Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Levetiracetam and pregabalin for antiepileptic monotherapy in patients with primary brain tumors. A phase II randomized study.

BACKGROUND In patients with brain tumors, the choice of antiepileptic medication is guided by tolerability and pharmacokinetic interactions. This study investigated the effectiveness of levetiracetam (LEV) and pregabalin (PGB), 2 non-enzyme-inducing agents, in this setting. METHODS In this pragmatic, randomized, unblinded phase II trial (NCT00629889), patients with primary brain tumors and epilepsy were titrated to a monotherapy of LEV or PGB. Efficacy and tolerability were assessed using structured questionnaires. The primary composite endpoint was the need to discontinue the study drug, add-on of a further antiepileptic treatment, or occurrence of at least 2 seizures with impaired consciousness during 1 year follow-up. RESULTS Over 40 months, 25 patients were randomized to LEV, and 27 to PGB. Most were middle-aged men, with a high-grade tumor and at least one generalized convulsion. Mean daily doses were 1125 mg (LEV) and 294 mg (PGB). Retention rates were 59% in the LEV group, and 41% in the PGB group. The composite endpoint was reached in 9 LEV and 12 PGB patients-need to discontinue: side effects, 6 LEV, 3 PGB; lack of efficacy, 1 and 2; impaired oral administration, 0 and 2; add-on of another agent: 1 LEV, 4 PGB; and seizures impairing consciousness: 1 in each. Seven LEV and 5 PGB subjects died of tumor progression. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that LEV and PGB represent valuable monotherapy options in this setting, with very good antiepileptic efficacy and an acceptable tolerability profile, and provides important data for the design of a phase III trial.
β‐Adrenergic stimulation increases macrophage CD14 expression and E. coli phagocytosis through PKA signaling mechanisms

CD14 is a glycoprotein that binds bacterial LPS in MØ. It is an essential component of the phagocytic system and is increased in septic shock. Critical injury and sepsis result in elevated endogenous CA levels. CAs have a significant impact on MØ inflammatory functions. We tested the hypothesis that β‐adrenergic stimulation regulates CD14 expression and bacterial phagocytosis in BMØ. Murine BMØ stimulated with isoproterenol (>8 h) induced a dose‐dependent increase in cell surface CD14 expression. Specific PKA inhibitor (H‐89) and gene‐silencing (siRNA) studies demonstrated the role of cAMP‐dependent PKA in mediating this response. In addition, we observed a correlation between an isoproterenol‐mediated increase in CD14 expression and live Escherichia coli uptake in BMØ. Further, the essential role of CD14 in an isoproterenol‐mediated increase in E. coli uptake was highlighted from experiments using CD14−/− mice. Moreover, the dose response of isoproterenol stimulation to CD14 expression and E. coli phagocytosis overlapped with similar EC50. Additionally, isoproterenol‐mediated E. coli phagocytosis was prevented by H‐89, suggesting that β‐adrenergic stimulus in BMØ increases CD14 expression and live E. coli phagocytosis through a common signaling pathway. Our studies indicate the potential impact of β‐adrenergic agents on important innate immune functions.
Trichinella spiralis in wild animals, cats, mice, rats and farmed fur animals in Finland.

A total of 1 399 samples of wild animals, cats, mice, rats and fur animals were examined for Trichinella larvae during the period 1.1. 1982-30.6. 1984. Samples were obtained both from the problem area, were Trichinella larvae had been found in pigs, and for comparison from the rest of Finland. The frequency of the infection in wild carnivores, badgers, pine martens, raccoon dogs, foxes and wild mink was significantly higher in the problem area than in the rest of Finland.
Meta-Analysis of Proton Pump Inhibitors in Treatment of Bleeding Peptic Ulcers

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) compared with placebo and histamine receptor antagonists (H2RAs) for reducing the incidence of rebleeding, surgery, and death in acute gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) associated with peptic ulcer disease. DATA SOURCES: A systematic search of the English-language literature was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Pre-MEDLINE (from 1966 to September 2000) and a manual search of references. STUDY SELECTION: Randomized, controlled trials evaluating any PPI for acute GIB in adults with the end points of rebleeding, surgery or death. DATA SYNTHESIS: Nine trials (1829 pts.) were included. The relative odds of rebleeding indicated a 50% reduction in the PPI-treated group (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.77; p = 0.002, NNTB 9; 95% CI NNTB 6 to 13). The relative odds of surgery indicated a 53% reduction in the PPI-treated group (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.77; p = 0.003; NNTB 17, 95% CI 12 to 35). The relative odds for mortality indicated a nonsignificant 8% decrease in the odds of death in the PPI-treated group (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.46 to 1.83, p = 0.81; NNTB 323, 95% CI NNTB 47 to ∞ to NNTH 33). CONCLUSIONS: PPIs are superior to H2RAs and placebo in preventing rebleeding and the need for surgery in patients with GIB, although they do not appear to reduce mortality.
Pitfalls in the cytological classification of borderline leprosy in the Ridley‐Jopling scale

This is a blinded, retrospective, correlative study of classification of leprosy by cytomorphology, clinical examination, and bacterial density. One hundred consecutive adequate aspirates from skin lesions of leprosy were studied. The Ridley‐Jopling (R‐J) five‐group classification system was used. May‐Gruenwald‐Giemsa (MGG) and Ziehl‐Neelsen (Z‐N) stains were employed. Complete clinical, cytological, and bacteriological concordance was found in 88 patients. One‐step mismatch in classification was seen in 12 patients with cytomorphological features of borderline‐borderline (BB/mid‐borderline) leprosy. Cytomorphological features of BB leprosy in aspirates from skin lesions should alert the cytopathologist to the possibility that the bacteriological index (BI) may vary widely. Appropriate steps must be taken to ensure accurate reporting of BI. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2004;30:386–388. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
EmrE, a Multidrug Transporter from Escherichia coli, Transports Monovalent and Divalent Substrates with the Same Stoichiometry*

Multidrug transporters recognize and transport substrates with apparently little common structural features. At times these substrates are neutral, negatively, or positively charged, and only limited information is available as to how these proteins deal with the energetic consequences of transport of substrates with different charges. Multidrug transporters and drug-specific efflux systems are responsible for clinically significant resistance to chemotherapeutic agents in pathogenic bacteria, fungi, parasites, and human cancer cells. Understanding how these efflux systems handle different substrates may also have practical implications in the development of strategies to overcome the resistance mechanisms mediated by these proteins. Here, we compare transport of monovalent and divalent substrates by EmrE, a multidrug transporter from Escherichia coli, in intact cells and in proteoliposomes reconstituted with the purified protein. The results demonstrated that whereas the transport of monovalent substrates involves charge movement (i.e. electrogenic), the transport of divalent substrate does not (i.e. electroneutral). Together with previous results, these findings suggest that an EmrE dimer exchanges two protons per substrate molecule during each transport cycle. In intact cells, under conditions where the only driving force is the electrical potential, EmrE confers resistance to monovalent substrates but not to divalent ones. In the presence of proton gradients, resistance to both types of substrates is detected. The finding that under some conditions EmrE does not remove certain types of drugs points out the importance of an in-depth understanding of mechanisms of action of multidrug transporters to devise strategies for coping with the problem of multidrug resistance.
Fasting Blood Glucose Levels and Lipid Profile in Patients with Thyroid Dysfunction

The function of the thyroid gland is to keep the oxidative metabolism of body tissues at normal levels. The most important effect of thyroid hormones is to increase the metabolic rate and oxygen consumption of all tissues. In this study, we aimed to determine and compare the fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, lipids and body mass index (BMI) in different thyroid hormone level states. The study included 32 thyrotoxicosis, 32 subclinical hyperthyroidism, 31 hypothyroidism, 34 subclinical hypothyroidism patients and 31 healthy volunteers as control group. In addition to routine blood tests, free T3 (FT3), free T4 (FT4), Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), FBG and lipid parameters were assessed and BMI was recorded for each patient. Average FBG level was the lowest in hypothyroid group, the highest in thyrotoxic group, and there was statistically significant difference between these two groups (p = 0.005). There was a negative correlation between FBG and TSH (p = 0.03). Total cholesterol and LDL levels of hypothyroid patients were significantly higher than other groups (p< 0.05). In accordance with literature, we determined that thyroid hormones apparently affect glucose and lipid metabolism.
Distributed Prediction of Relations for Entities: The Easy, The Difficult, and The Impossible

Word embeddings are supposed to provide easy access to semantic relations such as “male of” (man–woman). While this claim has been investigated for concepts, little is known about the distributional behavior of relations of (Named) Entities. We describe two word embedding-based models that predict values for relational attributes of entities, and analyse them. The task is challenging, with major performance differences between relations. Contrary to many NLP tasks, high difficulty for a relation does not result from low frequency, but from (a) one-to-many mappings; and (b) lack of context patterns expressing the relation that are easy to pick up by word embeddings.
The glutamate analogue alpha-aminoadipic acid is taken up by astrocytes before exerting its gliotoxic effect in vitro

DL- and L-alpha-aminoadipic acid (alpha-AA) are specific gliotoxins in vitro (Huck, S., F. Grass, and M. E. Hatten (1984) Neuroscience 12: 783– 796). By combining immunohistochemical and autoradiographic techniques, we now show that DL-[14C]-alpha-AA is accumulated almost selectively by astrocytes in cultures of the dissociated postnatal mouse cerebellum, presumptive neurons being free of the radiolabel. High pressure liquid chromatography analysis of cultures incubated with D- or L-alpha-AA and DL-[14C]-alpha-AA autoradiograms conducted in the presence of D- or L- alpha-AA reveal a stereospecificity of astroglial L-alpha-AA uptake. Both the uptake of alpha-AA by astrocytes and alpha-AA-induced gliotoxicity were sodium dependent. Since 2 microM tetrodotoxin did not prevent the morphological changes, we conclude that sodium plays its role in alpha-AA-induced gliotoxicity by mediating the transport of the substance. Thus, alpha-AA appears to be taken up by the astrocytes before exerting its cytotoxic effect.
Documents as a Bag of Maximal Substrings - An Unsupervised Feature Extraction for Document Clustering

This paper provides experimental results showing how we can use maximal substrings as elementary features in document clustering. We extract maximal substrings, i.e., the substrings each giving a smaller number of occurrences even after adding only one character at its head or tail, from the given document set and represent each document as a bag of maximal substrings after reducing the variety of maximal substrings by a simple frequency-based selection. This extraction can be done in an unsupervised manner. Our experiment aims to compare bag of maximal substrings representation with bag of words representation in document clustering. For clustering documents, we utilize Dirichlet compound multinomials, a Bayesian version of multinomial mixtures, and measure the results by F-score. Our experiment showed that maximal substrings were as effective as words extracted by a dictionary-based morphological analysis for Korean documents. For Chinese documents, maximal substrings were not so effective as words extracted by a supervised segmentation based on conditional random fields. However, one fourth of the clustering results given by bag of maximal substrings representation achieved F-scores better than the mean F-score given by bag of words representation. It can be said that the use of maximal substrings achieved an acceptable performance in document clustering.
Organisation innovation and entrepreneurship: the role of the national laboratories in promoting industrial development

The development of IC industry in Taiwan began with a technology transfer from the USA based RCA Company, which was conducted by Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). ITRI's Technology Transfer Team (TTT) members were first incubated in the National Laboratories at ITRI, and then dispatched to spin-off companies in the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park (HSIP). Many of these TTT members are now the CEOs of leading companies within the IC industry. The aim of this study is to examine how ITRI's Electronics Research and Service Organization (ERSO) shaped R&D engineers into technical entrepreneurs (Technopreneurs) and how ERSO has promoted Taiwan's industrial development. This study uses in-depth interviews with 16 TTT members, combined with critical incident analysis of historical documents to support the following themes: 1. ERSO/ITRI's organisational innovation inspired IC technopreneurs to realise the "Innovative Spirit" and "Technopreneurship". This was done by ERSO's adoption of new-enlightened experimentation procedures, by ERSO's cultivation of the "Innovative Spirit" of technopreneurs under transformational leadership and by ERSO's innovative climate. Besides, the all-purpose training of operation executives was conducted in an environment that simulated market and business operations, which perfected the managing skills of these "technopreneurs". 2. As national laboratories in Taiwan, ERSO has contributed human capital and social capital to the development of IC industry in Taiwan and it has also effectively linked Taiwan's common innovative infrastructure with the geographical advantages of individual industrial clustering, thus creating the national innovative capability of Taiwan's IC industry.
Immunosuppression with FK778 and mycophenolate mofetil in a rat cardiac transplantation model

FK778 blocks the dihydro-orotate dehydrogenase, necessary for pyrimidine synthesis, and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) inhibits the inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase, a crucial enzyme for purine biosynthesis. Beneficial immunosuppressive effects have been suggested for the combination of both drugs. The Brown Norway-Lewis rat heterotopic heart transplantation model was used. FK778 (5 and 20 mg/kg/day), MMF (10 and 40 mg/kg/day), or a combination of both drugs for 10 days was used for prevention of acute graft rejection. Grafts of untreated animals were rejected after 6.2±0.4 days. Low-dose FK778 and low-dose MMF administration did not result in a significantly prolonged graft survival (6.7±0.8 and 8.7±1.4 days; P =not significant). Grafts of rats treated with high-dose FK778 or high-dose MMF survived significantly longer (17.0±2.8 and 20.7±3.8 days; P <0.01). Concomitant use of low-dose FK778 with low-dose MMF produced synergistic interactions (mean survival time 12.3±2.9 days; P <0.01; combination index=0.85). High-dose drug combination (mean survival time 24.0±1.4 days) showed antagonistic drug interaction (combination index=1.55) with increased toxic side effects.
Dates Are Not Just Data: Paleolithic Settlement Patterns in Siberia Derived from Radiocarbon Records

The large radiocarbon database now established for Paleolithic sites in Siberia and the Russian Far East can be used to build up a picture of relative population size in these regions. We consider the time period of ca. 46,000 to 12,000 B.P. for which we have assembled and critically studied 437 radiocarbon dates. All dates from individual sites that fall within 1,000 14C years are considered as a single event and called occupation episode. The results of our analysis show that the number of 14C dates until ca. 28,000 B.P. is small and increases at ca. 28,000–20,000 B.P, and dates decrease in frequency for the ca. 20,000–16,000 B.P. time range. It is after ca. 16,000 B.P. that we see a substantial rise in the number of 14C dates. In terms of the relative size of Siberian Paleolithic populations based on the frequency of occupation episodes, population density was small until ca. 36,000 B.P. Subsequently, population size increased gradually at ca. 36,000–16,000 B.P., and the growth rate became almost exponential at ca. 16,000–12,000 B.P. The number of occupations from ca. 20,000 to 18,000 B.P. did not decrease, running counter to arguments that Siberia was completely or considerably depopulated during the Last Glacial Maximum.
[Incorporation of cardiac rehabilitation programs and their characteristics in the Spanish National Health Service].

OBJECTIVES To estimate the degree of incorporation of cardiac rehabilitation in the Spanish National Health Service, to describe the characteristics of the programs, and to report on the opinions of those responsible for them regarding their progress. PATIENTS AND METHOD Cardiac rehabilitation centers were identified from different sources. A questionnaire which included items about coverage, resources, activities and services, selection of patients, and opinions was mailed to the heads of all units. RESULTS Twelve public centers with cardiac rehabilitation programs were identified. Cardiac rehabilitation was offered to 53% of all eligible patients. All units treated patients with myocardial infarction, 64% treated those with heart failure; and 60% high risk patients. Approximately 10-19% of all patients were women. The physicians involved most frequently in programs were cardiologists; nonmedical professionals who participated most often were physiotherapists, and 64% of all units had a staff psychologist. Phase II rehabilitation was provided by all units, and phase III treatment was provided mainly by units that operated in coordination with out-patient services (45%). All units provided physical exercise training and counseling about the disease and risk factors, and 73% of them provided psychological support. The main reasons cited for providing rehabilitation were its efficacy and ability to prevent illness; and the main barriers to more widespread use were lack of resources and support. About three-fourths (73%) of all doctors interviewed thought that primary health care centers could play an important role in rehabilitation programs. CONCLUSIONS Cardiac rehabilitation is poorly implemented in the Spanish National Health Service. The most significant differences between programs were related to the inclusion of high risk patients and with a diagnosis other than myocardial infarction, coordination with out-patient services, and provision of phase III rehabilitation.
Preclinical screening of Antiulcer activity of Asparagus racemosus extract on phenylbutazone induced ulceration in experimental animals

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of 50% ethanolic extract of Asparagus racemosus whole plant extract (ARE) on Phenylbutazone induced chronic gastric damage in experimental rats. Animals were induced for gastric ulcer with Phenylbutazone (100mg/kg bodyweight) and treated orally with ARE (250 and 500 mg/kg bodyweight). The effective dose i.e. 500 mg/kg elicited a maximum reduction in lesion index. The gastroprotective effect of ARE was assessed from the levels of different physicochemical parameters. The levels of DNA, protein bound carbohydrate complexes-hexose, hexoseamine, sialic acid, fucose in gastric juice were assessed. A significant reduction (p<0.001) in lesion index was observed in ulcer induced animals treated with plant extract compared to control group. A significant increase was observed in pH, protein bound carbohydrate complexes, nucleic acids with a significant decrease in volume of gastric juice, free and total acidity, pepsin concentration and acid output. From the data presented in this study it could be concluded that 50% ethanolic extract of Asparagus racemosus whole plant extract (ARE) acts as a gastroprotective agent.
PARTICLE CLEARANCE FROM THE AIRWAYS OF SUBJECTS WITH BRONCHIAL HYPERRESPONSIVENESS AND WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE

The aim of this study was to determine particle clearance and retention from non-alveolated airways of 14 healthy subjects (HS), 10 subjects with asymptomatic bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), and 23 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Monodisperse iron oxide particles of 1.6 μ m geometric and 3.5 μ m aerodynamic diameter labeled with 99mTc were delivered to the airways by inspiration of small aerosol boli into shallow volumetric lung depths. In each subject the penetration front depth of the aerosol boli was adjusted to 55% of the Fowler dead space of the airways. Particle deposition was enhanced by about 7 seconds of breath-holding after bolus inhalation. Retention of the particles in the airways during the 48 hours after their administration was assessed by measuring the decline in lung activity with a sensitive gamma counter. Particle deposition was not significantly different among study groups. Twenty-four hour particle retention in the airways was not different among study groups. Sixty-one percent of the particles were retained at 24 hours in HS, 58% in BHR, and 64% in COPD. However, subjects with BHR showed accelerated mucociliary clearance compared to healthy subjects, whereas clearance was retarded in COPD patients. This long-term particle retention in the airways has to be taken into account in aerosol toxicology risk assessment and aerosol therapy dose evaluation.
Effects of dietary valine concentration on lactational performance of sows nursing large litters. NCR-42 Committe on Swine Nutrition.

A cooperative study, using 231 primiand multiparous crossbred sows from six experiment stations (IN, KS, MI, MN, ND, and OH), was conducted to determine the effects of elevating dietary valine concentration in corn-soybean meal diets on lactational performance of sows nursing large litters. Crossbred sows were fed diets containing a minimum of . 60% lysine during gestation. Sows were allotted at farrowing to four dietary valine concentrations, . 80, . 95, 1.10, and 1.25%. Crystalline L-valine replaced cornstarch to maintain a constant ratio of corn:soybean meal across diets. Dietary lysine, provided by corn, soybean meal, and . 15% crystalline L-lysine x HCl, was . 90% in all diets. Sows were allowed ad libitum access to feed. Sows were weighed within 24 h after farrowing, and all litters were adjusted to > or = 10 pigs/litter by d 2 following farrowing. Average sow parity, number of pigs on d 2, and lactation length for the four treatments were, respectively, 2.3, 2.3, 2.3, 2.5; 10.9, 10.8, 10.8, 10.7; and 25.1, 24.5, 25.2, 25.0 d. The ADFI during lactation was 5.87, 5.77, 5.87, and 5.74 kg (P > .50); hence, valine intakes were 41, 48, 55, and 61 g/d (linear, P < .01). Lysine intake ranged from 51.5 to 52.7 g/d (P > .50). Sow weight after farrowing averaged 198 kg (P > .60). Overall pig survival to weaning was high (>92%), and the number of pigs weaned (10.1, 10.3, 10.3, 10.3) did not differ (P > .30) among treatments. Litter weaning weights (73.6, 73.6, 74.5, 72.6 kg), litter weight gains (55.1, 55.1, 56.0, 54.1 kg), sow weight change during lactation (-4.9, -5.4, -4.8, -6.3 kg), and return-to-estrus interval (7.5, 6.4, 6.9, 8.2 d) were not affected (P > .30) by dietary valine. There were no station x treatment interactions (P > .50). These results indicate no benefit of elevated dietary valine for lactating sows nursing > or = 10 pigs and consuming a corn-soybean meal diet containing . 90% lysine and . 80% valine.