Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On-demand therapy for Los Angeles grade A and B reflux esophagitis: esomeprazole versus omeprazole.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Reflux esophagitis of Los Angeles grade A or B is more common than grades C and D disease among Taiwanese. This study compared the efficacy of esomeprazole 40 mg and omeprazole 20 mg for starting on-demand therapy for grade A and B reflux esophagitis. METHODS 100 patients with grade A and B reflux esophagitis were randomized to receive either esomeprazole 40 mg once daily (n = 50) or omeprazole 20 mg once daily (n = 50) for the first 4 weeks. Sustained symptomatic response (SSR) was defined as freedom from symptoms for the last 7 days of the 4-week treatment duration. On-demand therapy was used for the next 4 weeks in patients with SSR; patients without SSR continued with the same proton pump inhibitor regimen. Patients were asked to record their daily severity of acid regurgitation (AR) and heartburn (HB). Medication usage during on-demand therapy was recorded. RESULTS Forty six patients in the esomeprazole group and 45 patients in the omeprazole group completed the study protocol. The rate of SSR was higher in the esomeprazole group than in the omeprazole group (per-protocol: 73.9% vs 51.1%, p < 0.05; intent-to-treat: 68% vs 46%, p < 0.05). The symptomatic scores for AR and HB were similar between patients taking medication continuously and those taking medication on-demand with both esomeprazole and omeprazole. For patients starting on-demand therapy, the total number of tablets used during 4 weeks was lower in the esomeprazole group than in the omeprazole group (13.5 vs 18.5, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS In patients with grade A and B reflux esophagitis, esomeprazole 40 mg was more effective than omeprazole 20 mg for the initiation of on-demand therapy.
Empirical Investigation of the Effect of Bank Long Term Debt on Loans and Output in the Euro-zone

The objective of this study is to empirically test whether bank loan supply affects output in the Euro-zone from 1999Q1 to 2014Q4. It uses shocks to bank deposits and shocks to bank wholesale debt issuance as instruments in a linear two stage least square specification to evaluate the role of loan supply in affecting output. The findings show that banks' changed preferences for wholesale debt funding are important determinants of loan supply, in particular during the crisis. I also find evidence that loan supply affects output significantly and positively. The validity of the model is also tested by verifying the linearity assumption using non-parametric estimation techniques.
[Relationship between presence of fragmented QRS on 12-lead electrocardiogram on admission and long-term mortality in patients with non-ST elevated myocardial infarction].

OBJECTIVES Fragmented QRS (fQRS) as a predictor of cardiac events in coronary artery disease has previously been reported. In this study, we hypothesized that presence of fQRS on a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) on admission would be predictive of adverse outcomes in non-ST elevated myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). STUDY DESIGN A total of 149 NSTEMI patients (112 male, 37 female) were retrospectively analyzed. The fQRS pattern was defined as the presence of an additional R', notching in the nadir of the S wave, fragmentation of the RS or QS complexes in 2 contiguous leads corresponding to a major coronary artery territory. The relationship between presence of fQRS on admission on a 12-lead ECG, and primary end points [cardiovascular death (CVD)] and secondary end points (re-infarction, repeat target vessel revascularization [percutaneous/surgical]) were assessed. The median follow-up time was 18 (13-24) months. RESULTS Other than age, there were no significant differences in baseline characteristics and laboratory findings for patients in the fQRS and non-fQRS groups. The patients in the fQRS group were older [64 years vs 59 years, p=0.048]. CVD and re-infarction were significantly higher in the fQRS group in the median 18-month follow-up (26.1% vs 8.7%, p=0.005; 23.9% vs 10.7%, p=0.035, respectively). By a multivariate regression analysis in all 149 patients, age ≥65 years and the presence of fQRS in a 12-lead ECG on admission were found to be powerful independent predictors of cardiovascular mortality (HR: 4.91, 95% CI: 1.60-15.03, p=0.005; HR: 2.77, 95% CI: 1.02-7.50, p=0.044, respectively). CONCLUSION Presence of fQRS on a 12-lead ECG on admission is associated with increased long-term mortality in patients with NSTEMI.
16S rRNA PCR for the diagnosis of culture-negative Bartonella quintana endocarditis: The importance of sample type

16S PCR has proven effective in the setting of blood culture-negative endocarditis[3] but most studies do not differentiate the sensitivity of broad-range PCR based on the sample type tested, such as between surgically removed valves, vegetations or blood samples. A literature search found only one study that did so, with broad-range PCR on EDTA blood providing a diagnosis in only 13.6% (35/257 patients) of cases, compared to 66.1% (150/227 patients) from valvular specimens in patients with blood culture-negative endocarditis. [4] Specifi cally for Bartonella endocarditis, this study found that broad-range PCR identifi ed this organism from EDTA blood in only 12 patients compared with 26 from excised heart valve tissue. [4] This suggests that the sensitivity of 16S PCR is higher on valve tissue than for EDTA blood.
Inhibition of interleukin-1beta-induced cyclooxygenase 2 expression in human synovial fibroblasts by 15-deoxy-Delta12,14-prostaglandin J2 through a histone deacetylase-independent mechanism.

OBJECTIVE The cyclooxygenase (COX) metabolite, 15-deoxy-Delta(12,14)-prostaglandin J(2) (15d-PGJ(2)), has been reported to inhibit the expression of a number of genes involved in the pathogenesis of arthritis. However, its effects on COX-2 remain controversial. We undertook this study to investigate the effects of 15d-PGJ(2) on interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta)-induced COX-2 expression in human synovial fibroblasts (HSFs). METHODS HSFs were cultured with IL-1beta in the absence or presence of 15d-PGJ(2), and the levels of COX-2 protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression were evaluated using Western blotting and real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, respectively. COX-2 promoter activity was analyzed in transient transfection experiments. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were performed to evaluate the level of histone acetylation and the recruitment of histone deacetylases (HDACs) 1, 2, and 3 and histone acetylase (HAT) p300 to the COX-2 promoter. RESULTS IL-1beta-induced COX-2 protein and mRNA expression, as well as COX-2 promoter activation, were inhibited by 15d-PGJ(2). Troglitazone, a selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) ligand, enhanced COX-2 expression, while GW9662, a specific PPARgamma antagonist, relieved the suppressive effect of 15d-PGJ(2). IL-1beta-induced histone H3 acetylation was selectively blocked by 15d-PGJ(2). The reduction of histone H3 acetylation did not correlate with the recruitment of HDACs to the COX-2 promoter. Also, treatment with the specific HDAC inhibitor, trichostatin A, did not relieve the suppressive effect of 15d-PGJ(2), indicating that HDACs are not involved in the inhibitory effect of 15d-PGJ(2). Furthermore, 15d-PGJ(2) blocked IL-1beta-induced recruitment of p300 to the COX-2 promoter, which may be the mechanism for decreased histone H3 acetylation and COX-2 expression. In accordance with this, overexpression of p300, but not of a mutant p300 lacking HAT activity, relieved the inhibitory effect of 15d-PGJ(2) on COX-2 promoter activation. CONCLUSION These data suggest that 15d-PGJ(2) can inhibit IL-1beta-induced COX-2 expression by an HDAC-independent mechanism, probably by interfering with HAT p300.
“Lean not on your own understanding”: Belief that morality is founded on divine authority and non-utilitarian moral judgments

Recent research has shown that religious individuals are much more resistant to utilitarian modes of thinking than their less religious counterparts, but the reason for this is not clear. We propose that a meta-ethical belief that morality is rooted in inviolable divine commands (i.e., endorsement of Divine Command Theory) may help explain this finding. We present a novel 20-item scale measuring a belief that morality is founded on divine authority. The scale shows good internal reliability and convergent and discriminant validity. Study 1 found that this scale fully mediated the relationship that various religiosity measures had with a deontological thinking style in our sample of American adults. It also accounted for the link between religiosity and social conservative values. Furthermore, the relationship between the scale and these outcome variables held after statistically controlling for variables related to actively open-minded thinking and the Big Five. Study 2 replicated the results using naturalistic moral dilemmas that placed deontological and utilitarian concerns in conflict, and showed that the results of Study 1 cannot be explained by differences in moral foundations (e.g., concern for authority more generally) or differences in the perceived function of rules. Quite the contrary, endorsement of the divine origins of morality fully mediated the relationship religiosity had with the so-called “binding” foundations (i.e., Loyalty, Authority, and Sanctity). Our findings highlight the importance of meta-ethical beliefs for understanding individual differences in moral judgment.
Bradyrhizobium stylosanthis sp. nov., comprising nitrogen-fixing symbionts isolated from nodules of the tropical forage legume Stylosanthes spp.

The introduction of legumes and nitrogen-fixing bacteria in tropical areas under pasture is a key factor for improvement of soil fertility. However, there are still very few studies concerning the symbionts of tropical forage legumes. We performed a polyphasic study with three strains representing the genus Bradyrhizobium (BR 446T, BR 510 and BR 511) isolated from the tropical perennial forage legume of the genus Stylosanthes. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequences, the three strains showed highest similarity with B. huanghuaihaiense, and in the analysis of the intergenic transcribed spacer (ITS) they showed less than 93.4 % similarity to all described species of the genus Bradyrhizobium. Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) with three, four or five (dnaK, glnII, gyrB, recA and rpoB) housekeeping genes confirmed that the BR strains belong to a distinct clade, with <96.5 % nucleotide identity with other members of the genus Bradyrhizobium. Average nucleotide identity (ANI) of genome sequences between strain BR 446T and B.huanghuaihaiense was below the threshold for species circumscription (90.7 %). DNA-DNA hybridization resulted in ΔTm values over 6.7 °C with the most closely related species. Similarities among the BR strains and differences from other species were confirmed by rep-PCR analysis. Interestingly, the BR strains were grouped in the analysis of nifH and nodC genes, but showed higher similarity with B. iriomotense and B. manausense than with B.huanghuaihaiense, indicating a different evolutionary history for nitrogen-fixation genes. Morpho-physiological, genotypic and genomic data supported that these BR strains represent a novel species for which the name Bradyrhizobium stylosanthis sp. nov. is suggested. The type strain is BR 446T (=CNPSo 2823T=HAMBI 3668T=H-8T), isolated from Stylosanthes guianensis.
Psychiatric Complications of Absence Therapy and Their Relation to Alteration of Sleep

In the treatment of absence seizures, doctors have to choose mainly between two drugs: ethosuximide (ES) and sodium valproate (VPA). The situation is somewhat unusual in the field of epilepsy. There are two drugs of about equal efficiency (Simon and Penry, 1975) for about the same seizure types, but they are absolutely unrelated chemically; as similar as they are in their desired action, as much they differ in their possible side effects. With VPA, loss of hair, weight gain, tremor, thrombocytopenia, and rare but fatal instances of liver failure have been reported, and, more recently, there is suspicion of a teratogenic effect (Robert and Guibaud, 1982). With ES, no fatalities seem to have been reported, and singultus is one of the few common adverse effects. In quite a few patients, however, psychotic episodes have been observed, which were reviewed by Roger et al. (1968). As these occur at extremely different drug levels (Wolf, 1977) but are usually accompanied by complete or quasicomplete seizure control, they have been considered examples of “forced normalization” (Wolf and Trimble, in press)—an intriguing condition, the pathogenesis of which is still unexplained. This has not been observed with absence control by VPA (Wolf, 1976) even in patients that have had forced normalization with ES. Quantitative investigations of this difference have, however, not been reported, although they seem of considerable interest, as any significant difference between the drugs in this respect would be of high theoretical and practical importance.
Asthenopia in bankers: identification and analysis of risk factors

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of asthenopia in a cohort of bank employees and identify possible associated risk factors. Methods: Cross-sectional study based on information supplied by bankers in response to a standardized electronic questionnaire. Results: The questionnaire was responded by 945 bankers. The frequency of asthenopic symptoms was positively associated with female gender, age over 50 years, and reading or using the computer >6 hours a day. Conclusion: Asthenopic symptoms were found to be significantly associated with gender, age and time spent reading. The most frequently reported symptoms were headache and sore eyes.
The Altman Model and Auditor’s Opinion About Going Concern of the Companies

This study aimed to examine whether the financial performance, in this case the predictions of Altman Model affect audit going concern opinion. The samples in this study consist of 59 companies and data variables are taken from the Indonesian Capital Market Directory and annual financial statement reporting. This study utilizes the logistic regression. The results from the logistic regression analysis show that every year in the period of the study 2012-2014, percentage correct of research model are 86,4%, 88.1%, and 93.2% respectively. This research also found that every year in the period of study that there is a negative significant effect on prediction of the Altman model towards the audit going concern opinion. In other word, the more a company’s predicted secure by Altman Model, the less likely get a going concern audit opinion. Descriptive analysis also prove that Altman prediction for grey area and secure area are really good in predict auditor’s opinion but not really good in Altman prediction for bankruptcy area.
Geographic Distribution of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus Collected from Used Tires in Vietnam

Abstract The spatial distribution of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in environmental and geographical zones, e.g., urban-rural, coastal-mountainous, and north-south, was investigated throughout Vietnam. Immature stages were collected from used tires along roads. The effects of regions, seasons, and the degree of urbanization on the density and the frequency were statistically analyzed. Aedes aegypti predominated in the southern and central regions, while Ae. albopictus predominated in the northern region, which may be related to climatic conditions (temperature and rainfall). Larval collection from used tires may be suitable to assess rapidly the current distribution of dengue mosquitoes for estimating health risks and implementing vector control measures.
Earnings Quality and Market Performance in LATAM Corporations: A Combined Agency and Cognitive Approach to Investors Perceptions of Managerial Information

This chapter studies the impact of financial reporting quality on firms' market performance in a sample of LATAM corporations. We infer that, especially in contexts of high information asymmetry, investors are not able to effectively discern the quality of the information they are provided with and can therefore be misled in their investment decisions by managerial opportunism. Our theoretical framework is built upon a combined agency theory and cognitive approach. We thereby seek to provide a valuable method to better understand how investors could be making suboptimal choices as a consequence of managers' opportunistic behaviour. Empirically, we use the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) model, hypothesizing that a positive relationship should be observed between the opportunistic manipulation of earnings (that is, the misuse of accounting accruals) and the firm's market performance (that is, the consequential behaviour of investors). Through this 'pioneering' methodology, applied to the relatively under-researched LATAM region, we find that: (1) Financial data are identifiably and consistently manipulated through discretionary accruals in these countries. (2) As manipulation increases, markets do tend to appear more attractive to investors. (3) The elasticity of the market reaction to this manipulation is higher in what we term 'opaque' countries.
Mini-review: Inhibition of biofouling by marine microorganisms

Any natural or artificial substratum exposed to seawater is quickly fouled by marine microorganisms and later by macrofouling species. Microfouling organisms on the surface of a substratum form heterogenic biofilms, which are composed of multiple species of heterotrophic bacteria, cyanobacteria, diatoms, protozoa and fungi. Biofilms on artificial structures create serious problems for industries worldwide, with effects including an increase in drag force and metal corrosion as well as a reduction in heat transfer efficiency. Additionally, microorganisms produce chemical compounds that may induce or inhibit settlement and growth of other fouling organisms. Since the last review by the first author on inhibition of biofouling by marine microbes in 2006, significant progress has been made in the field. Several antimicrobial, antialgal and antilarval compounds have been isolated from heterotrophic marine bacteria, cyanobacteria and fungi. Some of these compounds have multiple bioactivities. Microorganisms are able to disrupt biofilms by inhibition of bacterial signalling and production of enzymes that degrade bacterial signals and polymers. Epibiotic microorganisms associated with marine algae and invertebrates have a high antifouling (AF) potential, which can be used to solve biofouling problems in industry. However, more information about the production of AF compounds by marine microorganisms in situ and their mechanisms of action needs to be obtained. This review focuses on the AF activity of marine heterotrophic bacteria, cyanobacteria and fungi and covers publications from 2006 up to the end of 2012.
Left ventricular mass monitoring in the follow-up of dialysis patients: prognostic value of left ventricular hypertrophy progression.

BACKGROUND Regression of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in the setting of a well-planned intervention study has been associated with longer survival in hemodialysis patients. Whether changes in left ventricular mass (LVM) in clinical practice predict survival and cardiovascular events in these patients is still unknown. METHODS In a prospective study in 161 hemodialysis patients we tested the prognostic value of changes in LVM on survival and incident cardiovascular events. Echocardiography was performed twice, 18 +/- 2 SD months apart. Changes in LVM occurring between the first and the second echocardiographic study were then used to predict mortality and cardiovascular events during the ensuing 29 +/- 13 months. The prognostic value of LVM changes was tested in a multivariate Cox's model with LVM index (LVMI) [expressed as LVM/height(2.71)], included as a covariate to control for regression to the mean. RESULTS The rate of increase of LVMI was significantly (P= 0.029) higher in patients with incident cardiovascular events than in those without such events. Accordingly, cardiovascular event-free survival in patients with changes in LVMI below the 25th percentile was significantly (P= 0.004) higher than in those with changes above the 75th percentile. In a multiple Cox regression analysis, including age, diabetes, smoking, homocysteine, 1 g/m(2.7)/month increase in LVMI was associated with a 62% increase in the incident risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events [hazard ratio 1.62 (95% CI 1.13-2.33), P= 0.009]. CONCLUSION Changes in LVMI have an independent prognostic value for cardiovascular events and provide scientific support to the use of repeated echocardiographic studies for monitoring cardiovascular risk in dialysis patients.
Report from the workshop on Pallister-Hall syndrome and related phenotypes.

A one day workshop was convened on the NIH campus on March 1, 1996, in Bethesda, Maryland to discuss emerging clinical and molecular information on Pallister-Hall syndrome (PHS) and related disorders. PHS is a pleiotropic autosomal dominant disorder comprising hypothalamic hamartoma, pituitary dysfunction, central polydactyly, and visceral malformations. The goals of the meeting were to update participants in the latest clinical and research findings in the disorder, review the history and evolution of the understanding of the phenotype, determine diagnostic criteria for PHS, and make recommendations for clinical evaluation of individuals affected by PHS. These topics were addressed by several speakers and data were displayed from several of the large pedigrees of autosomal dominant PHS. 37 refs., 4 tabs.
Operationalizing Relative Customer Value

Abstract The construct of “value” has been central to explaining economic exchange since the time of Adam Smith. Despite its central importance, debate still exists as to what value entails. Absent a comprehensive understanding of value, researchers and managers have grappled with how to measure and manage value. Not surprisingly, absent a definition, no comprehensive, robust approach has emerged. We argue that value first must be viewed as a dual construct, i.e. value to the customer and value to the firm, that must be balanced to be sustainable. Given that value to the customer is clearly assessed as relative to competitive alternatives, we also argue that any robust measurement of value must account for competitive alternatives. We propose applying recent research on the use of relative metrics in linking to share of category spending as the foundation of assessing value to the customer (particularly since customers in most categories divide their spending across competing firms). This allows firms to assess the monetary value customers’ assign to their offerings, and to estimate changes in this value from different market actions. As value to the firm is ultimately about the net present value of customers’ economic contributions to the firm, this allows firms to balance value to the customer with value to the firm.