients treated at human immunodeficiency virus clinics documents that use of more intensive antiretroviral drug therapies is responsible for significant declines in morbidity and mortality in persons living with human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (PLWHAs). In this study, we evaluate whether receipt of more recently developed antiretroviral therapies varies by sex and race/ethnicity in a large population-based sample of PLWHAs and whether receipt of such drugs has any impact on survival. METHODS Analysis of Florida Medicaid eligibility, enrollment, and claims data for PLWHAs for 1993 through 1997. Receipt of 2 nucleoside analogs (TWONUKES) and receipt of 1 protease inhibitor and a nucleoside combination (PI+NUKES) was constructed from claims data. The probability of dying was constructed from eligibility and enrollment data. RESULTS The probabilities of receiving TWONUKES and PI+NUKES are 0.16 and 0.09, respectively, lower for women relative to men (P<.01 for both). Blacks are more likely to receive TWONUKES than whites, whereas the reverse is true for Hispanics; this probability is almost 0.04 higher for blacks and 0.03 lower for Hispanics relative to whites (P<.01). In contrast, blacks are significantly less likely to receive PI+NUKES (P<.01). Both drug variables have large statistically significant negative effects on the probability of death. The PLWHAs who received PI+NUKES are 60% as likely to die each month (P<.01). Receipt of TWONUKES lowers the relative hazard of death by close to 66% each month (P<.01). Survival varies significantly by sex and race/ethnicity. Controlling for receipt of drug therapy and diagnosed health throughout the period, women are 56% as likely to die as men (P<.01). Hispanics are almost 14% less likely to die each month relative to whites (relative hazard, 0.87), and blacks are 20% more likely to die than whites (relative hazard, 1.21). CONCLUSIONS States need to investigate why women are less likely to receive antiretroviral drug therapies than men and to consider policies that might foster better access to antiretroviral therapies for women with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome because these efforts might yield even further reductions in mortality in women. Given the large reductions in mortality that accompany receipt of antiretroviral therapies, states need to foster policies that promote widespread use of new drug treatment protocols.
Comparison of tumor response assessment methods in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer after locoregional therapy

We evaluated the performance of the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumor (RECIST), modified RECIST, and the European Association for the Study of Liver (EASL) guidelines and correlated them with survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with locoregional therapy (LRT).
Gingival Crevicular Fluid: Biomarkers of Periodontal Tissue Activity

The lack of precise clinical criteria for assessment of periodontal disease has led to a search for alternative means of determining active disease sites, prognosis of future sites of breakdown, and response to therapy. This review highlights the potential array of biomarkers present in gingival crevicular fluid and which may relate to existing or predicted tissue regions undergoing metabolic change and derived from bacterial or host-cell-derived products. Among the former may be listed endotoxin, amines, butyrate, and a variety of enzymes and their inhibitors, such as trypsin-like proteases and bacterial collagenase. Arising from host cells is a variety of leucocytic hydrolase enzymes, lactoferrin, and lysozyme. These appear to be useful inflammatory markers and may be distinguished from products of connective tissue breakdown which include collagenous and non-collagenous products, including collagen peptides, osteonectin, and fibronectin. The proteoglycans have found particular favor as biomarkers of possible bone-resorptive activity. Attention has also been directed at the immune response, including comment on immunoglobulins, complement, eicosanoids, and cytokines. This review lists available information on the presence of these in gingival sulcus fluid and wherever possible relates their presence to disease activity.
Munc13-4 Is a GTP-Rab27-binding Protein Regulating Dense Core Granule Secretion in Platelets*

Platelets store self-agonists such as ADP and serotonin in dense core granules. Although exocytosis of these granules is crucial for hemostasis and thrombosis, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Here, we show that incubation of permeabilized platelets with unprenylated active mutant Rab27A-Q78L, wild type Rab27A, and Rab27B inhibited the secretion, whereas inactive mutant Rab27A-T23N and other GTPases had no effects. Furthermore, we affinity-purified a GTP-Rab27A-binding protein in platelets and identified it as Munc13-4, a homologue of Munc13-1 known as a priming factor for neurotransmitter release. Recombinant Munc13-4 directly bound to GTP-Rab27A and -Rab27B in vitro, but not other GTPases, and enhanced secretion in an in vitro assay. The inhibition of secretion by unprenylated Rab27A was rescued by the addition of Munc13-4, suggesting that Munc13-4 mediates the function of GTP-Rab27. Thus, Rab27 regulates the dense core granule secretion in platelets by employing its binding protein, Munc13-4.
THE ANALYSIS OF TYPES ILLOCUTIONARY ACTS IN “ TANGLED ” MOVIE

In the study of language, what people do by saying something is called speech acts. Speech acts is not only found in everyday life but also in the film. This research concerns with speech acts produced by the main character in Shrek movie script. The aims of this research are to describe the types of speech acts are produced by the characters in animated of western movie entitled “Tangled”. Data of this research in the form of utterances that involved illocutionary acts used by each character in that movie which is taken from YouTube then classify them into categories of illocutionary acts based on Searle’s of theory. The types of research in this study are qualitative and quantitative research. Qualitative research is applied to analyze the data in the form of the text. Quantitative research is used to count the member of speech acts used by the characters in that movie to conclude which types of speech acts is dominantly used. Based on data analysis, found that there are four of illocutionary acts found in that movie; directives, representatives, expressives, and commissives. This study shows that the dominant speech acts used is directives which 44% of percentage. It indicates that the characters of the movie “Tangled” use directives because some of them want the other character to do something.
Implementing a Mandatory Geriatrics Clerkship

Due to the rapid growth in the proportion of U.S. citizens aged 65 and older (20% by 2030) it is imperative that U.S. medical schools train students who can provide quality care to the older population. Consequently, the objective of this paper is to report the experience of creating a 4‐week, mandatory geriatrics clerkship for junior medical students. Funded by a grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences developed a mandatory, third‐year clerkship in geriatric medicine.
Size-Independent Cylindrical Resonator Half-Filled With DNG Metamaterial and Excited by a Line Source

A circular cylindrical resonator with metallic (PEC) walls is half-filled with double-negative (DNG) metamaterial that is anti-isorefractive to the double-positive (DPS) material filling the remaining volume of the resonator. The resonance condition of the structure is studied, and it is shown that the resonator may perform independently of diameter size. The problem of an electric line source parallel to the axis and located anywhere inside the DPS region is solved exactly. Numerical results are presented and discussed .
“That’s my job” Exploring the effect of brand empowerment towards employee brand equity: Mediating role of employee critical psychological states

Purpose – Based on the recent call to unfold the dynamics of employee psychological states in branding i.e. employee brand understanding and brand psychological ownership, this study aims to investigate the relationship of brand empowerment, employee psychological states and its outcome i.e. employee brand equity. Moreover, the study tried to investigate the mediating role of employee psychological states i.e. employee brand understanding and brand psychological ownership in the relationship of brand empowerment and employee brand equity. Design/methodology/approach – Survey method was adopted to collect the data from the respondents of public sector banks. Data were collected from 374 employees working in the banking sector through proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Findings – Results of this study confirm the positive relationship among brand empowerment, employee psychological states i.e. employee brand understanding and brand psychological ownership and employee brand equity. Furthermore, employees’ psychological states have a mediating role in the relationship between brand empowerment and employee brand equity as illustrated in the job characteristics theory. Past studies in branding literature have revolved around employees’ psychological states and their impact on personal outcomes i.e. employee brand equity. Originality/value – Based on the recent call to explore the dynamics of employee psychological states, the present study tries to dig the theory by investigate the link between brand empowerment and employee brand equity.
Dietary patterns and survival after breast cancer diagnosis.

PURPOSE There is little prior study of major dietary patterns and breast cancer survival. METHODS Patients included 2,619 Nurses' Health Study participants who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 1982 and 1998 and completed a dietary questionnaire more than 1 year after diagnosis. Participants were followed through 2002 (median = 9 years). During follow-up, 414 patients died of any cause, 242 patients died of breast cancer, and 172 patients died from causes other than breast cancer. Women with in situ or metastatic disease at diagnosis were excluded. We used Cox proportional hazards models to evaluate prospective associations of prudent and Western dietary patterns assessed both before and after diagnosis with time to event after diagnosis. RESULTS In multivariate-adjusted analyses assessed after diagnosis, the Western and prudent dietary patterns were unrelated to all-cause or breast cancer mortality. However, compared with women with the lowest intake of the prudent dietary pattern, the relative risks (and 95% CIs) of death from causes other than breast cancer were 0.85 (95% CI, 0.53 to 1.35), 0.74 (95% CI, 0.45 to 1.21), 0.70 (95% CI, 0.42 to 1.17), and 0.54 (95% CI, 0.31 to 0.95; P = .03, from lowest to highest quintile of intake). In contrast, the Western dietary pattern was positively associated with this outcome (P = .04). Results for the assessment of dietary patterns before diagnosis were similar, except the prudent dietary pattern was unrelated to mortality. CONCLUSION A higher intake of the prudent pattern and a lower intake of the Western pattern may protect against mortality from causes unrelated to breast cancer.
OPTIMAL DESIGN OF TAPER ROLLER BEARING ARRANGEMENTS . PART I : OBJECTIVE FUNCTION

Contrasting previous works in this peculiar field, where bearing rolling elements deformations are regarded as the result of known loads − most likely obtained from the shaft static equilibrium, neglecting the bearing deformations − a system approach conveying ineluctably different results is thereby proposed. The method is grounded on a straightforward theory: when the static equilibrium of the shaft is reached, the loads and moments transmitted from the shaft to the bearings must be balanced by the loads and moments arisen due to the elastic deformations of the rolling elements. In this approach, the formers are obtained using the slopedeflection method, whereas the latter may result from a deformation model of rolling elements of the bearing. The succeeding part of the paper render the precise use of the method broached, mirrored in life calculations of the bearings of particular arrangements. The optimal design of a bearing arrangement (from the maximum bearing lives standpoint) is ultimately illustrated.
Treatment and Prognosis for Patients With Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

IMPORTANCE Data on outcomes following surgical management of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) are limited. The incidence of ICC is increasing and it has a poor prognosis. No consensus has been reached regarding the optimal treatment modalities. OBJECTIVE To systematically review and synthesize the available evidence regarding treatment and prognosis in patients with ICC. DATA SOURCES The PubMed database was searched for relevant articles published between January 1, 2000, and April 1, 2013. STUDY SELECTION Only studies assessing predictors of survival or recurrence in patients undergoing curative-intent surgical treatment of ICC were included. Small series, studies reporting on mixed types of cholangiocarcinoma, or exclusively on hepatolithiasis-associated cholangiocarcinoma, and those published in a language other than English, French, German, Italian, or Greek, were excluded. Fifty-seven of 960 articles were therefore analyzed. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Data on preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables were extracted by 3 independent reviewers. Multiple studies reporting on the same population were excluded. Data were pooled using a random-effects model. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES We hypothesized that preoperative variables and tumor characteristics affect patient survival. The outcomes of the study were overall survival and recurrence-free survival. The hypothesis was formulated before data collection. RESULTS Fifty-seven studies (4756 patients) were included in the review. Median patient age ranged from 49 to 67 years, and 57% were male. Most patients had a solitary (69%), large (median size, 4.5-8.0 cm) tumor of the mass-forming type (86%). Approximately one-third of the patients had lymph node metastasis (34%) or vascular (38%), perineural (29%), or biliary invasion (29%). Most underwent a major hepatectomy (82%), often accompanied by lymphadenectomy (67%) and sometimes by extrahepatic bile duct resection (23%). Median and 5-year overall survival (OS) generally were approximately 28 months (range, 9-53 months) and 30% (range, 5%-56%), respectively; factors predicting shorter OS included large tumor size, multiple tumors, lymph node metastasis, and vascular invasion. Adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy did not appear to be beneficial. Seven studies (2132 patients) provided data for the meta-analysis. Factors associated with shorter OS included older age (pooled hazard ratio, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.03-1.17), larger tumor size (1.09; 1.02-1.16), presence of multiple tumors (1.70; 1.43-2.02), lymph node metastasis (2.09; 1.80-2.43), vascular invasion (1.87; 1.44-2.42), and poor tumor differentiation (1.41; 1.17-1.71). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The prognosis of ICC is dictated mainly by tumor factors. Future research could focus on the usefulness of adjuvant treatment as well as other multidisciplinary treatment modalities.
Effect of porcine somatotropin on metabolism , testicular size and sperm characteristics in young boars

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pST injections on metabolism, testicular size, and sperm characteristics in young boars. Sixty 22-day old piglets were divided into two groups: pST (n=30) and Control (n=30). The pST group was submitted to pST injections (90μg/kg body weight) every three days up to 330 days of age. Blood collections were performed weekly. Testicular weight was measures at 22, 82, 142, 202 and 365 days of age. Libido and fresh semen characteristics were evaluated between 150 and 210 days of age. Semen characteristics were also evaluated during a 72h storage period (15oC). Testosterone, albumin, and phosphorus blood concentrations were higher in the pST group (P<0.05). The pST group had a higher IGF-I concentration in seminal plasma (P=0.05) and higher testicular weight (P<0.001) compared to the Control group. The pST group had higher ejaculate volume (P<0.001), total sperm count (P=0.047) and number of inseminating doses/ejaculate (P=0.047). During the 72h storage period, the pST group had a lower number of morphological alterations (P<0.001) compared to the Control group. In sum, pST injection in young boars increased testosterone concentration, testicular size, and sperm quality.
Weighted Scoring Rules for Density Forecast Comparison in Subsets of Interest ∗

We extend the notion of the scoring rules to weighted scoring rules that are designed to assess and rank the accuracy of competing density/probabilistic forecasts on the subsets of interest. We introduce the definitions of locally proper and preference preserving scoring rules. Locally proper scoring rules are designed to reward probabilistic/density forecasts that are correct in the subset of interest and disregard the forecast accuracy outside of the region of interest, that is a weighted scoring rule should not reject forecasts that are equal to the true data generating density on the subset of interest. Preference preserving scoring rules are such that a competing forecast preferred in both subsets A and B must be preferred over the union of A and B. We show that none of the previously proposed scoring rules satisfy these properties as weighted threshold continuous ranked probability score is not a locally proper scoring rule while censored and conditional likelihood scoring rules are not preference preserving. To address such shortcomings of extant scoring rules we introduce two novel scoring rules: likelihood based penalized weighted likelihood score and incremental continuous ranked probability score. Additionally, we present an empirical application that demonstrates that a choice of the preferable density forecast might be driven by a choice of a weighted scoring rule.
Does socio-economic status influence the acceptability of, attendance for, and outcome of, screening and brief interventions for alcohol misuse: a review.

AIMS To determine whether socio-economic status (SES) influences (i) willingness to participate in brief intervention (BI) research, (ii) attendance to receive BI once allocated, and (iii) treatment outcome. METHODS Systematic review of published, randomised controlled trials of BI for non-dependent alcohol misuse in primary health care settings. RESULTS Eighteen papers met inclusion criteria. There is evidence that once recruited, and following attendance for intervention, participants' SES does not influence treatment outcome. However, the effect of choosing to participate remains unclear, and the generalizability of results to the whole primary care population remains equivocal. Socio-economic status may influence willingness to participate in BI treatment research, and may influence attendance to receive such interventions where allocated. CONCLUSION Brief interventions should remain available to all non-dependent hazardous and harmful drinkers in primary care. However, fidelity to research design is suggested to allow for any participation effects to occur. Benefits of such an approach exist for both clinicians and patients. The characteristics of those who participate in BI trials, compared to those who do not, should be studied in detail. Socio-economic variables should be included as potentially important characteristics. The impact of BI on drinking style as well as consumption needs further attention.
Probiotics administered intravaginally as a complementary therapy combined with antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis: a systematic review protocol

Introduction Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a highly prevalent vaginal polymicrobial disorder commonly encountered in women of childbearing age. Therapy with only recommended antibiotics results in low cure rates and unacceptably high recurrence rates. The use of probiotics as a complementary approach for use with antibiotics for the treatment of BV remains unclear. This review aims to assess the efficacy of lactobacilli administered intravaginally in conjunction with antibiotics for the treatment of BV. Methods and analysis The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials in The Cochrane Library, Cochrane Library of Systematic Reviews, Medline/PubMed and Embase will be used to search for articles from database inception to November 2016. Randomised controlled clinical trials using lactobacilli administered intravaginally in conjunction with antibiotics to treat BV will be included. Primary outcome will be the BV cure rate. The recurrence rate will be examined as secondary outcome. Two reviewers will independently select trials and extract data from the original publications. The risk of bias will be assessed according to the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. We will perform data synthesis using the Review Manager (RevMan) software V.5. 2.3. To assess heterogeneity, we will compute the I2 statistic. Ethics and dissemination This study will be a review of published data and it is not necessary to obtain ethical approval. Findings of this systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Trial registration number International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews 2014: CRD42014015079.
Synergistic action of amphotericin B and rifampin against Rhizopus species

A 16-year-old diabetic patient developed Rhizopus pneumonia and was initially treated with amphotericin B for 7 days. Because of clinical deterioration of the patient, rifampin was added empirically. The patient improved clinically, and lung tissue removed surgically 8 weeks later showed no fungal elements by histopathological studies or by culture. An in vitro study of amphotericin B alone and in combination with rifampin against the isolate from the patient and 11 additional isolates of Rhizopus spp. was designed. The activity of amphotericin B in the presence of rifampin (10 or 5 micrograms/ml) increased fourfold against 9 of 10 clinical and 1 of 2 environmental isolates. Amphotericin B activity in the presence of 2 micrograms of rifampin per ml increased fourfold against 6 of 10 clinical isolates and increased twofold against an additional 3 clinical isolates. Amphotericin B in the presence of 1 microgram of rifampin per ml inhibited 9 of 10 isolates at a concentration of one-half the MIC of amphotericin B alone. These findings were confirmed by dose-response curves calculated from fungal dry weight determinations of Rhizopus spp. incubated in serial dilutions of amphotericin B combined with rifampin. These observations demonstrate in vitro, and possibly in vivo, synergy between amphotericin B and rifampin against Rhizopus spp.