Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Concomitant medications may not improve outcome of antipsychotic monotherapy for stabilized patients with nonacute schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND There are virtually no controlled data suggesting that concomitant psychotropic medications (CPMs) improve outcome in schizophrenia after the acute phase. Despite that, polypharmacy (with all of its disadvantages) is far more common than monotherapy. To our knowledge, there have been no published reports of prospective systematic investigations of the efficacy of unrestricted CPM use in nonacute schizophrenia. METHOD This was a naturalistic, systematic study using a sample of 53 stabilized patients with DSM-IV-TR schizophrenia from 1 clinical practice setting including both private patients and patients from controlled research studies of the effectiveness of antipsychotics. Since there are meager controlled or systematic data on the effectiveness of CPM use with antipsychotics in nonacute schizophrenia, we tested the clinical strategy of CPM use by gradually tapering all CPMs (except antianxiety agents). The aim was to determine if the CPM improved outcome, had no effect, or worsened outcome using the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale before and after taper, over at least 3 months and in some cases up to 18 months after discontinuation. Data were gathered from July 2002 to June 2005. RESULTS For 21 patients undergoing 22 antidepressant tapers, no change was noted in 18 of 22 tapers, while in 3 improvement was noted and in 1 worsening was noted. For the 12 patients on treatment with mood stabilizers, no change was noted in 10 of 13 discontinuations, while in 3 mild worsening was noted. One patient was on treatment with both modafinil and trazodone and reported no change after tapering each in separate discontinuation trials, while another 3 patients were taking sleeping medications and also noted no change after discontinuation. CONCLUSION For most stabilized, chronic patients with schizophrenia, tapering adjunctive medications did not change outcome. This naturalistic study further defines the limits of efficacy of some concomitant classes of medications in patients with chronic schizophrenia who are already receiving adequate antipsychotic therapy.
Wild Bird ’ seye View of Influenza Virus A ( H 1 N 1 ) Phylogenetic Evolution

Wild bird fecal samples collected and characterized by the USDA as part of a national surveillance effort were sequenced to study the genetic relatedness of avian, swine, and human H1 and N1 subtypes. Our results find that the 2009 H1N1 human outbreak is closely related to swine virus, but falls into different clades in the H1 and N1 trees. Further, there is evidence of multiple viral genetic exchanges between birds and swine. Ongoing research across host species contributes to an understanding of the circulation of influenza viruses.
Implementation of a Parental Tobacco Control Intervention in Pediatric Practice

OBJECTIVE: To test whether routine pediatric outpatient practice can be transformed to assist parents in quitting smoking. METHODS: Cluster RCT of 20 pediatric practices in 16 states that received either CEASE intervention or usual care. The intervention gave practices training and materials to change their care delivery systems to provide evidence-based assistance to parents who smoke. This assistance included motivational messaging; proactive referral to quitlines; and pharmacologic treatment of tobacco dependence. The primary outcome, assessed at an exit interview after an office visit, was provision of meaningful tobacco control assistance, defined as counseling beyond simple advice (discussing various strategies to quit smoking), prescription of medication, or referral to the state quitline, at that office visit. RESULTS: Among 18 607 parents screened after their child’s office visit between June 2009 and March 2011, 3228 were eligible smokers and 1980 enrolled (999 in 10 intervention practices and 981 in 10 control practices). Practices’ mean rate of delivering meaningful assistance for parental cigarette smoking was 42.5% (range 34%–66%) in the intervention group and 3.5% (range 0%–8%) in the control group (P < .0001). Rates of enrollment in the quitline (10% vs 0%); provision of smoking cessation medication (12% vs 0%); and counseling for smoking cessation (24% vs 2%) were all higher in the intervention group compared with the control group (P < .0001 for each). CONCLUSIONS: A system-level intervention implemented in 20 outpatient pediatric practices led to 12-fold higher rates of delivering tobacco control assistance to parents in the context of the pediatric office visit.
Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis B virus in Amsterdam 1992–1997 *

To gain insight into the spread of hepatitis B among various risk groups in Amsterdam a 6‐year (1992–1997) retrospective DNA sequencing study was carried out on isolates from stored sera from reported primary cases of acute hepatitis B infection. Cases were classified according to risk behavior, as determined in interviews. Of the available serum, a selected region of hepatitis B‐virus‐DNA was amplified and sequenced. The nucleotide alignments were subjected to phylogenetic tree analysis. When nucleotide alignments were subjected to phylogenetic analysis, the strains of 54 isolates, 26% of the 204 reported primary cases, clustered in five genotypes: A, C, D, E, and F. In genotype A, a cluster related to men having sex with men was identified. In genotype D, two subclusters could be identified: one was related to injecting drug use and another was related to the Moroccan population in Amsterdam. The remaining strains showed a high genetic variability within three different genotypes: F, E, and C. Of the 14 identical isolates in the “homosexual men cluster,” one was isolated from a female heterosexual. Of the 14 identical strains in the “drug users strain,” six were from non‐drug using heterosexual active individuals. In the cluster of twelve isolates related to hepatitis B‐endemic areas, probable modes of transmission were varied. Sequence analysis provides important insight into the spread of hepatitis B among various high‐risk groups. The analysis indicates that the prevention strategy in The Netherlands fails to stop transmission of hepatitis B from persistently infected individuals originating from hepatitis Bendemic countries. J. Med. Virol. 66:159–165, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Algorithmic Approaches to Detecting Interviewer Fabrication in Surveys

Surveys are one of the principal means of gathering critical data from low-income regions. Bad data, however, may be no better—or worse—than no data at all. Interviewer data fabrication, one cause of bad data, is an ongoing concern of survey organizations and a constant threat to data quality. In my dissertation work, I build software that automatically identifies interviewer fabrication so that supervisors can act to reduce it. To do so, I draw on two tool sets from computer science, one algorithmic and the other technological. On the algorithmic side, I use two sets of techniques from machine learning, supervised classification and anomaly detection, to automatically identify interviewer fabrication. On the technological side, I modify data collection software running on mobile electronic devices to record user traces that can help to identify fabrication. I show, based on the results of two empirical studies, that the combination of these approaches makes it possible to accurately and robustly identify interviewer fabrication, even when interviewers are aware that the algorithms are being used, have some knowledge of how they work, and are incentivized to avoid detection.
The renin‐angiotensin system: a link between obesity, inflammation and insulin resistance

The renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) is classically known for its role in regulation of blood pressure, fluid and electrolyte balance. Recently, several local RASs in organs such as brain, heart, pancreas and adipose tissue have also been identified. Evidence from clinical trials suggests that in addition to anti‐hypertensive effects, pharmacological inhibition of RAS also provides protection against the development of type‐2 diabetes. Moreover, animal models with targeted inactivation of RAS genes exhibit improved insulin sensitivity and are protected from high‐fat diet‐induced obesity and insulin resistance. Because there is evidence for RAS overactivation in obesity, it is possible that RAS is a link between obesity and insulin resistance. This review summarizes the evidence and mechanistic insights on the associations between RAS, obesity and insulin resistance, with special emphasis on the role of adipose tissue RAS in the pathogenesis of metabolic derangements in obesity.
Comparative Bioavailability Study with Two Chlorpropamide Tablet Formulations in Healthy Volunteers

Summary Objective: The aim of this study was the assessment of the bioequivalence of two formulations (250 mg tablet) of chlor-propamide (CAS 94-20-2) in 36 healthy volunteers of both sexes. Methods: The study was conducted using an open, randomized, two-period crossover design with a 3-week washout interval. Plasma samples were obtained over a 72-h period. Plasma chlorprop-amide concentrations were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) with positive ion electrospray ionization using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). From the chlorpropamide plasma concentration vs time curves, the following pharmacokinetic parameters were obtained: AUC0–72h, AUCinf and Cmax. Results: The limit of quantification was 0.1 µg/mL for plasma chlorpropamide analysis. The geometric mean and respective 90 % confidence interval (CI) of Test/ Reference percent ratios were 93.99 % (87.11 %–101.41 %) for Cmax, 92.45 % (85.96 %–99.44 %) for AUC0–72h and 90.30 % (83.35 %–97.82 %) for AUC0–inf. Conclusion: Since the 90 % CI for AUC0–72h, AUC0–inf and Cmax ratios were within the 80–125 % interval proposed by the US FDA, it was concluded that chlor-propamide 250 mg tablet (test formulation) was bioequivalent to the reference 250 mg tablet for of both the rate and extent of absorption.
Construction of gender-enriched cDNA archives for adult Oesophagostomum dentatum by suppressive-subtractive hybridization and a microarray analysis of expressed sequence tags

In the present study, we constructed gender-enriched cDNA libraries for the adult stage of the parasitic nematode Oesophagostomum dentatum (order Strongylida) using suppressive-subtractive hybridization (SSH), sequenced clones from the female-library and male-library (480 from each) and conducted bioinformatic and microarray analyses of the expressed sequence tags (ESTs). In total, 873 ESTs (440 male and 433 female) were obtained, achieving a sequencing success of 91%The nucleotide sequences reported in this article (Tables 1–5) have been deposited in the EMBL, GenBank and DDJB databases under the Accession nos. AM157797–AM158083. Microarray analyses of 516 unique ESTs representing both gender-enriched libraries revealed differential hybridization for 391 of them (75·8%). Of these, 220 (56·3%) had significantly greater signal intensities in the female than in the male, and 154 (70%) of these were predicted to have homologues in C. elegans. These homologues were predicted to be involved in key biological processes, including embryonic nutrition, gametogenesis, molecular binding/transport or metabolism, nucleic acid synthesis and function, and signal transduction. Of the 171 ESTs with statistically higher signal intensities in male O. dentatum, 43·8% had homologues in C. elegans. These homologues included major sperm proteins (MSPs) or MSP-like molecules, keratin-like molecules, molecules involved in metabolism, PDZ domain-containing proteins, sugar binding proteins, protein kinases, serine proteases or protease inhibitors, molecules involved in proteolysis and other proteins, such as enzymes and various putative proteins. Of the 287 ESTs (from both gender-enriched cDNA libraries) with no known homologues in C. elegans, 50 (17·4%) had homologues in other nematodes, 8 had homologues in various other organisms and 104 (36·2%) had no homology to any sequence in current gene databases. The present study lays a foundation for the isolation and molecular, biochemical and functional characterization of selected genes from the gender-enriched cDNA archives established for O. dentatum.
[Conjunctival provocation test with Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus in the diagnosis of allergic conjunctivitis from house mites].

INTRODUCTION Perennial conjunctivitis due to house dust mites is the most frequent form of allergic conjunctivitis in urban environments. However, its diagnosis remains difficult for ophthalmologists. In this study, we evaluated a conjunctival provocation test (CPT) using standardized extracts of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dpt) and compared it to the diagnostic methods commonly performed in allergology: prick tests with dust and house dust mites and specific and IgE assay. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed a CPT on 60 volunteer patients, between the ages of 8 and 64 years, corresponding to 30 patients sensitized to house dust mites with the presence of specific IgE and chronic conjunctivitis, 21 patients not sensitized to house dust mites but presenting features of chronic conjunctivitis, and 9 asymptomatic patients. A house dust mite desensitizing treatment was not an exclusion criterion for a number of allergic patients. CPTs were prepared from Dpt allergenic extracts (Laboratoires Stallergènes, Antony, France) with 5 progressive concentrations by dilution in a nonphenolic physiological solution: 1.2 RI, 3.7 RI, 11 RI, 33 RI, and 100 RI. CPTs were performed in only one eye and asymmetry of the ocular response was evaluated by the cumulative clinical score of Abelson Chambers and Smith. The correlation between the 2 diagnostic tests was established by calculating the Cohen correlation coefficient or kappa. We also evaluated the sensitivity and diagnostic specificity for each test. RESULTS The statistical correlation between specific IgE and the other allergological tests in for allergic conjunctivitis to house dust mites was 0.93 for the CPT, 0.46 for the prick test to Dpt, and 0.33 for the prick test to dust. The diagnostic sensitivities and specificities for each test were 90% and 100% for the CPT, 60% and 70% for the prick test to dust, 70% and 76% for prick test to Dpt, respectively. Beyond an antigenic cut-off value of 11 RI, we also observed greater hypersensitivity reactions for patients with lacrimal IgE or elevated specific IgE levels. CONCLUSION The results obtained with the CPT confirm its high antigenic quality. It is a particularly useful, rapid, and perfectly safe clinical test. It is the only test able to establish a relationship between ocular manifestations and specific I(8)E.
Isolation of chicken anemia agent with MDCC-MSB1 cells from chickens in the field.

An attempt was made to isolate chicken anemia agent (CAA) from chickens suffering from anemia in the field by using MDCC - MSB1 , which was an established cell line derived from Marek's disease lymphoma. When 99 chickens of 15 flocks were examined, CAA was isolated from 58 chickens of 12 flocks. The rate of CAA isolation with MDCC - MSB1 cells was almost the same as that determined by an in vivo method by chick inoculation. It was shown that CAA was more closely concerned with anemic diseases of chickens in the field than fowl adenoviruses.
Growth of infants with cow's milk allergy fed chicken-based formula.

BACKGROUND The recommended formulas for treatments of cow's milk allergy (CMA) in infants are hydrolyzed protein-based and amino acid-based formulas. However they are not always affordable. Furthermore, some patients are still allergic to these formulas. Therefore, chicken-based formula has been innovated and used as an alternative formula to treat CMA in these infants. OBJECTIVE To assess the growth of infants with CMA who consumed chicken-based formula compared to normal infants. MATERIAL AND METHOD A prospective study was performed in 34 infants aged 3 to 24 months diagnosed as CMA at Siriraj Hospital. All subjects consumed the chicken-based formula for at least three months. The growth parameters were recorded. RESULTS Manifestations occurred in dermatological (78.60%), respiratory (67.9%), and gastrointestinal (53.6%) systems. Mean (+/-SD) chicken-based formula intake was 77 (+/-39.6) kcal/kg/d Weight gains are higher (35.7%), equal (10.8%), and lower (53.5%) than those of normal infants. In addition, length gains were higher (38%), equal (5%), and lower (57%) than those of normal infants. However, the difference of weight and length in chicken-basedfed, cow s milk-allergic infants, and normal infants were not statistically significant (p = 0.141, p = 0.192). None of these infants had severe complications. CONCLUSION Growth parameters of infants fed with chicken-based formula are not diferent from those of normal infants.
Association of a - 1997G → T Polymorphism of the Collagen Iα1 Gene with Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Japanese Women

Genetic variants that affect collagen Iα1 metabolism may be important in the development of osteoporosis or osteoporotic fractures. A – 1997G → T polymorphism in the promoter of the collagen Iα1 gene (COL1A1) was shown to be associated with bone mineral density (BMD) for the lumbar spine in postmenopausal Spanish women. The relation of this polymorphism to BMD in Japanese women or men has now been examined in a population-based study. The subjects (1,110 women, 1,126 men) were 40 to 79 years of age and were randomly recruited for a population-based prospective cohort study of aging and age-related diseases. BMD for the lumbar spine, right femoral neck, right trochanter, and right Ward's triangle was measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Genotypes for the – 1997G → T polymorphism of COL1A1 were determined with a fluorescence-based allele-specific DNA primer assay system. When all women were analyzed together, BMD for the lumbar spine and trochanter was significantly lower in subjects with the COL1A1*G/*G genotype than in those in the combined group of COL1A1*G/*T and COL1A1*T/*T genotypes. When postmenopausal women were analyzed separately, BMD for the femoral neck and trochanter was also significantly lower in those with the COL1A1*G/*G genotype than in those with the COL1A1*G/*T genotype or those in the combined group of COL1A1*G/*T and COL1A1*T/*T genotypes. BMD was not associated with — 1997G → T genotype in premenopausal women or in men. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that – 1997G → Tgenotype affected BMD at various sites with a variance of 0.46–0.62% for all women and 0.61–1.01% for postmenopausal women. The – 1997G → T genotype was not related to the serum concentration of osteocalcin, the serum activity of bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, or the urinary excretion of deoxypyridinoline or cross-linked N-telopeptides of type I collagen in men or in premenopausal or postmenopausal women. These results suggest that COL1A1 is a susceptibility locus for reduced BMD in postmenopausal Japanese women.
Associations among parent–child relationships and cognitive and language outcomes in a clinical sample of preschool children

Abstract Objective: To examine associations among parent–child relationship characteristics and child cognitive and language outcomes. Methods: Preschool children (n = 72) with early neurological insult completed assessments of cognitive and language functioning and participated in a parent–child semi-structured interaction. Results: Quality of the parent–child relationship accounted for a significant amount of unique variance (12%) in predicting children’s overall cognitive and language functioning. Impact of neurological insult was a significant predictor. Conclusions: Caregiver–child interactions that are harmonious and reciprocal as evidenced by affective and/or verbal exchanges support children’s cognitive and language development. Observations of interactions can guide providers in facilitating child- and family-centered interventions.
Interpretation of Head and Neck Biopsies in Wegener's Granulomatosis: A Pathologic Study of 126 Biopsies in 70 Patients

The majority of patients with classic Wegener's granulomatosis present with symptoms of head and neck disease; accordingly, accurate interpretation of biopsy specimens from these sites is essential. This report details the histo-logic findings in 126 head and neck biopsy specimens from 70 patients (36 male and 34 female). Tissues were obtained from the following sites: 60 nasal, 27 paranasal sinuses, 17 laryngeal, five periorbital, five oral, four middle ear, three mastoid, two external ear, and three salivary gland. Vasculitis, necrosis, and granulomatous inflammation together were seen in only 16% of all head and neck biopsy specimens. Both vasculitis and granulomatous inflammation were seen in 21% and vasculitis and necrosis in 23% of the biopsy specimens reviewed. We discuss the problems in differential diagnosis, particularly the importance of excluding granulomatous infectious processes, which can imitate the histopathologic features of Wegener's granulomatosis. Based on this study, we propose criteria for the diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis based on biopsy specimens from the head and neck region.
On the convergence of approximate solutions of the heat equation to the exact solution

Introduction. In many cases it is practically impossible to solve an initial value problem for a partial differential equation exactly although it can be proved that the exact solution does exist and is uniquely determined. Therefore the partial differential equation is very often replaced by a difference equation which is easier to solve and which furnishes an approximation to the solution of the original problem. Three questions arise immediately. (a) If x and t are the independent variables, does the mesh ratio r (r=At/(Ax)2 in the parabolic case) have any influence on the convergence or stability of the approximate solution? (b) Which one of the difference equations leading to the differential equation will furnish a good approximation? (c) How do the initial values of the problem for the difference equation have to be chosen in order to furnish a good approximation? The author believes that the first question has been overemphasized while the importance of the second and third has not been fully realized. This is primarily due to the fact that, in the paper by O'Brien, Hyman, and Kaplan []1 where von Neumann's test of stability is introduced into the literature, it is erroneously stated that a positive answer to von Neumann's test is necessary and sufficient for convergence. As an example it is pointed out in their paper that the numerical solution of Richardson [2] for the problem of finding the temperature in a slab with faces at temperature zero does not converge to the exact solution because von Neumann's test shows instability for all r> 0.2
Momentum in Imperial Russia

Some of the leading theories of momentum have different empirical predictions about its profitability conditional on market composition and structure. The overconfidence explanation provided by Daniel, Hirshleifer, and Subrahmanyam (1998), for example, predicts lower momentum profits in markets with more sophisticated investors. The information-based theory of Hong and Stein (1999) predicts lower momentum profits in markets with lower informational frictions. The institutional theory of Vayanos and Woolley (2013) predicts lower momentum profits in markets with less agency. In this paper, we use a dataset from a major 19th century equity market to test these predictions. Over this period, there was no evidence of delegated management in Imperial Russia. A regulatory change in 1893 made speculating on the St. Petersburg stock market more accessible to small investors. We find a momentum effect that is similar in magnitude to those in modern markets and stronger during the post-1893 period than during the pre-1893 period, consistent with the overconfidence theory of momentum.