Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of venlafaxine on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of original data from 3744 depressed patients.

BACKGROUND Venlafaxine hydrochloride, a structurally novel antidepressant, is also the first nontricyclic serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. Although venlafaxine has an overall side effect and safety profile that is comparable to other newer antidepressants, it can cause both transient and sustained elevations of supine diastolic blood pressure (SDBP), probably the result of noradrenergic potentiation. METHOD Presented here is a meta-analysis of original data on blood pressure, using both random effects and a multivariate survival analyses. The sample consisted of 3744 patients with major depression who were studied in controlled clinical trials comparing venlafaxine with imipramine and/or placebo. Patients were treated for 6 weeks of acute phase therapy; some responders received up to 1 year of continuation phase therapy. RESULTS Venlafaxine and imipramine were associated with small, but statistically significant, increases in SDBP during acute phase therapy. When compared with imipramine and placebo, venlafaxine was also associated with a greater proportion of persistent elevations of SDBP during continuation therapy. The effect of venlafaxine was highly dose dependent, and the incidence of elevated SDBP was statistically and clinically significant only at dosages above 300 mg/day. Venlafaxine did not adversely affect the control of blood pressure for patients with preexisting high blood pressure or elevated baseline values. CONCLUSION Venlafaxine has a dose-dependent effect on SDBP that is clinically significant at high dosages. Concern about blood pressure effects should not deter first-line use of this effective antidepressant, although more extensive studies of patients with cardiovascular diseases are still necessary.
Movement patterns and nursery habitat of juvenile thresher sharks Alopias vulpinus in the Southern California Bight

We investigated the potential use of open coastal habitat over the continental shelf as a nursery area for the common thresher shark Alopias vulpinus. Seven juvenile threshers were tracked using acoustic telemetry to determine their movement patterns and nursery habitat in the Southern California Bight (SCB). Tracked sharks occupied waters over the continental shelf 87% of the time. These waters had an average (± SD) sea surface temperature of 18.8 ± 1.6°C and chlorophyll concen- trations that were an order of magnitude higher than in adjacent waters offshore of the continental shelf. Tracked sharks had a mean rate of movement of 1.63 ± 0.56 km h -1 , and some sharks exhibited high site fidelity. The vertical distribution of juvenile threshers was generally limited to the upper 20 m of the water, and most sharks showed diel depth distribution patterns, with daytime depths significantly greater than nighttime depths. An analysis of SCB commercial fishery observer data confirms that juvenile common threshers are most frequently captured over the continental shelf. This region appears to provide juvenile threshers with ample food resources and reduced predation risk relative to adult habitat, and partially satisfies more quantitative nursery area criteria recently established in the literature.
A SCAR MOLECULAR MARKER SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE FEMALE GAMETOPHYTES OF SACCHARINA (LAMINARIA) JAPONICA (PHAEOPHYTA) 1

PCR amplification was employed to identify female or male gametophyte associated markers in Saccharina japonica (Aresch.) C. E. Lane, C. Mayes et G. W. Saunders (=Laminaria japonica Aresch.). One pair of the primers, P5, was screened from five pairs designed based on a specific sequence (GenBank accession no. AB069714) of Marchantia polymorpha Y chromosome, resulting in a differential band ∼500 bp in size between female and male gametophytes of Rongfu strain of S. japonica. According to the SCAR (sequence‐characterized amplified regions) strategies, one pair of primers, P51, was designed on the basis of the sequence of this band that was only present in female gametophytes. A SCAR marker, designated FRML‐494 (494‐bp Female‐Related Marker of S. japonica, GenBank accession no. EU931619), was developed successfully by PCR amplification using the designed P51 primer pair. The SCAR marker was verified to be present only in female gametophytes of another variety 901 of this kelp that was a hybrid between S. japonica as paternal and S. longissima (Miyabe) C. E. Lane, C. Mayes, Druehl et G. W. Saunders (=Laminaria longissima Miyabe) as maternal, suggesting that the FRML‐494 marker was specifically related to female gametophytes of the genus. This marker is the first molecular tool reported for sex identification in kelps. This study was beneficial for identifying gametophyte gender during vegetative growth and for judging whether the monogenetic sporophytes came from exclusive male or female gametophytes, as well as for further research on sex determination at the molecular level in kelps.
Early versus late initiation of renal replacement therapy in patients with acute kidney injury: a meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials.

AIMS OF THE STUDY The optimal timing of renal replacement therapy (RRT) initiation in acute kidney injury (AKI) remains a matter of debate. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to better estimate the effects of early initiation of RRT compared with late initiation of RRT among patients with AKI and in patients at risk for AKI. METHODS A Medline literature research was conducted in PubMed for RCTs in adult patients with AKI that compared different RRT initiation strategies (early vs late). The meta-analysis outcomes were in-hospital or ≤60 day mortality, and renal recovery. RESULTS Nine trials meeting inclusion criteria and four trials investigating preventive dialysis in patients at risk for AKI were identified. Early initiation of RRT was not associated with reduced in-hospital or 60-day mortality: risk ratio (RR) 0.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72-1.16, p = 0.46, I2 = 49%). When only the four trials that offered RRT within 6 to 12 hours of eligibility were included in the analysis, the results were similar (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.82-1.06) without significant heterogeneity. The percentage of patients among survivors who recovered enough kidney function to be off dialysis was similar with early compared with late RRT: RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.99-1.06, p = 0.16. Early initiation of RRT was associated with higher incidence of catheter-related infections: RR 1.82, 95% CI 1.03-3.21, p = 0.04. No survival benefit was identified in patients undergoing preventive dialysis: RR 0.85 (95% CI 0.52-1.41, p = 0.54). CONCLUSIONS Early RRT in patients with AKI (or at risk for AKI) does not appear to provide a significant reduction in mortality rates compared with late RRT. The data did not suggest any apparent impact on renal recovery with early dialysis.
A Summary of Survey Methodology Best Practices for Security and Privacy Researchers

“Given a choice between dancing pigs and security, users will pick dancing pigs every time,” warns an oft-cited quote from well-known security researcher Bruce Schneier [132]. This issue of understanding how to make security tools and mechanisms work better for humans (often categorized as usability, broadly construed) has become increasingly important over the past 17 years [7], [159], as illustrated by the growing body of research. Usable security and privacy research has improved our understanding of how to help users stay safe from phishing attacks [12], [62], [77], [105], [109], [129], [138], create strong passwords [39], [73], [130], [152], and control access to their accounts [16], [33], [93], [139], as just three examples. One key technique for understanding and improving how human decision making affects security is the gathering of self-reported data from users. This data is typically gathered via survey and interview studies, and serves to inform the broader security and privacy community about user needs, behaviors, and beliefs. The quality of this data, and the validity of subsequent research results, depends on the choices researchers make when designing their experiments. Contained here is a set of essential guidelines for conducting self-report usability studies distilled from prior work in survey methodology and related fields. Other fields that rely on selfreport data, such as the health and social sciences, have established guidelines and recommendations for collecting high quality self-report data [10], [42], [55], [57], [70], [82], [98], [103], [119], [136], [148], [149].
Humeral fractures after shoulder arthroplasty.

Nine humeral fractures occurred subsequent to 499 shoulder arthroplasties that had been performed between December 1978 and November 1987 at the Mayo Clinic. The time from the arthroplasty to the fracture averaged thirty-nine months (range, eight to 101 months). Seven patients were women and two were men, and the average age was seventy years (range, forty-five to eighty-five years). The arthroplasties were performed for rheumatoid arthritis in five patients and for the sequelae of trauma in four. Six patients had advanced osteopenia, and two had had an ipsilateral total elbow arthroplasty. Six of the fractures were centered at the tip of the prosthesis; one fracture (type A) extended proximally, and five (type B) did not. The three remaining fractures (type C) involved the humeral shaft distal to the implant and extended into the distal humeral metaphysis. Four fractures healed with non-operative treatment. Two fractures that had unacceptable alignment were treated successfully with operative intervention. Three fractures that were treated with immobilization in a splint failed to heal; two of those fractures eventually united after a revision of the prosthesis and bone-grafting was performed, and one fracture remained ununited. Radial nerve palsy developed postoperatively in two patients, and it resolved within three months. Five patients had poor active motion before the fracture, and two of them had even less motion after the fracture was treated. Our experience suggests that long oblique and spiral fractures can be successfully treated non-operatively, provided that the skeletal alignment is acceptable. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Black hole formation and stability: A mathematical investigation

The dynamics of the Einstein equations feature the formation of black holes. These are related to the presence of trapped surfaces in the spacetime manifold. The mathematical study of these phenomena has gained momentum since D. Christodoulou’s breakthrough result proving that, in the regime of pure general relativity, trapped surfaces form through the focusing of gravitational waves. (The latter were observed for the first time in 2015 by Advanced LIGO.) The proof combines new ideas from geometric analysis and nonlinear partial differential equations, and it introduces new methods to solve large data problems. These methods have many applications beyond general relativity. D. Christodoulou’s result was generalized by S. Klainerman and I. Rodnianski, and more recently by these authors and J. Luk. Here, we investigate the dynamics of the Einstein equations, focusing on these works. Finally, we address the question of stability of black holes and what has been known so far, involving recent works of many contributors.
Factors Associated with Postmenopausal Women’s Decisions to Seek Treatment for Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence (UI) is highly prevalent crossculturally and also a costly chronic condition (1), with high prevalence among postmenopausal women (2). International Continence Society defined UI as any complaint about involuntary urine leakage (3). UI significantly affects patients (4); avoiding its treatment might have physical, psychosocial, and economic consequences (5), and finally decreased quality of life (6). The negative effects of UI on the quality of life can be seen more among postmenopausal women (7, 8). Despite the availability of numerous treatments which their effectiveness are well investigated worldwide, nearly half of community dwelling women living with UI do not seek professional treatment (9, 10). This essay aimed to review the present knowledge on how women with UI experience seek professional help which is important to enhance its understanding by health care providers and enable women to ask for help as well. One study by Harris et al. showed that almost half of the women (45%) with incontinence do not even sought for care while the percentage for men is about one fourth (22%). among 331 women and 128 men residing in Boston, Massachusetts, more than half of the respondents (60%) who sought care received treatment and 50% of treated women and 40% of treated men announced moderate to great exasperation with continued urine leakage (11). A study of Yu et al. among 1608 adult Taiwanese women also found that 45 percent of incontinent women did not sought medical help in which there was an association between seeking help and feeling its impact on quality of life. Thus, UI as a common problem showed a substantial impact on quality of life in which quality of life largely affected by the severity and type of incontinence. It shows a need for more consideration about encouraging patient to seek treatments (12).
Reanalysis of the Harvard Six Cities Study, Part I: Validation and Replication

Abstract Because the results of the Harvard Six Cities Study played a critical role in the establishment of the current U.S. ambient air quality objective for fine particles (PM2.5), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, industry, and nongovernmental organizations called for an independent reanalysis of this study to validate the original findings reported by Dockery and colleagues in the New England Journal of Medicine (vol. 329, pp. 1753–1759) in 1993. Validation of the original findings was accomplished by a detailed statistical audit and replication of original results. With the exception of occupational exposure to dust (14 discrepancies of 249 questionnaires located for evaluation) and fumes (15/249), date of death (2/250), and cause of death (2/250), the audit identified no discrepancies between the original questionnaires and death certificates in the audit sample and the analytic file used by the original investigators. The data quality audit identified a computer programming problem that had resulted in early censorship in 5 of the 6 cities, which resulted in the loss of approximately 1% of the reported person-years of follow-up; the reanalysis team updated the Six Cities cohort to include the missing person-years of observation, resulting in the addition of 928 person-years of observation and 14 deaths. The reanalysis team was able to reproduce virtually all of the original numerical results, including the 26% increase in all-cause mortality in the most polluted city (Stubenville, OH) as compared to the least polluted city (Portage, WI). The audit and validation of the Harvard Six Cities Study conducted by the reanalysis team generally confirmed the quality of the data and the numerical results reported by the original investigators. The discrepancies noted during the audit were not of epidemiologic importance, and did not substantively alter the original risk estimates associated with particulate air pollution, nor the main conclusions reached by the original investigators.
Effects of isometric training at different knee angles on the muscle–tendon complex in vivo

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of isometric training at different joint angles on the muscle size and function of the human muscle–tendon complex in vivo. Furthermore, we tried to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in angle specificity after isometric training from the aspect of neuromuscular adaptation and the changes in the properties of the muscle–tendon complex. Nine males completed 12‐week unilateral training program (70% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) × 15 s × six sets) on the knee extensors at 50° (shorter muscle length: ST) and 100° (longer muscle length: LT). The internal muscle force (mechanical stress) is higher at 100° than at 50° because of the difference in the moment arm length, although there were no difference in the relative torque level, contraction and relaxation times, and repetition between ST and LT. Before and after training, isometric strength at eight angles and muscle volume were determined. Tendon elongation of knee extensors was measured by ultrasonography. There was no significant difference in the rate of increment of muscle volume between the protocols. Tendon stiffness increased significantly for LT, but not for ST. Although significant gain was limited to angles at or near the training angle for ST, increases in MVC at all angles were found for LT. These results suggest that only mechanical stress (internal muscle force imposed on muscle and tendon) contributes to adaptation in the tendon stiffness, although metabolic (relative torque level, etc.) and mechanical stress relate to muscle hypertrophy. Furthermore, increment of tendon stiffness for LT might contribute to increase torque output at smaller angles other than the training angle.
Full Activation of Chimeric Receptors by Hybrids between Parathyroid Hormone and Calcitonin

Calcitonin (CT) and parathyroid hormone (PTH), whose receptors belong to the same family of G protein-coupled receptors, share no amino acid sequence homology and selectively activate either CT or PTH receptors. We now show, however, that reciprocal hybrid ligands (CT/PTH and PTH/CT), which do not activate the “wild-type” receptors, activate PTH/CT and CT/PTH receptor chimeras, respectively. Our findings indicate that PTH and CT share a similar architecture with at least two functional, receptor-specific domains. These domains are sufficiently independent to permit synthetic hybrid ligands to efficiently activate appropriate receptor chimeras. Therefore, both ligands follow, despite their very different primary sequences, a common pattern of ligand-receptor interaction.
Cardiovascular safety of therapies for type 2 diabetes

ABSTRACT Introduction: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogs and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are relatively new therapies for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Given the high prevalence of cardiovascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes and recent concerns questioning CV safety of newer antidiabetic medications, cardiovascular safety of these medications requires evaluation. Areas covered: Cardiovascular effects of these drug classes from preclinical and clinical data as well as non-cardiovascular safety issues are delineated from literature searches covering the last decade and up to June 2016. Major clinical trials assessing the cardiovascular safety of GLP-1 agonists (ELIXA and LEADER), DPP-4 inhibitors (SAVOR-TIMI 53, EXAMINE, and TECOS) and SGLT2 inhibitors (EMPA-REG OUTCOME) are reviewed and interpreted. Expert opinion: Based on review of the present evidence, these 3 classes of antihyperglycemic therapies have acceptably safe CV safety profiles for patients with type 2 diabetes. The latest evidence from LEADER and EMPA-REG OUTCOME trials indicate that liraglutide and empagliflozin have cardiovascular benefits that may prove to be of clinical importance in the management of type 2 DM.
PHYLOGENY, BIOGEOGRAPHY, AND EVOLUTION OF THE BROADBILLS (EURYLAIMIDAE) AND ASITIES (PHILEPITTIDAE) BASED ON MORPHOLOGY

Phylogenetic analysis of syringeal morphology and two osteological characters indicates that the broadbills (Eurylaimidae) are not monophyletic, but consist of four clades with successively closer relationships to the Madagascan asities (Philepittidae). An analysis of these data combined with hindlimb myology characters described by Raikow (1987) yields the same result. The sister group to Philepitta and Neodrepanis is the African broadbill Pseu- docalyptomena. The sister group to this clade includes all of the Asian broadbills, except the monophyletic genus Calyptomena. The African genus Smithornis is the sister group to all other broadbills and asities. A biogeographic analysis indicates that the Madagascan endemics share a most-recent biogeographic connection with the central African genus Pseudocalyptomena. Phylogenetic associations between transitions in bill morphology and diet indicate that bill morphologies have evolved both in association with evolution of frugivory and nectarivory, and in apparent response to intrinsic factors within the context of frugivorous and insectiv- orous diets. A phylogenetic classification of the broadbills and asities is proposed in which all broadbills and asities are placed in five subfamilies of the Eurylaimidae, and the separate family Philepittidae is abandoned. Received 27 January 1992, accepted 23 November 1992. THE BROADBILLS (Eurylaimidae), asities (Phi- lepittidae), and pittas (Pittidae) form a clade of Old World suboscine passerines (Sibley et al. 1982, Raikow 1987). They are broadly distrib- uted in tropical Africa, Madagascar, Asia, and the Australo-Papuan region. Although they are much less diverse than the New World subos- cines, the Old World suboscines include an eco- logically diverse group of terrestrial and arbo- real insectivores, frugivores, and nectarivores. As one of the major basal passerine clades, the broadbills, asities, and pittas are an interesting group with which to investigate the biogeo- graphic history of the Old World tropical avi- fauna. In particular, the phylogenetic relation- ships of the asities may provide insight into the biogeographic history of Madagascar. In this paper, I present a phylogenetic analysis of the syringeal morphology of the broadbills (Eury- laimidae) and asities (Philepittidae), and use this phylogenetic hypothesis as a comparative framework in investigations of the biogeo- graphic history and evolutionary ecology of the group. The broadbills include 14 currently recog- nized biological species in eight genera (Peters 1951, Sibley and Monroe 1990). Six genera are restricted to southern Asia (Corydon, Eurylaimus,
Lower Order Cities and National Urbanization Policies: China and India

In this paper, we examine the urbanization history and policies of China and India with a special emphasis on the lower order cities. We consider the proposition that, as the developing countries continue to urbanize at a rapid pace, the lower order cities can play a potentially effective role in guiding future urbanization and in securing a balanced economic and spatial development. Through an examination of the urbanization records, policies, and performance of the lower order cities in these two countries we discuss the ‘top-down’ versus the ‘bottom-up’ approaches to urbanization strategy and national development. We conclude by discussing the nature of the differences between the urbanization policies of China and India and the transferability of the Chinese experience to other contexts.