Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A meta-analysis of individual patient responses to lamotrigine or carbamazepine monotherapy

Objective: To compare the effects of carbamazepine and lamotrigine monotherapy for people with partial onset seizures or generalized onset tonic-clonic seizures. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis using data on individual patients from randomized trials comparing lamotrigine with carbamazepine monotherapy. The review draws on the search strategy developed for the Cochrane Epilepsy Group, which searches MEDLINE and the Cochrane Controlled Trials register, and hand searches relevant journals. The outcomes considered were time to antiepileptic drug withdrawal, which would usually be for either inadequate seizure control or unacceptable adverse effects, time to first seizure, and 6-month remission. Results: Five randomized trials were identified containing data for 1,384 participants. Time to treatment withdrawal significantly improved with lamotrigine compared to carbamazepine (hazard ratio 0.55, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.84, random effects), while time to first seizure (hazard ratio 1.14, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.43, fixed effects) and seizure freedom at 6 months (relative risk 0.92, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.04, fixed effects) favor carbamazepine although the results are not significant. Conclusions: Lamotrigine is significantly less likely to be withdrawn than carbamazepine, but results for time to first seizure suggest a nonsignificant trend that carbamazepine may be superior in terms of seizure control. Trials were of too short a duration to measure clinically important efficacy outcomes such as time to 12-month remission. Current industry-sponsored trials fail to adequately inform clinical practice and further more clinically relevant trials are needed in which longer-term outcomes are assessed before the place of lamotrigine in the treatment of epilepsy is defined.
Nocturnal Enuresis in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease

To assess the prevalence of nocturnal enuresis in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD) and associated factors, structured telephone interviews were conducted with primary caregivers of 217 children and adolescents with SCD aged 5 years or older. Prevalence, perceived causes, interventions undertaken, and emotional impact were assessed. Nocturnal enuresis was significantly higher for males (28.2% of males) than for females (11% of females), p = . 002, and compared with cited population prevalence rates, nocturnal enuresis was significantly higher for children with SCD, p < . 01. SCD was the most common reason given by primary caregivers for enuresis. Primary caregivers used a wide range of interventions for nocturnal enuresis, but few used empirically supported treatments for enuresis or spoke with their health care team about the enuresis. These data suggest that systematic assessment and intervention for nocturnal enuresis must be implemented in the follow-up care of children and adolescents with SCD.
Protecting Neurons

Summary: Brain injury evolves over time, often taking days or even weeks to fully develop. It is a dynamic process that involves immediate oxidative stress and excitotoxicity followed by inflammation and preprogrammed cell death. This article presents a brief overview of mechanisms of neuroprotection in the developing brain. Although the focus is on ischemic injury, the conclusions drawn apply to any type of brain insult—epileptic seizures, trauma, or ischemia.
Conditions required for induction of interferon by rotaviruses and for their sensitivity to its action

Our investigations of interferon induction by rotaviruses showed that only when cells were pretreated with interferon, i.e., primed, could infectious rotaviruses induce significant quantities of interferon. As little as 0.5 U of interferon provided sufficient priming for this induction. UV-irradiated rotaviruses induced significant levels of interferon, and priming only marginally enhanced the yields. Neither heat-inactivated virus nor serum-neutralized virus was able to induce interferon, even when cells were primed. When cells were treated with purified virus double-stranded RNA in the presence of DEAE-dextran to facilitate uptake, interferon was induced, although priming did not enhance yields. These results strongly implicate the viral double-stranded RNA as the effector for interferon induction. The insensitivity of rotaviruses to interferon in vitro was also studied. Results suggested that this lack of sensitivity was not due to any inherent resistance of the virus to the antiviral proteins, but rather to lack of activation of cellular enzymes exhibiting antiviral activity.
Greek renal nurses' attitudes towards death.

UNLABELLED This study aims to assess how Greek renal nurses feel about death and examine any relationships between their attitudes and demographic factors. DESIGN Descriptive quantitative study. The sample comprised of 49 nurses. METHODOLOGY Voluntary and anonymous completion of the Death Attitude Profile-Revised and a demographic questionnaire. RESULTS 44 respondents were female and 5 were male with a mean age of 25.80 years. The mean nursing experience was 10.9 years. Nursing experience and age were the variables most likely to predict nurses' attitudes towards death. Nurses with specific education on palliative care had less difficulty talking about death and dying and did not have a fear of death. The Hospital-based teams (known as palliative care teams, supportive care teams or symptom assessment teams) had statistically significant different relationships with fear of death and neutral acceptance scores. CONCLUSIONS It is recommended to include education on death and care of the dying in the nursing degree course in order for nurses who are giving terminal phase patient care to be better able deal with issues that death evolves.
Palomar observations of the R impact of comet Shoemaker‐Levy 9: II. Spectra

We present mid-infrared spectroscopic observations from Palomar observatory of the impact of fragment R of comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter on 21 July 1994. Low-resolution 8–13 µm spectra taken near the peak of the lightcurve show a broad emission feature that resembles the silicate feature commonly seen in comets and the interstellar medium. We use this feature to estimate the dust content of the impact plume. The overall infrared spectral energy distribution at the time of peak brightness is consistent with emission from an optically-thin layer of small particles at ∼600 K. Integrating over the spectrum and the lightcurve, we obtain a total radiated energy from the R impact of ≥ 2 × 10^(25) ergs and a plume mass of ≥ 3 × 10^(13) g.
A practitioner’s guide to the design of strategy map frameworks

Purpose The purpose of this study is to synthesise the prior literature on strategy maps to develop a practitioner’s guide to the design of strategy map frameworks. Robert Kaplan and David Norton introduced the strategy map in their 2000 Harvard Business review article. A strategy map visually represents how the critical elements of an organisation’s strategies are linked together. In an organisation’s strategy execution process, a strategy map complements a performance measurement framework such as the balanced scorecard. Design/methodology/approach This is a technical paper, which primarily builds on the prior literature on the strategy map design. In particular, this study reviews 41 publications on strategy maps in the period 2000-2015, including observation of 333 strategy map frameworks. Findings This study develops 14 design principles across seven features of a strategy map framework. This study also identifies a significant lack of empirical research on strategy map design features and principles. Research limitations/implications Future research could examine whether and why various design features and principles could exert different or same effects (e.g. decision-relevance). Practical implications The developed design features and principles can be used by practitioners as guidance for developing customised strategy maps for their organisations. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature by serving as a “one-stop shop” for both practitioners and researchers seeking a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the strategy map design features and principles.
Panel 2

Objective This report reviews the literature to identify the advances in our understanding of the middle ear (ME)–Eustachian tube (ET) system during the past 4 years and, on that basis, to determine whether the short-term goals elaborated in the last report were achieved and propose updated goals to guide future otitis media (OM) research. Data Sources Databases searched included PubMed, Web of Science (1945-present), Medline (1950 to present), Biosis Previews (1969-present), and the Zoological Record (1978 to present). The initial literature search covered the time interval from January 2007 to June 2011, with a supplementary search completed in February 2012. Review Methods The panel topic was subdivided; each contributor performed a literature search and provided a preliminary report. Those reports were consolidated and discussed when the panel met on June 9, 2011. At that meeting, the progress was evaluated and new short-term goals proposed. Conclusions Progress was made on 16 of the 19 short-term goals proposed in 2007. Significant advances were made in the characterization of ME gas exchange pathways, modeling ET function, and preliminary testing of treatments for ET dysfunction. Implications for Practice In the future, imaging technologies should be developed to noninvasively assess ME/ET structure and physiology with respect to their role in OM pathogenesis. The new data derived from form/function experiments should be integrated into the finite element models and used to develop specific hypotheses concerning OM pathogenesis and persistence. Finally, rigorous studies of treatments, medical or surgical, of ET dysfunction should be undertaken.
Comparison of risk factors for colon and rectal cancer

Predictors of colorectal cancer have been extensively studied with some evidence suggesting that risk factors vary by subsite. Using data from 2 prospective cohort studies, we examined established risk factors to determine whether they were differentially associated with colon and rectal cancer. Our study population included 87,733 women from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and 46,632 men from the Health Professionals Follow Up Study (HPFS). Exposure information was collected via biennial questionnaires (dietary variables were collected every 4 years). During the follow‐up period (NHS: 1980 to May 31, 2000; HPFS: 1986 to January 31, 2000), we identified 1,139 cases of colon cancer and 339 cases of rectal cancer. We used pooled logistic regression to estimate multivariate relative risks for the 2 outcomes separately and then used polytomous logistic regression to compare these estimates. In the combined cohort, age, gender, family history of colon or rectal cancer, height, body mass index, physical activity, folate, intake of beef, pork or lamb as a main dish, intake of processed meat and alcohol were significantly associated with colon cancer risk. However, only age and sex were associated with rectal cancer. In a stepwise polytomous logistic regression procedure, family history and physical activity were associated with statistically significant different relative risks of colon and rectal cancer. Our findings support previous suggestions that family history and physical activity are not strong contributors to the etiology of rectal cancer. Future investigations of colon or rectal cancer should take into consideration risk factor differences by subsite. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Immunization with Truncated Recombinant Protein SpaC of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae Strain 715 Serovar 18 Confers Protective Immunity against Challenge with Various Serovars

ABSTRACT Previously, we showed that surface protective antigen (Spa) proteins of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae can be classified into three molecular species—SpaA, SpaB, and SpaC—and that SpaC is the most broadly cross-protective antigen among the three Spa proteins. In this study, we examined the ability of the α-helical domain, which comprises the N-terminal half of SpaC, to elicit cross-protective immunity in mice and pigs. Mice actively immunized with the full-length protein (rSpaC664) or the α-helical domain (rSpaC427), but not the C-terminal domain (rSpaC253), were protected against challenge with E. rhusiopathiae serovars 1a, 2, 6, 19, and 18 expressing heterologous (SpaA or SpaB) and homologous (SpaC) Spas. The α-helical domain seemed to provide better protection than rSpaC664, although the differences did not reach statistical significance. Similarly, mice passively immunized with rabbit anti-rSpaC664 or anti-rSpaC427 sera, but not anti-rSpaC253 serum, were protected from challenge with various serovars. Pigs immunized with SpaC427 also developed specific antibodies against Spa proteins and were protected from challenge with the highly virulent heterologous E. rhusiopathiae strain Fujisawa (serovar 1a). Taken together, these results demonstrate for the first time the striking protective efficacy of the α-helical domain-mediated immunization in both mice and pigs, thereby highlighting its utility as the most promising candidate for the development of a safe and effective vaccine against erysipelas.
Endothelial miR-17∼92 cluster negatively regulates arteriogenesis via miRNA-19 repression of WNT signaling

Significance MicroRNAs can repress target genes to regulate cellular function in vivo. The miR-17∼92 cluster is critical for cell cycle control, survival signaling, and angiogenesis, but the individual components of the cluster and their endogenous roles in vivo are less well understood. Here we show that the loss of endothelial-derived miR-17∼92 increases basal cardiac and limb arteriogenesis and improves ischemia-induced changes in blood flow. One component of the cluster, miR-19, directly targets FZD4 and LRP6, thereby regulating WNT signaling in vitro and in vivo, and antagonism of miR-19 up-regulates WNT signaling and improves defective blood flow recovery. The contribution of endothelial-derived miR-17∼92 to ischemia-induced arteriogenesis has not been investigated in an in vivo model. In the present study, we demonstrate a critical role for the endothelial-derived miR-17∼92 cluster in shaping physiological and ischemia-triggered arteriogenesis. Endothelial-specific deletion of miR-17∼92 results in an increase in collateral density limbs and hearts and in ischemic limbs compared with control mice, and consequently improves blood flow recovery. Individual cluster components positively or negatively regulate endothelial cell (EC) functions in vitro, and, remarkably, ECs lacking the cluster spontaneously form cords in a manner rescued by miR-17a, -18a, and -19a. Using both in vitro and in vivo analyses, we identified FZD4 and LRP6 as targets of miR-19a/b. Both of these targets were up-regulated in 17∼92 KO ECs compared with control ECs, and both were shown to be targeted by miR-19 using luciferase assays. We demonstrate that miR-19a negatively regulates FZD4, its coreceptor LRP6, and WNT signaling, and that antagonism of miR-19a/b in aged mice improves blood flow recovery after ischemia and reduces repression of these targets. Collectively, these data provide insights into miRNA regulation of arterialization and highlight the importance of vascular WNT signaling in maintaining arterial blood flow.
Investigating Stakeholder Perceptions of Fish Decline: Making Sense of Multiple Mental Models

Stakeholders have different educational backgrounds, personal experiences and priorities that contribute to different perceptions about what causes natural resource decline and how to sustain a resource. Yet stakeholders have a common interest, which is to keep the resource of interest from declining. Effective co-management requires sharing of perceptions pertaining to the sustainability of a resource and making decisions that benefit all stakeholders. Therefore, this study used modified causal networks, referred to here as mental models, to elicit and compare stakeholder perceptions about fish decline in the Danajon Bank, Philippines. Perceptions were elicited from three types of stakeholders, each composed of two or three elicitation groups: fishers, local government and environmental organizations. Data were also elicited through semi-structured discussions to investigate why perceptions differed and how stakeholders communicated with one another. Hierarchical clustering revealed two broad clusters of similar perceptions about drivers of fish decline: one being environmental groups and the second being local government and fisher groups. Stakeholder communication patterns revealed that communication was weakest between environmental groups and fishers. A likely contributing factor for the lack of shared perceptions was that knowledge-sharing was constrained by the small number of environmental personnel available to exchange information effectively with the much larger number of fishers and local government personnel. To better co-manage fish populations in Danajon Bank, we suggest modifications to the governance framework to improve knowledge-sharing and social and ecological outcomes.
Defining active progressive multiple sclerosis

Background: It is unknown whether disease activity according to consensus criteria (magnetic resonance imaging activity or clinical relapses) associate with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) changes in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective: To compare CSF biomarkers in active and inactive progressive MS according to consensus criteria. Methods: Neurofilament light chain (NFL), myelin basic protein (MBP), IgG-index, chitinase-3-like-1 (CHI3L1), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), chemokine CXCL13, terminal complement complex, leukocyte counts and nitric oxide metabolites were measured in primary (n = 26) and secondary progressive MS (n = 26) and healthy controls (n = 24). Results: Progressive MS patients had higher CSF cell counts, IgG-index, CHI3L1, MMP-9, CXCL13, NFL and MBP concentrations. Active patients were younger and had higher NFL, CXCL13 and MMP-9 concentrations than inactive patients. Patients with active disease according to consensus criteria or detectable CXCL13 or MMP-9 in CSF were defined as having combined active progressive MS. These patients had increased CSF cell counts, IgG-index and MBP, NFL and CHI3L1 concentrations. Combined inactive patients only had increased IgG-index and MBP concentrations. Conclusion: Patients with combined active progressive MS show evidence of inflammation, demyelination and neuronal/axonal damage, whereas the remaining patients mainly show evidence of active demyelination. This challenges the idea that neurodegeneration independent of inflammation is crucial in disease progression.
The Relationship Between Greek Exports and Foreign Income

This paper assesses the effect of foreign economic activity on Greek exports based on both static and dynamic analysis. We employ data from 1995:I to 2016:IV and quantify the long-run foreign income elasticity of Greek exports. We establish a cointegration relationship and find, based on Dynamic OLS estimations, that the aggregate foreign income elasticity of Greek exports is above one and the price elasticity is positive. We reveal that economic growth in Turkey and in emerging markets such as the Balkans, North Africa and the Middle East have the greatest impact on Greek exports. The impact of the traditional European trading partners of Greece (Germany and Italy) are found to be positive but insignicant. Finally, the dynamic analysis shows a positive interaction between real income growth in Turkey and Greek export growth in the short-run horizon. A real depreciation of the Greek economy will lead to an increase in exports.
Advances in the corporate finance literature: a survey of recent studies on Korea

The purpose of this paper is to provide a survey of recent studies on Korean firms’ financial policies and their interactions with financial markets, and suggest directions for future research. ,The authors review the finance research on Korean firms and markets, focusing on the articles published in the last 20 years. ,This survey of the recent Korean finance literature covers the research on the capital structure and the distinct financing behaviors of chaebol-affiliated firms and independent firms; the factors affecting the costs of capital and firms’ preferences for capital budgeting methods; raising capital through public and private equity issuance; corporate governance and the market for corporate control; payout policies; and bank-firm relationship. The authors suggest a number of future research directions that may lead to significant contributions to the literature. ,This paper provides the first comprehensive review of the post-crisis corporate finance literature in Korea.
Acceptance Factors of Appropriate Technology: Case of Water Purification Systems in Binh Dinh, Vietnam

This study selects a case involving water purification systems in Binh Dinh, Vietnam, as an appropriate example to examine appropriate technology (AT) acceptance factors and derive possible insights into the stable settlement and development processes whereby to diffuse AT. This analysis administered questionnaires to users of water purification systems installed in five elementary and middle schools in Binh Dinh, from which 296 samples were collected for the final analysis. The original unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) was modified by incorporating the factors of physical support and educational support, and empirically studied using structural equation modeling. The findings revealed that all constructs significantly affect the behavioral intentions toward AT, of which performance expectancy and physical support have the most significant impact. Thus, understanding local needs and improving the quality of life by spreading AT are key in its acceptance and diffusion. Furthermore, sustainable technology is guaranteed only if human and economic support is accompanied by AT development that fits the local context and environment. Finally, the analysis results, that moderating effects differ by role, imply that educational support’s influence varies between manager and student groups.
Use of smart phone apps in co-creative hotel service innovation: an evidence from India

ABSTRACT This research primarily examines the customer perspective in service innovation in the context of hotel co-creation. Further, present research proposes an extended basic model of technology adoption i.e. technology-based service (TBS) by analysing the impact of customer involvement, need for interaction and degree of co-creation on adoption intention between the hotel guests with the use of smart phone apps. The consequent effect of degree of co-creation on customer satisfaction is also examined. In this study, data were collected from 230 respondents, who were hotel guests in India. Survey method was used to obtain data. Data analysis was done with structure equation modelling (SEM). We find that consumer innovativeness positively and significantly has an effect on customer involvement. The results further reveal that among all antecedents of adoption intention (customer involvement, degree of co-creation and need for interaction), degree of co-creation bears the strongest influence on it and significantly affects customer satisfaction. Additionally, this study found that the degree of co-creation acts as a partial mediator between customer innovativeness and its two outcomes (adoption intention and customer satisfaction). The results will guide hotel managers about the technology adoption for customer co-creative innovation in hotel services.