Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Faster clearance of omeprazole in mutant Nagase analbuminemic rats: possible roles of increased protein expression of hepatic CYP1A2 and lower plasma protein binding

It is well known that there are various changes in the expression of hepatic and intestinal CYPs in mutant Nagase analbuminemic rats (NARs). It has been reported that the protein expression of hepatic CYP1A2 was increased, whereas that of hepatic CYP3A1 was not altered, and it was also found that the protein expression of the intestinal CYP1A subfamily significantly increased in NARs from our other study. In addition, in this study additional information about CYP changes in NARs was obtained; the protein expression of the hepatic CYP2D subfamily was not altered, but that of the intestinal CYP3A subfamily increased in NARs. Because omeprazole is metabolized via hepatic CYP1A1/2, 2D1, 3A1/2 in rats, it could be expected that the pharmacokinetics of omeprazole would be altered in NARs. After intravenous administration of omeprazole to NARs, the Clnr was significantly faster than in the controls (110 versus 46.6 ml/min/kg), and this could be due to an increase in hepatic metabolism caused by a greater hepatic CYP1A2 level in addition to greater free fractions of the drug in NARs. After oral administration of omeprazole to NARs, the AUC was also significantly smaller (80.1% decrease) and F was decreased in NARs. This could be primarily due to increased hepatic and intestinal metabolism caused by greater hepatic CYP1A2 and intestinal CYP1A and 3A levels. In particular, the smaller F could mainly result from greater hepatic and intestinal first‐pass effect in NARs than in the controls. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Abnormal visceral perception in patients with functional dyspepsia: use of cerebral potentials evoked by electrical stimulation of the oesophagus

Altered visceral perception is thought to be included in the pathogenesis of functional dyspepsia. However, in previous studies, the assessment of visceral perception has been based solely on patients’ self‐reported symptoms. Cerebral evoked potential (EP), either by mechanical or electrical stimulation (ES) of the visceral organ, is used to evaluate visceral perception via afferent neural pathways. In this study, we investigated the visceral perception in patients with functional dyspepsia by EP to eliminate the possibility of self‐reported bias. EP responses were recorded by oesophageal ES at 37 cm from the nostril in 14 patients with functional dyspepsia and 14 normal healthy control subjects. Threshold levels of perception, peak latencies and peak‐to‐peak amplitudes of EP were evaluated. There was no difference in the sensory threshold between the dyspeptic patients and the control subjects (median 6 mA, range 2–12 mA, vs. 8 mA, range 6–14 mA; Pthinsp;= 0.09). There was a strong trend towards a decreased discomfort threshold in the patients when compared to the control subjects (median 14 mA, range 6–24 mA vs. 20 mA, range 14–26 mA; Pthinsp;= 0.05). The latency of the later EP peak (N2) among the patients (154 ± 4 ms) was significantly shorter than that of the control subjects (171 ± 3 ms, P < 0.01) although there was no difference between the earlier peaks (N1 and P1). There was also no difference in the amplitudes (N1/P1 and P1/N2) of EP between the patients and the control subjects. Half of the patients (seven out of 14) complained of nausea during ES but the control subjects were unaffected. The latency of the first EP peak (N1) in the patients with nausea was significantly shorter (66 ± 3 ms) than that of the patients without nausea (79 ± 4 ms, P < 0.05) or among the control subjects (80 ± 3 ms, P < 0.05). These results suggest that dyspeptic patients may recruit a greater number of fast conducting myelinated nerve fibres that convey visceral afferent impulses to the brain and/or that dyspeptic patients may have an altered central processing of the visceral perception. We conclude that EP recording by oesophageal ES provides an objective measurement of altered visceral perception in patients with functional dyspepsia.
Improved hydroxyurea effect with the use of text messaging in children with sickle cell anemia

In children with sickle cell anemia (SCA), hydroxyurea reduces morbidity, but adherence is frequently suboptimal. Because most families of children with SCA have access to cellular telephone services, we assessed the impact of text messaged reminders as a tool to improve adherence to hydroxyurea.
A Note on Pre-University Economics Students’ Awareness of Cognitive Bias

We share the view of Beckman et al (JEE, 42:3, 255-269) that economics students should be aware of the challenge to standard microeconomics from behavioural studies. In this article we provide some insights into our students’ experience of what Kahneman (2011) describes as operating in within-subjects mode in contrast with our everyday experience of between-subjects mode. We pose the question: is it not time to add another critical variable on the demand side, bounded rationality, and include this in the specification of standards and examination syllabuses so that our students can really understand how markets work and can see the relevance of studying microeconomics?
THE IMPACT OF FOREIGN CAPITAL INFLOW ON SAVINGS, INVESTMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH RATE IN EGYPT: AN ECONOMETRIC ANALYSIS

This paper examines the effect of foreign capital inflow on savings, investment and economic growth rate in Egypt. Regression results showed that foreign capital inflow has a significant positive effect on savings and investment and in turn on the economic growth rate. Also, the complementarity between foreign direct investment (FDI) and domestic investment was established. The results indicated a strong positive effect of investment on economic growth rate in Egypt. The paper demonstrates the importance of foreign capital in improving savings, investment and growth performance in Egypt.
Expression of the chemokine RANTES in pulmonary Wegener's granulomatosis.

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is an inflammatory, destructive, angiotropic lesion. The inflammatory process involves accumulation of macrophages, lymphocytes, and polymorphonuclear neutrophils. We studied 6 lung biopsy specimens from patients with WG to characterize the cellular infiltrate and to analyze the mechanism of immune cell recruitment. We show that lymphocytes accumulating in WG lesions are mostly memory CD4(+)CD45RO(+) T lymphocytes and, although less numerous, CD8(+)CD45RO(+) T lymphocytes. Few if any B lymphocytes or natural killer cells are present within lesions. The chemokine RANTES (regulated upon activation in normal T cells, expressed and secreted) has been reported to recruit memory T lymphocytes and macrophages selectively. We used reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry to study its production in WG. RANTES was expressed at a higher level in WG lungs than in normal controls, especially around microabscesses. As visualized immunohistochemically in serial sections with anti-RANTES monoclonal antibody, RANTES production was produced mainly by macrophages. Expression of the gene coding for interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), a potent RANTES inducer, was also studied. Its expression was also much stronger in WG than in controls. Our observations are consistent with a cascade of events leading to the recruitment of immune cells in WG, sequentially involving production of IFN-gamma by T lymphocytes and RANTES production by macrophages, leading to the homing of memory T-helper lymphocytes and macrophages. HUM PATHOL 32:320-326.
Pulmonary hypertension and pregnancy—a review of 12 pregnancies in nine women

Please cite this paper as: Curry R, Fletcher C, Gelson E, Gatzoulis M, Woolnough M, Richards N, Swan L, Steer P, Johnson M. Pulmonary hypertension and pregnancy—a review of 12 pregnancies in nine women. BJOG 2012;119:752–761.
The work programme: making welfare work?

This thesis provides a review of the United Kingdom’s ‘Work Programme’ as it was operating in 2014. The Work Programme was a welfare-to-work scheme rolled out nationally across mainland Britain in 2011. It was the flagship welfare programme of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government that was formed following the UK’s general election of 2010. Welfare-to-work, alternatively known as ‘workfare’, is an approach to welfare provision which, in theory, mandates strict ‘reciprocal activity’ in return for receiving state benefits. Welfare-to-work is also increasingly associated with ‘payment-by-results’ schemes operated by private ‘providers’. Welfare-to-work has been described by numerous theorists, politicians and social commentators as a positive and revolutionary transformation of the UK’s benefits system that will re-build long-term welfare claimants’ self-esteem, re-train them via ‘tailored help and support’, and subsequently re-integrate them into the active labour market. Such claims are also often associated with the belief that past welfare systems were too generous, thereby prompting the emergence of a pathological, intergenerational underclass. Welfare-to-work is therefore argued by many to be the best solution to a crisis of social exclusion, cultural degeneration and excessive national welfare costs. However, critics characterise welfare-to-work as an essential aspect of a ‘neoliberal’ crackdown on former social democratic states. Such critics claim that this New Right ‘hardening’ of welfare policy is designed to force the UK’s labour markets to adapt to conditions of global competitiveness, lower-wages, less rights, and onerously ‘flexible’ working conditions. This thesis explores these broad and seemingly contradictory themes in both theory and also practice. More specifically, it assesses the degree to which either of these competing claims could be said to be valid for the Work Programme as it was operating within two welfare-to-work centres in the north of England in May, 2014. The thesis is based on 68 interviews with Work Programme staff and ‘customers’, foodbank managers and one anti-workfare activist. In addition, it draws on full-time fieldwork conducted over four weeks in May 2014 within two Work Programme centres. The main findings are that the Work Programme did not support the long-term unemployed into work, but also that it did not act as a punitive forced work scheme. Rather, it provided only limited contact with, and support to, claimants, and was essentially pointless in terms of improving a claimant’s chances of finding work.
Evaluation of Four Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays for the Serologic Survey of Avian Influenza in Wild Bird Species

SUMMARY. Wild birds that reside in aquatic environments are the major reservoir of avian influenza viruses (AIVs). Since this reservoir of AIVs forms a constant threat for poultry, many countries have engaged in AIV surveillance. More and more commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) are available for serologic surveillance, but these tests are often developed and validated for use in domestic poultry. However, for a correct interpretation of ELISA test results from wild bird sera, more information is needed. In the present study, four ELISA test kits (ID-Vet IDScreen®, IDEXX FlockChek™ AI MultiS-Screen Ab Test Kit, Synbiotics FluDETECT™BE, and BioChek AIMSp) were compared for the serologic analysis of 172 serum samples from mallard, mute swan, and Canada goose. Samples were selected based on ID-Vet IDScreen results to obtain an approximately equal number of positive and negative samples. In addition, 92 serum samples from experimentally infected specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens and Pekin ducks were included in the tests for validation purposes. Cohen's kappa statistics and Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated for each combination of two tests and for each bird species. Test agreement for mallard sera varied from poor to moderate, while test results for Canada goose and swan sera agreed from fair to almost perfect. The best agreement was obtained with sera from experimentally infected SPF chickens and Pekin ducks. This study shows that some care must be taken before using nucleoprotein ELISAs for the testing of sera from wild birds and that more reliable validation studies should be considered before their use in the serologic surveillance of wild birds.
Development and psychometric properties of the Individualized Care Scale.

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES In this study we describe the development of the Individualized Care Scale (ICS) and evaluate its validity, psychometric properties and feasibility. The ICS was designed to measure patients' views on how individuality is supported through specific nursing interventions (ICA) and how they perceive individuality in their own care (ICB) during hospitalization. METHOD Three different data sets were collected among patients being discharged from hospital (n1 = 203, n2 = 279, n3 = 454). This bipartite 38-item ICS promises to be a brief, timely, easy to administer and useful self-completion measure for evaluating clinical nursing practice from the patient's point of view. RESULTS The findings supported the internal consistency reliability of the ICS (alpha 0.94 for ICA and ICB 0.93) and the three subscales (alphas 0.85-0.90). Item analysis supported the item construction of each scale. Content validity was furthered by a critical literature review and four expert analyses. Principal component analysis (Promax with Kaiser normalization) among earlier factor analyses supported construct validity by generating a three-factor solution which accounted for 65% of the variance in the ICA and 61% in the ICB. Pearson's correlation coefficients were at least 0.88 between the subscales and the total domain ICA or ICB. CONCLUSIONS The ICS has demonstrated promise as a tool for measuring patients' evaluations of their hospital experience and individuality in care.
Effects of nicotine on spinal cord injury pain: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled crossover trial.

BACKGROUND One factor affecting spinal cord injury (SCI)-related pain may be nicotine. Case reports have described a worsening of neuropathic pain from smoking and relief from abstinence. Neurobiological correlates also implicate the potential effect of nicotine on SCI-related pain. METHOD The current study employed a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover design to examine the effect of nicotine exposure on subtypes of SCI-related pain among smokers and nonsmokers. RESULTS Whereas nonsmokers with SCI showed a reduction in mixed forms of pain following nicotine exposure, smokers with SCI showed a converse increase in pain with regard to both mixed and neuropathic forms of pain. The exacerbation of pain in chronic nicotine or tobacco users may not only elucidate possible pain mechanisms but may also be of use in smoking cessation counseling among those with SCI.
High density RF MIM capacitors using high-/spl kappa/ AlTaO/sub x/ dielectrics

Very high capacitance density of 10 fF//spl mu/m/sup 2/ is measured using high-/spl kappa/ AlTaO/sub x/, with small capacitance reduction of 5% from 10 KHz to 30 GHz, low loss tangent < 0.03, and process compatible with existing VLSI back-end integration. Small voltage dependence of capacitance < 600 ppm, mathematical derived from S-parameters, is obtained at 1 GHz, which ensures this MIM capacitor useful for high precision circuits operated at RF regime.
Evaluation of The Intercultural Sensitivity and Related Factors of Nursing Students

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, Türkiye’nin doğusunda yer alan bir devlet üniversitesinin hemşirelik öğrencilerinin kültürler arası duyarlılıkları ve ilişkili faktörlerin değerlendirilmesidir. Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı tipteki bu araştırma, Dicle Üniversitesi Atatürk Sağlık Yüksekokulu Hemşirelik Bölümü öğrencilerinde Nisan-Mayıs 2017 tarihleri arasında yapılmıştır. Araştırmanın örneklemini 236 öğrenci oluşturmuştur. Araştırma verileri, veri formu ve Kültürlerarası Duyarlılık Ölçeği kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Araştırma verileri Pearson korelasyon analizi, Student t testi yada Mann Whitney U testi ve One Way Anova ya da Kruskal-Wallis testi ile değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular: Araştırmaya katılan hemşirelik öğrencilerinin kültürlerarası duyarlılık düzeyi toplam puan ortalamasının 91,20±13,78 olduğu belirlenmiştir. Hemşirelik 1. sınıf öğrencisi olmanın, ekonomik durumunun iyi veya üstünde olmasının, ara sıra sosyal medyada farklı ülkelerden insanlarla iletişim kurma, farklı kültüre sahip bir ülkede çalışmayı/yaşamayı isteme ve Erasmus öğrenci değişim programlarına katılmaya istekli olma durumunun kültürlerarası duyarlılık düzeyini arttırdığı saptanmıştır (p<0,05). Ayrıca meslekten memnuniyet düzeyi arttıkça kültürler arası duyarlılık düzeyinin arttığı saptanmıştır (p<0,05). Sonuç: Hemşirelik öğrencilerinin kültürlerarası duyarlılık düzeylerinin iyi olduğu saptanmıştır.
Treatment outcome with a short multidrug-resistant tuberculosis regimen in nine African countries.

SETTING Nine countries in West and Central Africa. OBJECTIVE To assess outcomes and adverse drug events of a standardised 9-month treatment regimen for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) among patients never previously treated with second-line drugs. DESIGN Prospective observational study of MDR-TB patients treated with a standardised 9-month regimen including moxifloxacin, clofazimine, ethambutol (EMB) and pyrazinamide (PZA) throughout, supplemented by kanamycin, prothionamide and high-dose isoniazid during an intensive phase of a minimum of 4 to a maximum of 6 months. RESULTS Among the 1006 MDR-TB patients included in the study, 200 (19.9%) were infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Outcomes were as follows: 728 (72.4%) cured, 93 (9.2%) treatment completed (81.6% success), 59 (5.9%) failures, 78 (7.8%) deaths, 48 (4.8%) lost to follow-up. The proportion of deaths was much higher among HIV-infected patients (19.0% vs. 5.0%). Treatment success did not differ by HIV status among survivors. Fluoroquinolone resistance was the main cause of failure, while resistance to PZA, ethionamide or EMB did not influence bacteriological outcome. The most important adverse drug event was hearing impairment (11.4% severe deterioration after 4 months). CONCLUSIONS The study results support the use of the short regimen recently recommended by the World Health Organization. Its high level of success even among HIV-positive patients promises substantial improvements in TB control.
Histone acetylation of the htr3a gene in the prefrontal cortex of Wistar rats regulates ethanol-seeking behavior

Previous reports showed that decreased histone deacetylase activity significantly potentiated the rewarding effects of psychostimulants, and that encoding of the 5-HT3 receptor by the htr3a gene was related to ethanol-seeking behavior. However, the effects of a histone deacetylase inhibitor on ethanol-seeking behavior and epigenetic regulation of htr3a mRNA expression after chronic ethanol exposure are not fully understood. Using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis, we investigated the effects of chronic ethanol exposure and its interaction with a histone deacetylase inhibitor on histone-acetylation-mediated changes in htr3a mRNA expression in the htr3a promoter region. The conditioned place preference procedure was used to evaluate ethanol-seeking behavior. Chronic exposure to ethanol effectively elicited place conditioning. In the prefrontal cortex, the acetylation of H3K9 and htr3a mRNA expression in the htr3a promoter region were significantly higher in the ethanol group than in the saline group. The histone deacetylase inhibitor sodium butyrate potentiated the effects of ethanol on htr3a mRNA expression and enhanced ethanol-induced conditioned place preferences. These results suggest that ethanol upregulates htr3a levels through mechanisms involving H3K9 acetylation, and that histone acetylation may be a therapeutic target for treating ethanol abuse.
Is quadriceps endurance reduced in COPD?: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND Although the aerobic profile of the quadriceps muscle is reduced in COPD, there is conflicting evidence regarding whether this leads to reduced quadriceps muscle endurance. We, therefore, performed a systematic review of studies comparing quadriceps endurance in individuals with COPD with that in healthy control subjects. METHODS Relevant studies were identified by searching six electronic databases (1946-2011). Full-text articles were obtained after two researchers independently reviewed the abstracts. The results were combined in a random effects meta-analysis, and metaregression models were fitted to assess the influence of the type of measurement. RESULTS Data were extracted from 21 studies involving 728 individuals with COPD and 440 healthy control subjects. Quadriceps endurance was reduced in those with COPD compared with healthy control subjects (standardized mean difference, 1.16 [95% CI, 1.02-1.30]; P < .001) with a 44.5 s (4.5-84.5 s; P = .029) reduction in COPD (large effect size) when measured using a nonvolitional technique. The relationship between quadriceps endurance in those with COPD and control subjects did not differ when comparing nonvolitional and volitional techniques (P = .22) or when high- or low-intensity tasks (P = .44) were undertaken. CONCLUSIONS Quadriceps endurance is reduced in individuals with COPD compared with healthy control subjects, independent of the type of task performed.
Dietary taurine supplementation to a plant protein source‐based diet improved the growth and intestinal immune function of young grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

The effects of taurine supplementation on the growth and intestinal immune function in young grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) were investigated in this study. A total of 540 fish (initial average weights of 255.74 +/- 0.65 g) were fed one fish-meal diet and five all-plant protein source-based diets with graded levels of taurine (0 to 1.98g/kg diet) for 60 days, and then challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila for 14 days. First, the results showed that the taurine supplementation improved growth (PWG, TGC, FI and FE), enteritis resistance, intestinal antimicrobial compounds (LZ, ACP, C3, C4, IgM, hepcidin, LEAP-2A, LEAP-2B, beta-defensin-1 and MUC2) and attenuated intestinal inflammation in young grass carp under the all-plant protein sourcebased diet. Second, the taurine supplementation attenuated intestinal inflammation partially referring to nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) and target of rapamycin ( TOR) signallings. Finally, under the all-plant protein source-based diet, the comparable level of taurine supplementation based on growth and ability against enteritis relative to fishmeal diet was established as 0.50 g/kg diet, and the optimal levels of taurine supplementation based on thermal-unit growth coefficient (TGC), ability against enteritis and acid phosphatase (ACP) activity were established as 0.97, 1.08 and 1.21 g/kg diet, respectively.
Equilibrium Exchange Rates in Oil-Dependent Countries 1

We assess the determinants of equilibrium real exchange rates in a sample of oil- dependent countries. Our basic data cover OPEC countries from 1975 to 2005. We also include three oil-producing Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries in our robustness analysis. Utilising several estimation techniques, including pooled mean group and mean group estimators, we find that the price of oil has a clear, statistically significant effect on real exchange rates in our group of oil-producing countries. Higher oil price lead to appreciation of the real exchange rate. Elasticity of the real exchange rate with respect to the oil price is typically between 0.4 and 0.5, but may be larger depending on the specification. Real per capita GDP, on the other hand, does not appear to have a clear effect on real exchange rate. This latter result contrasts starkly with the consensus view of real exchange rates determinants, emphasising the unique position of oil-dependent countries.