Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The differential efficacy of pemetrexed according to NSCLC histology: a review of two Phase III studies.

BACKGROUND Recent studies of pemetrexed have identified a predictive role for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) histology. We further reviewed the differential efficacy of pemetrexed according to histology in two large, phase III NSCLC trials. METHODS One study tested pemetrexed versus docetaxel in previously treated patients (n = 571) and the other tested cisplatin plus pemetrexed versus cisplatin plus gemcitabine in chemotherapy-naive patients (n = 1,725) with advanced NSCLC. Cox proportional hazard models were used to test for covariate-adjusted treatment-by-histology interactions (THIs) for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). For each histologic subgroup, the Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate unadjusted within-arm medians, and Cox models were used to estimate covariate-adjusted between-arm hazard ratios (HRs). RESULTS In both studies, treatment arms were well balanced for histology. THIs were statistically significant (p < .005) for both OS and PFS. Nonsquamous patients treated with pemetrexed-based therapy experienced longer survival than the comparators (HR, 0.78 and 0.84, respectively), whereas squamous patients had shorter survival (HR, 1.56 and 1.23, respectively). Whereas the efficacy of pemetrexed regimens differed according to histology, it did not differ for docetaxel or for cisplatin plus gemcitabine. Pemetrexed was well tolerated across histologic groups. CONCLUSIONS The consistency of these results across studies confirms the predictive effect of histology for pemetrexed and the survival advantage for pemetrexed in patients with nonsquamous histology. These analyses suggest pemetrexed should not be recommended for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma, but, because of efficacy and safety advantages, pemetrexed may be preferable to other agents for treatment of patients with nonsquamous NSCLC.
Osteology of the Patagonian ornithopod Talenkauen santacrucensis (Dinosauria, Ornithischia)

Talenkauen santacrucensis represents one of the most complete South American ornithopods yet discovered. This dinosaur comes from the Mata Amarilla Formation (Turonian) of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. The aim of this contribution is to present a detailed description of Talenkauen santacrucensis. Features of the cervical series of Talenkauen, which are shared with other elasmarians, indicate that these dinosaurs have a proportionally longer neck than other ornithopods. These traits were convergently acquired by several saurischian clades. Additionally, some features, including an ornamented labial surface of the mandibular teeth and a sigmoidal greater trochanter of femur, are traits shared by most elasmarians, and may prove to be synapomorphies of this clade. A phylogenetic analysis recovers most Cretaceous Gondwanan ornithopods in the clade Elasmaria. This analysis indicates that Elasmaria was distributed more widely geographically and temporally than previously thought.
A STAT factor mediates the sexually dimorphic regulation of hepatic cytochrome P450 3A10/lithocholic acid 6 beta-hydroxylase gene expression by growth hormone

Adult male rodents have a pulsatile profile of growth hormone (GH) release, whereas female rodents have a relatively steady-state pattern with uniform, albeit lower levels of GH. The expression of a number of sexually differentiated hepatic proteins is primarily determined by these plasma GH profiles and only secondarily regulated by gonadal hormones. An important subset of these sexually dimorphic proteins is cytochrome P450s. CYP3A10/6 beta-hydroxylase is a cytochrome P450 that catalyzes the 6 beta-hydroxylation of lithocholic acid. CYP3A10/6 beta-hydroxylase is expressed only in male hamsters; however, mimicking the male GH secretion pattern in females induces expression of the gene to male levels. Using chimeric CYP3A10/6 beta-hydroxylase promoter/luciferase reporter genes transfected into hamster primary hepatocytes, we have shown a GH-mediated induction of promoter activity. A combination of 5'-deletion constructs, heterologous promoter constructs, and specific mutagenesis was used to localize the DNA element involved in the GH-mediated regulation of CYP3A10/6 beta-hydroxylase promoter activity, which resembles a STAT binding site. Footprint and gel shift analyses confirmed that the expression of the protein binding to this site is regulated by GH and that the DNA-protein complex can be partially supershifted by anti-STAT-5 antibodies. This protein is 50% more abundant in male than in female hamster livers, is absent in hypophysectomized female livers, and is restored when hypophysectomized females are injected with GH in a manner that masculinizes female hamsters in terms of CYP3A10/6 beta-hydroxylase expression. The system characterized and described here is ideally suited for dissecting the molecular details governing the sexually dimorphic expression of liver-specific genes.
Effects of simvastatin and carnitine versus simvastatin on lipoprotein(a) and apoprotein(a) in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Aim: The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of simvastatin and L-carnitine coadministration versus simvastatin monotherapy on lipid profile, lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) and apoprotein(a) (Apo(a)) levels in type II diabetic patients. Patients/methods: In this double-blind, randomized clinical trial, 75 patients were assigned to one of two treatment groups for 4 months. Group A received simvastatin monotherapy; group B received L-carnitine and simvastatin. The following variables were assessed at baseline, after washout and at 1, 2, 3 and 4 months of treatment: body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, Apolipoprotein A1, Apo B, lipoprotein(a) and apoprotein(a). Results: At the end of treatment in the carnitine and simvastatin combined group compared with the simvastatin alone group, we observed a significant decrease in glycemia (p < 0.001), tryglicerides (p < 0.001), Apo B (p < 0.05), Lp(a) (p < 0.05), apo(a) (p < 0.05), while HDL significantly increased (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The coadministration of carnitine and simvastatin resulted in a significant reduction in Lp(a) and apo(a) and may represent a new therapeutic option in reducing plasma Lp(a) levels, LDL cholesterol and Apo B100.
Pathogen Identification and Evaluation of Chickpea Varieties for Resistance Against the Pathogens in West Shewa, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) is one of the economically important grain legume crops in Africa particularly in Ethiopia which widely grown in marginal soils and usually as rotational crops in highland and semi-highland regions of the country and also as a source of cash to the farmers and foreign currency in Ethiopia. However, its production is affected by many pest and diseases. Among them wilt or root rot diseases are considered as the major problems in chickpea production. Therefore, the present study was conducted to identify chickpea wilt or root rot causing pathogens and evaluate of chickpea varieties resistance against identified pathogens in West Shewa, Oromia regional state, Ethiopia. The pathogenicity test revealed that three fungal pathogens, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani and Rhizoctonia bataticola were identified as wilt/root rot causing pathogens. The percentage frequency of occurrence of Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani and Rhizoctonia bataticola regardless of the districts were 50.7%, 26.76% and 14.08%, respectively. Among seven chickpea varieties, host resistance were evaluated against the identified wilt /root rot causing fungal pathogens, the variety, Arerti was the only resistant to all identified wilt causing pathogenic isolates. The varieties, Arerti and Shasho were resistant and Habru was moderately resistant reaction to Fusarium oxysporum. But local and Dz-10-4 cultivars were found to be highly susceptible. The cultivars, Arerti, Acos dube and Dz-10-4 were found to be resistant and Shasho and Chefe were moderately resistant to Rhizoctonia bataticola. Except Arerti variety, all inoculated varieties were susceptible to Fusarium solani isolate. Only local variety was highly susceptible to all identified pathogenic isolates. The remaining varieties were susceptible to tested pathogenic isolates with varying degrees. Therefore, from the artificial inoculation test, resistance of chickpea varieties to specific isolates could be further deployed for sustainable wilt or root rots management. Further, the effective and feasible integrated management options need to be developed on chickpea wilt /root rot diseases in the country. Keywords : Chickpea Wilt or Root rots Pathogens, isolation, varieties, host resistance. DOI : 10.7176/ALST/73-04 Publication date : April 30 th 2019
An Economist's Perspective on Student Loans in the United States

In this paper, I provide an economic perspective on policy issues related to student debt in the United States. I lay out the economic rationale for government provision of student loans, summarize time trends in student borrowing, describe the US loan market, then turn to topics central to the policy discussion of student loans: whether there is a student debt crisis, the costs and benefits of interest subsidies, and the suitability of an income-based repayment system for student loans. I close with a discussion of the gaps in the data required to fully analyze and steer student-loan policy.
Instant Oatmeal Increases Satiety and Reduces Energy Intake Compared to a Ready-to-Eat Oat-Based Breakfast Cereal: A Randomized Crossover Trial

Background: Foods that enhance satiety can help consumers to resist environmental cues to eat and help adherence to calorie restriction. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of 2 oat-based breakfast cereals on appetite, satiety, and food intake. Methods: Forty-eight healthy individuals, 18 years of age or older, were enrolled in a randomized, crossover trial. Subjects consumed isocaloric servings of either oatmeal or an oat-based ready-to-eat breakfast cereal (RTEC) in random order at least a week apart. Visual analogue scales measuring appetite and satiety were completed before breakfast and throughout the morning. Lunch was served 4 hours after breakfast. The physicochemical properties of oat soluble fiber (β-glucan) were determined. Appetite and satiety responses were analyzed by area under the curve. Food intake and β-glucan properties were analyzed using t tests. Results: Oatmeal increased fullness (p = 0.001) and reduced hunger (p = 0.005), desire to eat (p = 0.001), and prospective intake (p = 0.006) more than the RTEC. Energy intake at lunch was lower after eating oatmeal compared to the RTEC (p = 0.012). Oatmeal had higher viscosity (p = 0.03), β-glucan content, molecular weight (p < 0.001), and radius of gyration (p < 0.001) than the RTEC. Conclusions: Oatmeal suppresses appetite, increases satiety, and reduces energy intake compared to the RTEC. The physicochemical properties of β-glucan and sufficient hydration of oats are important factors affecting satiety and subsequent energy intake.
Famotidine Use and Thrombocytopenia in the Trauma Patient

The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence and clinical significance of famotidine-associated thrombocytopenia in the trauma patient population. A retrospective cohort study was performed between January 2003 and May 2009 comparing the consecutive platelet counts of trauma patients treated with intravenous famotidine with a similar group of trauma patients who were not. Patients were excluded if: 1) daily platelets counts for 48 hours were not drawn; 2) if platelet counts were less than 150 X 103/μL on admission or before initiation of famotidine treatment; 3) if patients received heparin or enoxaparin before or during the study period; and 4) if patients were taking famotidine before admission. Platelet counts were then recorded for the day of admission, the day famotidine was started if not on admission, and 24 hours and 48 hours during treatment. Seventy-two of 181 (39.8%) patients treated with famotidine developed thrombocytopenia compared with 23 of 126 (18.3%) untreated patients (P < 0.001). Patients who developed thrombocytopenia were also more likely to have a longer length of stay and higher Injury Severity Scores. Intravenous famotidine therapy was the only variable found to be statistically significant after both univariate and multivariate analysis (P < 0.001 and P = 0.003, respectively). Thrombocytopenia became clinically significant in eight of 181 (4.4%) famotidine-treated patients or 11.1 per cent of those who developed thrombocytopenia. Given these findings, we recommend the use of alternative medications for peptic ulcer prophylaxis in the critically ill trauma patient, especially those who are coagulopathic.
Clinical evaluation of a partial CO2 rebreathing technique for cardiac output monitoring in critically ill patients

Background: Monitoring central hemodynamics is essential in critically ill patients and less invasive techniques are needed. In this study, the clinical and technical performance of a new non‐invasive cardiac output monitor (NICO) based on partial CO2 rebreathing technique and a modified Fick equation were evaluated. The various sources of possible errors in measurement of cardiac output (CO), carbon dioxide production (V˙CO2) and pulmonary shunt were also assessed.
Impact of necrotizing enterocolitis on length of stay and hospital charges in very low birth weight infants.

OBJECTIVE To determine the impact of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) on length of stay and hospital charges. DESIGN Case-control study. SETTING Two neonatal intensive care units in an academic medical center. PATIENTS Infants born in 1992--1994 with birth weight <1500 g, matched by gestational age, hospital, and month of birth. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS. We performed odds ratio and t testing. As with previous studies, there was no single factor that increased the risk for developing NEC. However, the diagnosis of NEC increased the risk for death, infection, and the need for central line placement. Infants with surgical NEC had lengths of stay that exceeded those of controls by 60 days, whereas lengths of stay among infants with medical NEC exceeded those of controls by 22 days. Based on length of stay, the estimated total hospital charges for infants with surgical NEC averaged $186 200 in excess of those for controls and $73 700 more for infants with medical NEC. The yearly additional hospital charges for NEC were $6.5 million or $216 666 per survivor. CONCLUSIONS A diagnosis of NEC in the very low birth weight infant imposes a significant additional financial burden to the individual patient as well as the neonatal community as a whole. This expense justifies additional research into preventive measures and potentially costly therapies aimed at reducing the incidence of NEC. These data also provide an estimated cost to compare the cost effectiveness of new preventive measures for NEC.
Experiences of hospitalization in patients with multiple sclerosis: A qualitative study

Background: Patients with multiple sclerosis experience hospitalization several times in their lives. Certainly, providing efficient and high-quality care by healthcare professionals is not possible unless the experiences of patients’ hospitalization are taken into consideration. This qualitative study was aimed to identify experiences of patients with multiple sclerosis in their hospitalization. Materials and Methods: A qualitative content analysis method was used to conduct this study. The study participants were 25 patients with multiple sclerosis, who were chosen by purposeful sampling. Data were collected through non-structured interviews. Results: The analysis resulted in the emergence of 4 themes and 11 subthemes. The main themes were: Religiosity, emotional reactions, seeking support, and feeling of being in a cage. Conclusions: Awareness of families and healthcare providers of the reactions of patients with multiple sclerosis to hospitalization will help them to deal effectively with patients and to improve relationships with them. However, by understanding the patients’ experiences, the practitioners gain expertise and can join in the patients’ health journey in a therapeutic way during the hospitalization period. In addition, the findings can serve to create a framework for developing nursing care processes including informational and supporting programs for multiple sclerosis patients during hospitalization while taking into consideration patients’ needs and cultural backgrounds.
Amyloid β-Protein Dimers Rapidly Form Stable Synaptotoxic Protofibrils

Nonfibrillar, water-soluble low-molecular weight assemblies of the amyloid β-protein (Aβ) are believed to play an important role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aqueous extracts of human brain contain Aβ assemblies that migrate on SDS-polyacrylamide gels and elute from size exclusion as dimers (∼8 kDa) and can block long-term potentiation and impair memory consolidation in the rat. Such species are detected specifically and sensitively in extracts of Alzheimer brain suggesting that SDS-stable dimers may be the basic building blocks of AD-associated synaptotoxic assemblies. Consequently, understanding the structure and properties of Aβ dimers is of great interest. In the absence of sufficient brain-derived dimer to facilitate biophysical analysis, we generated synthetic dimers designed to mimic the natural species. For this, Aβ(1-40) containing cysteine in place of serine 26 was used to produce disulphide cross-linked dimer, (AβS26C)2. Such dimers had no detectable secondary structure, produced an analytical ultracentrifugation profile consistent for an ∼8.6 kDa protein, and had no effect on hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). However, (AβS26C)2 aggregated more rapidly than either AβS26C or wild-type monomers and formed parastable β-sheet rich, thioflavin T-positive, protofibril-like assemblies. Whereas wild-type Aβ aggregated to form typical amyloid fibrils, the protofibril-like structures formed by (AβS26C)2 persisted for prolonged periods and potently inhibited LTP in mouse hippocampus. These data support the idea that Aβ dimers may stabilize the formation of fibril intermediates by a process distinct from that available to Aβ monomer and that higher molecular weight prefibrillar assemblies are the proximate mediators of Aβ toxicity.
Awareness of Rational Medication Use and Antibiotic Self- Medication Practices among Undergraduate Students in a University in Sri Lanka

Purpose : To evaluate the practice of self-medication and evaluate the knowledge of rational use of antibiotics among undergraduate students of University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Method : A cross-sectional, recall study was conducted among the university student population who practice self-medication in the study location. Stratified, random sampling technique was used to distribute 246 questionnaires in eight faculties of the institution. The response rate was 71%, and 175 completed questionnaires were analyzed to determine significant differences and correlation with different variables. Results : A majority of the study sample were females (54%), aged 23 - 25 years (46.9%). The most frequently used antibiotic was amoxicillin (95.4%). Common cold with fever was the disease condition treated by a large majority (84.9%). Knowledge on dose, frequency, duration and side-effects of antibiotics among students was moderate, with a mean value of 58.3%. There was a significant difference in knowledge on antibiotics between health science and non-health science students although no significant difference was observed in knowledge with respect to gender, academic year and family income. Conclusion : Antibiotic consumption was associated with students’ academic background. This study highlights the need for interventions to assure rational use of antibiotics. Keywords : Antibiotics, Self-medication, Rational use, Undergraduate students, Awareness
Methods for Detecting Paraphrase Plagiarism

Paraphrase plagiarism is one of the difficult challenges facing plagiarism detection systems. Paraphrasing occur when texts are lexically or syntactically altered to look different, but retain their original meaning. Most plagiarism detection systems (many of which are commercial based) are designed to detect word co-occurrences and light modifications, but are unable to detect severe semantic and structural alterations such as what is seen in many academic documents. Hence many paraphrase plagiarism cases go undetected. In this paper, we approached the problem of paraphrase plagiarism by proposing methods for detecting the most common techniques (phenomena) used in paraphrasing texts (namely; lexical substitution, insertion/deletion and word and phrase reordering), and combined the methods into a paraphrase detection model. We evaluated our proposed methods and model on collections containing paraphrase texts. Experimental results show significant improvement in performance when the methods were combined (the proposed model) as opposed to running them individually. The results also show that the proposed paraphrase detection model outperformed a standard baseline (based on greedy string tilling), and previous studies.
Neural Correlates of Auditory Verbal Hallucinations in Schizophrenia and the Therapeutic Response to Theta-Burst Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Abstract Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) are a core symptom of schizophrenia, and resistant to antipsychotic medication in a substantial proportion of patients. This study aimed to investigate the neural correlates of AVHs in schizophrenia patients and its response to a modified continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) by transcranial magnetic stimulation. In a cross-sectional experiment, resting-state functional magnetic resonance images were collected from 31 AVH schizophrenia patients, 26 non-AVH schizophrenia patients, and 33 sex-/age-matched healthy controls (HCs). Functional connectivity strength (FCS) maps were compared among groups by 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). In a longitudinal experiment, 16 and 11 AVH patients received real and sham cTBS treatment for 15 days, respectively. Notably, this was not a randomized control trail. Changes in AVH and FCS were analyzed by 2-way ANOVA and 2-sample t-test, respectively. In the cross-sectional experiment, comparison of FCS maps identified 8 clusters among groups, but only one cluster (in left cerebellum) differed significantly in AVH patients compared to both HCs and non-AVH patients. In the longitudinal experiment, the real cTBS group showed a greater improvement in symptoms and a larger FCS decrease in left cerebellum than the sham group. Pearson’s correlation analysis indicated that baseline FCS of the overlapping cerebellum cluster (between the cross-sectional and longitudinal findings) was negatively correlated with symptom improvement in the real treatment group. These findings emphasize the role of the left cerebellum in both the pathophysiology and clinical treatment of AVHs in schizophrenia patients.