Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dofetilide, A Novel Class III Antiarrhythmic Agent

Dofetilide is a potent and selective class III antiarrhythmic agent that is under development for the treatment of re-entrant tachyarrhythmias (ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation, atrial fibrillation/ atrial flutter, and paraoxysmal supraventricular tachycardia). In animal studies, dofetilide selectively inhibits the rapid component of the time-dependent outward potassium current (IKr) and therefore increases the effective refractory period and action potential duration without affecting the fast inward sodium current. Studies in dogs have shown that dofetilide (a) prolongs the effective refractory period in a dose-dependent manner, (b) elevates ventricular fibrillation threshold, (c) facilitates conversion of electrically induced ventricular fibrillation or fibrilloflutter to sinus rhythm, (d) does not influence conduction within the His-Purkinje system or within the myocardium, (e) does not impair cardiac contractility, and (f) reduces dispersion of ventricular repolarization. Dofetilide has been administered to healthy volunteers as well as to patients with ischemic heart disease or with supraventricular arrhythmias; the compound has generally been well tolerated. Side effects have occasionally been reported, but have generally been transient and mild and occur in placebo-treated subjects as well. No clinically significant changes in laboratory safety tests have been detected. The pharmacokinetic profile of dofetilide both in healthy volunteers and patients includes a linear dose-plasma concentration relationship and also a linear plasma concentration-QTc relationship. The terminal plasma elimination half-life is approximately 9–10 h and systemic bioavailability in the region of 100%. The elimination pattern is balanced, with 50% being excreted unchanged via the kidney, the remaining 50% being metabolized in the liver to inactive metabolites, with greater than 90% of circulating drug-related material being unchanged dofetilide. After intravenous administration of the compound, a slight hysteresis in the plasma drug level-QTc relationship has been detected. Pharmacodynamic data demonstrate dose- and concentration-dependent effects on myocardial repolarization as evidenced by prolongations of the QTC interval. This is reflected in significant prolongations in the effective and functional refractory periods and monophasic action potential duration throughout the myocardium. No effects on sinus node function, conduction parameters, or cardiac contractility have been detected in any of the clinical studies, supporting the contention that dofetilide is a highly selective class III antiarrhythmic agent
Broadband Rat-Race Couplers With Coupled-Line Section and Impedance Transformers

Design of broadband rat-race couplers with the use of a shorted coupled-line section and impedance transformers has been comprehensively investigated. A broadband rat-race coupler utilizing a shorted coupled-line section and two shorted quarter-wave long transmission lines has been modified allowing for achieving ideal isolations between two pairs of respective ports. Also it has been shown that the bandwidth of such couplers can be increased when multisection impedance transformers are applied, and that the Darlington synthesis procedure can be used for calculation of transmission-line impedances. A tabular data for rat-race couplers with up to four-section impedance transformers is given. The theoretical analysis has been verified by measurements of the manufactured broadband rat-race coupler operating within 0.8 to 2.8 GHz frequency range.
Adjuvant chemotherapy for large cell carcinoma with neuroendocrine features

In 1999, the World Health Organization categorized large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, large cell carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation, and large cell carcinoma with neuroendocrine morphology as a variant of large cell carcinoma. Patients with large cell carcinoma with neuroendocrine features have poor prognoses, comparable to those for small cell lung carcinoma. Small cell lung carcinoma is sensitive to chemotherapy; however, it is still unclear whether large cell carcinoma with neuroendocrine features is responsive to adjuvant chemotherapy.
The Effects of Market Interest Rate on Islamic Indices: A Heterogeneous Panel Data Analysis of Participation 30 Index Companies

The aim of this article is to investigate the influence of market interest rate on Participation 30 index companies. The interest rate of Turkish government bonds traded in the secondary market was used for representing market interest rate. The study uses a panel data of 41 Participation index companies from 2011 to 2017. Using LM bootstrap panel cointegration test, we obtained results showing that the market interest rate affects the stock prices of P30 index companies. This effect is negative for ALBRK, KONYA, BAGFS, KOZAL and PRKME, but positive for all other companies. The least affected company from market interest rate is TTKOM, while the most affected company is LOGO. Moreover, it is noteworthy that 5 of the 10 companies with the lowest long-run coefficient are operating in the construction-raw material industry.
Parathyroidectomy rates among United States dialysis patients: 1990-1999.

BACKGROUND Medical therapy for secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPTH) has evolved considerably during the past decade. It is not known how changes in medical therapy might impact the parathyroidectomy (PTX) rate among dialysis patients. Relatively low parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels have been found among elderly dialysis patients and those with diabetes. Clinical factors associated with differing PTX rates among United States dialysis patients have not been reported. We report PTX rates in the United States from 1990 to 1999 among persons with end-stage renal disease, accounting for changes in patient characteristics. METHODS Data from the United States Renal Database were utilized. Patients insured by Medicare or Medicaid and receiving renal replacement therapy between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 1999 were considered for analysis. PTX was determined by ICD-9 procedure codes. Multivariate Poisson models were used to estimate adjusted PTX rates. RESULTS The overall observed PTX rate in the study sample was 7.16 per 1000 person-years at risk. After a slight rise during the early 1990s, adjusted PTX rates declined by approximately 30% between 1995 and 1999. Adjusted PTX rates were higher among patients who were younger, female, nondiabetic, receiving peritoneal dialysis, and those with a longer cumulative duration of dialysis. CONCLUSION PTX rates have recently decreased in the United States, independent of changes in patient characteristics. The effectiveness of medical therapy in targeting secondary hyperparathyroidism may be improving. Younger, nondiabetic patients with a longer cumulative dialysis burden are at particularly high risk for PTX.
Using genital self-image, body image, and sexual behaviors to predict gynecological exam behaviors of college women.

INTRODUCTION Despite the benefits of gynecological exams, they continue to be underused. A woman's decision to seek gynecological care may be influenced by a number of factors including genital image, body image, and sexual behaviors. AIMS The purpose of this study was to assess if genital self-image, body image, and sexual behaviors predict gynecological exam behaviors among a convenience sample of college women. METHODS Data were collected from female students enrolled in health-related courses at a large southern university. A total of 450 completed surveys were collected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze participant characteristics. Reliability analyses were conducted to assess internal consistency of scales used within the study, using Cronbach's alpha coefficient as an indicator of this reliability. Predictive discriminant analysis (PDA) was used to indicate the predictor, or group of predictors, best suited to predict gynecological exam behaviors of college women. RESULTS Hit rates yielded from the PDA indicate the number of cases correctly predicted by the classification functions, with higher hit rates being indicative of better predictive capabilities. The following variables were found to be most predictive of gynecological exam behaviors: (i) having had a vaginal intercourse (VI) partner during the past 3 months (68.2%); (ii) genital self-image paired with having had a VI partner (68.2%); (iii) having had a VI partner paired with having had an anal intercourse (AI) partner during the past 3 months (68.2%); and (iv) genital self-image, VI, and AI combined (68.2%). CONCLUSION VI behavior was found to be the primary predictor of gynecological exam behavior in the current study. Understanding the factors influencing a woman's decision to engage in regular gynecological exams is important in order for health and medical professionals to address the limiting factors in this preventive health measure.
Rapid Identification of Burkholderia pseudomallei in Blood Cultures by a Monoclonal Antibody Assay

ABSTRACT Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis. In northeast Thailand, this gram-negative bacterium is a major cause of mortality from septicemia. The definitive diagnosis of this disease is made by bacterial culture. In this study, we produced a monoclonal antibody (MAb) specific to the 30-kDa protein of B. pseudomallei by in vivo and in vitro immunization of BALB/c mice with a crude culture filtrate antigen. The MAb could directly agglutinate with all 243 clinical isolates of B. pseudomallei but not with other gram-negative bacteria, except for one strain of Burkholderia mallei. However, the MAb cross-reacted with the gram-positive Bacillus sp. andStreptococcus pyogenes. B. pseudomallei in brain heart infusion broth (BHIB) subcultured from a BacT/Alert automated blood culture system could be identified by simple agglutination with this MAb assay. The sensitivity and specificity of direct agglutination compared to the “gold standard,” the culture method, were 94.12 and 98.25%, respectively. However, the MAb adsorbed to polystyrene beads or latex particles directly identified the bacterium in blood culture specimens and in BHIB subcultured from a BacT/Alert automated blood culture system. The sensitivity of the latex agglutination test was 100% for both blood culture and BHIB specimens. The specificity was 85.96 and 96.49% for the blood culture and BHIB specimens, respectively. The specificity could be increased if the nonspecific materials in the blood culture broths were eradicated by centrifugation at low speeds. Thus, a combination of blood culture and the agglutination method could be used for the rapid diagnosis of melioidosis in the routine bacteriological laboratory. This method could speed up detection of the bacterium in blood culture by at least 2 days, compared to the conventional bacterial culture method. In addition, the MAb is stable at room temperature for 2 weeks and at 4, −20, and −70°C for at least 1 year. The latex reagent was stable for at least 6 months at 4°C.
Adoption and Impact of the Improved Fallow Technique on Cotton Productivity and Income in Zambia

An improved fallow is a soil fertility agroforestry technique that has commonly been used in the staple maize production systems of Zambia and sub-Saharan Africa. Several studies have assessed the adoption and impact of the improved fallow on maize production. Generally, it has been observed that though the improved fallow does increase maize yields, its efficacy on welfare in terms of increased income is low. The use of the technique on cash crops that could significantly contribute to household welfare has rarely been investigated. This study assessed the factors affecting the adoption and impact of improved fallows on a commonly grown cash crop, cotton, in the cotton growing provinces of Zambia. The study used a sub sample (N=1206) of the nationally representative 2014/15 Rural Agricultural Livelihoods Survey (RALS) data which was randomly collected by the Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute (IAPRI) and Central Statistical Office (CSO) of Zambia. The determinants of improved fallow adoption among the cotton farmers were examined through the use of the probit model while the impact of the technique on cotton production and income was evaluated by using the propensity score matching and the endogenous switching regression models. Among the socioeconomic factors significantly increasing the probability of improved fallow adoption included: increases in age, education level, and per capita productive assets of the farmer, in addition to the area under cotton production and the distance of the homestead to the market. Institutional factors found to increase the farmer’s likelihood of adopting the improved fallow in the cotton production systems included; farmer membership to a cooperative, receiving improved fallow seedlings from the government projects and having information on agroforestry tree species. On the other hand, an increase in land size per capita was found to negatively affect the likelihood of improved tree fallow adoption. Impact estimates showed significant cotton yield and income increases as a result of adopting the technique. The continuous provision of information on relatively new techniques such as the improved fallows preferably in farmer organized groups, and support towards the provision of the technique’s planting materials are some of the areas requiring government and NGOs attention. In addition, the study recommends that the farmers’ formal education level should be enhanced and that improved tree fallows should also be explicitly promoted on cash crops that have similar agronomic requirements to maize such as cotton.
Hedgehog Pathway Expression in Heterogeneous Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: Implications for the Molecular Analysis of Clinically Available Biopsies

Recent studies suggest that hedgehog (HH)-pathway signaling is required for the initiation and continued growth of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC). Definitive gene expression analysis of PAC remains difficult, owing to the host desmoplastic stromal interaction and subsequent tumor heterogeneity. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of heterogeneity within a series (n=5) of matched clinical PAC biopsies [snap-frozen, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FPE), endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspirate (EUS-FNA)]. Differential expressions, specific to tumor cells, were evaluated by comparisons of uninvolved pancreas (n=9), EUS-FNA (n=14), and macrodissected (tumor-cell-enriched) biopsies (n=16). To determine whether treatment modulates gene expression, a unique (independent) set of synchronous EUS-FNA samples (n=4) was obtained before, and 2 weeks after, chemoradiation. mRNA levels were evaluated using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction formatted in a TaqMan low-density array, which was capable of simultaneously quantifying 46 independent genes in the HH pathway. Protein levels for Patched, Smoothened, and glioma-associated oncogene 1 (Gli-1) in FPE tissues were determined, using immunohistochemistry. A significant concordance (P<0.0001) was observed in the HH-pathway mRNA levels between matched surgically resected (both snap-frozen and FPE) and EUS-FNA biopsies. HH-pathway mRNA levels changed (increased) only after macrodissection, suggesting localization to tumor cells. Immunohistochemical staining for Patched, Smoothened, and Gli-1 confirmed the increased (P<0.001) levels of protein in the PAC cells, compared with cells from uninvolved pancreas. EUS-FNA biopsies that were obtained before and during chemoradiation demonstrated no significant changes in HH-pathway gene expression. Collectively, these studies demonstrate presence of HH-pathway expression in all the clinical PAC biopsies examined, suggesting that this is a significant tumor-associated target and offering the possibility that specific molecular profiling might be attempted from these heterogeneous tissues.
Literature review of pain management for people with chronic pain.

AIM Multimodal approaches toward relieving pain, patients' participation, and improving self-efficacy are important for chronic pain management. The aims of this review were to identify possible options of nursing strategies for pain management in individuals with chronic pain and to determine the effectiveness of these strategies for pain relief/pain-related problems; therefore, nurses and researchers could consider and/or adopt multimodal chronic pain management strategies. METHODS A Systematic Integrated Literature Review was conducted. Published work related to pain management in individuals with chronic pain was identified by searching databases and reviewed. RESULTS Among the studies reviewed, we identified 35 studies that focused on pain management strategies. In 10 studies, interventions such as integrated and multidisciplinary pain management programs were associated with significant decreases in pain intensity. However, they reported that the long-term effectiveness of pain relief was not satisfactory. Individuals with chronic pain reported that strategies including pharmacotherapy, physical activity, social support from friends and family, acupuncture, heating, rest, diets, or life-style changes helped them to effectively manage their pain. CONCLUSION We identified possible options of pain management strategies and explored effectiveness of chronic pain interventions. The long-term effects of pain relief interventions and social support for individuals with chronic pain require further investigation.
Development of a possible nonmammalian test system for radiation-induced germ-cell mutagenesis using a fish, the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes).

To develop a specific-locus test (SLT) system for environmental mutagenesis using vertebrate species other than the mouse, we first established a tester stock of the fish medaka (Oryzias latipes) that is homozygous recessive at three loci. The phenotypic expression of these loci can be easily recognized early in embryonic development by observation through the transparent egg membrane. We irradiated wild-type males with 137Cs gamma-rays to determine the dose-response relationships for dominant lethal and specific-locus mutations induced in sperm, spermatids, and spermatogonia. Through observation of 322,666 loci in control offspring and 374,026 loci in offspring obtained from 0.64-, 4.75-, or 9.50-Gy-irradiated gametes, specific-locus mutations were phenotypically detected during early development. These putative mutations, designated "total mutation," can be recognized only in embryos of oviparous animals. The developmental fate of these mutant embryos was precisely followed. During subsequent embryonic development, a large fraction died and thus was unavailable for test-crossing, which was used to identify "viable mutations. " Our medaka SLT system demonstrates that the vast majority of total mutations is associated with dominant lethal mutations. Thus far only one spontaneous viable mutation has been observed, so that all doubling calculations involving this endpoint carry a large error. With these reservations, however, we conclude that the quantitative data so far obtained from the medaka SLT are quite comparable to those from the mouse SLT and, hence, indicate the validity of the medaka SLT as a possible nonmammalian test system.
Cooperativity in vivo between the E2 transactivator and the TATA box binding protein depends on core promoter structure.

The E2 transactivator protein of bovine papillomavirus 1 (BPV‐1) can strongly stimulate complex promoters such as that of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene but does not efficiently activate minimal promoters that only contain E2 binding sites and a TATA box. Here we show that overexpression of the human, but not yeast, TATA box binding protein (TBP) in transfection experiments overcomes this block and enables E2 to activate a minimal TATA box‐containing promoter. This suggests that recruitment of the TFIID complex to such promoters is normally a rate limiting step for transcriptional activation by E2 in vivo. In contrast, minimal promoters that contain an initiator element in addition to a TATA box are efficiently activated by E2 on its own and this activation is only moderately enhanced by TBP overexpression. In such E2‐responsive promoters the TATA box or initiator can be functionally replaced by SP1 binding sites. Both the initiator binding protein, TFII‐I, and SP1 have been found to interact physically with components of the TFIID complex. Since either TBP overexpression or the presence of an initiator or SP1 binding sites can increase activation by E2, it seems likely that the principal role of the E2 activation domain is to affect a step in the formation of the transcription initiation complex that occurs after TFIID has bound to the promoter. Sequential action of transcription factors, such as TFII‐I, SP1 and E2, may be one type of mechanism underlying the widely observed phenomenon of transcriptional synergy.
A Comparison of American and Canadian Teachers' Knowledge and Attitudes towards Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd)

The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast American and Canadian teachers' knowledge and attitudes regarding ADHD. Both samples completed a self report questionnaire. The first part determined the demographic background of the teachers. The second section consisted of 20 true/false questions concerning ADHD intended to assess teachers' general knowledge of the essential concepts involved in the diagnosis and treatment of the disorder. The results indicated that both samples had little in-service training regarding ADHD. Despite this, most teachers regarded ADHD as a valid diagnosis with educational implications and wanted more formal training. While most teachers did well on knowledge-based questions regarding the etiology and educational implications of the condition, many still perceived non-medical therapies such as diets as being effective. Many regarded the condition as being outgrown at adolescence. Significantly, only 14%. of the teachers had been involved in the diagnosis and ongoing monitoring of medication by outside professionals. The implications of improved in-service training for all professionals involved with children with ADHD are discussed.
Competition and Stability in the Credit Industry: Banking vs. Factoring Industries

Over the last decade, most credit-industries registered a decline in lending volumes, while factoring industries instead registered a substantial growth in terms of turnover. Surprisingly, only a handful of papers so far investigate factoring companies. Do factoring firms display the same stability levels of banks? Is the competition similar in factoring and banking industries? Is the relationship between competition and stability the same in these industries? Focusing on Italy (one of the largest factoring and banking markets in Europe) and using a unique dataset, we show three main results: factoring companies are (on average) more stable than banks; 2) the stability of factoring companies increase when competition declines (competition-fragility view); 3) the competition-fragility view is weaker in the factoring industry than in the banking industry. Our findings indicate that competition in the Italian credit industry was greater in factoring than in banking.