Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Soy isoflavones and bone mineral density in perimenopausal and postmenopausal Western women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have compared the effect of phytoestrogens (PEs) vs. placebos on bone density after menopause, with inconsistent results. METHODS We performed a systematic review to assess the overall effect of PEs on bone mineral density (BMD) in menopausal Western women. We searched for all RCTs comparing PEs with placebos conducted on perimenopausal or postmenopausal Western women, published from January 1990 to February 2010. The main outcome measure was the lumbar spine (LS) BMD. RESULTS We identified 17 studies on soy isoflavone (IFs) bone-sparing effects. Some studies did not report a difference between treated and untreated women, whereas others supported a significant role of IFs on slowing bone loss, although these studies suffered from an internal lack of consistency, as a positive effect emerged in some bone districts but not in others. Data on LS BMD were available in 12 studies including 1433 subjects overall. The effect of PEs on BMD (mg/cm(2)) was not statistically significant (mean difference 9.86 mg/cm(2), 95% confidence interval [CI] -2.64-22.36) under a random-effects model. Excluding the genistein study, however, analyses of IF mixtures did not show a bone-sparing effect (0.73, 95% CI -2.79-4.25). No increasing effect emerged when dose and treatment duration were increased. CONCLUSIONS Our review and meta-analysis suggest that IF mixtures are not effective in decreasing bone loss in perimenopausal and postmenopausal Western women. The role of isolated genistein and individual genetic capacity to metabolize IFs is still open to evaluation.
[Evaluation of the Program for Depression Detection, Diagnosis, and Comprehensive Treatment in primary care in Chile].

OBJECTIVE To conduct a preliminary evaluation of the Program for Depression Detection, Diagnosis, and Comprehensive Treatment, which was developed by the Ministry of Health of Chile. MATERIAL AND METHODS A group of women who had entered the Depression Program in eight primary care centers in three regions of Chile were monitored for three months. The initial sample was made up of 229 women, of whom 169 were able to be interviewed at the end of the three months. Sociodemographic variables, psychosocial risk factors, anxiety and somatic symptoms, and the degree of satisfaction with the care received were studied. Depressive symptoms were evaluated with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The treatments prescribed for the women were also analyzed. RESULTS The clinicians' decision to enroll the patients in the Depression Program was appropriate, with 95.2% of the women having depressive symptoms, according to the BDI. The accuracy in the clinical assessment of the severity of the symptoms was around 50%, with a tendency to underestimate the severity of the depression. The dropout rate for the women was 19.5% at the end of three months of monitoring. Those who dropped out tended to present less severe clinical symptoms (less intense anxiety and somatic symptoms), a smaller number of psychosocial risk factors, and a lower level of satisfaction with the care received. The patients showed good adherence (73.3%) with the pharmacological treatment, but less with the individual psychotherapy (47.4%) and the group psychotherapy (37.8%). A significant decline was seen in the intensity of the depressive symptoms by the end of the three months, with the decline being greater among the women with more serious symptoms. There was also a significant decline in anxiety and somatic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS The preliminary evaluation indicates that the Depression Program is meeting the proposed objectives, although there appears to be a need to develop specific strategies to improve the accuracy of the clinical diagnosis as well as compliance with the treatments that are offered.
Proteomic Analysis Permits the Identification of New Biomarkers of Arterial Wall Remodeling in Hypertension

Hypertension represents one of the main risk factors for vascular diseases. Genetic susceptibility may influence the rate of its development and the associated vascular remodeling. To explore markers of hypertension-related morbidity, we have used surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (SELDI-TOF) mass spectrometry to study changes in proteins released by the aorta of two rat strains with different susceptibilities to hypertension. Fischer and Brown Norway (BN) rats were divided into a control group and a group receiving low-dose N(Q)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a hypertensive drug, interfering with endothelial function. In spite of a significant elevation of blood pressure in both strains in response to L-NAME, BN rats exhibited a lower vascular remodeling in response to hypertension. Proteomic analysis of secreted aortic proteins by SELDI-TOF MS allowed detection of four mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) peaks whose corresponding proteins were identified as ubiquitin, smooth muscle (SM) 22α, thymosin β4, and C-terminal fragment of filamin A, differentially secreted in Fischer rats in response to L-NAME. We have confirmed a strain-dependent difference in susceptibility to L-NAME-induced hypertension between BN and Fischer rats. The greater susceptibility of Fischer rats is associated with aortic wall hypertrophic remodeling, reflected by increased aortic secretion of four identified biomarkers. Similar variations in one of them, SM22α, also were observed in plasma, suggesting that this marker could be used to assess vascular damage induced by hypertension.
Aortic aneurysm repair with endovascular grafts: Developing a graft surveillance program

The objective of this study was to describe the development of a comprehensive surveillance program for monitoring the long‐term follow‐up of endoluminal stent graft (ELG) patients. Despite high procedural success rates, ELG patients remain at ongoing risk for aneurysm sac expansion, rupture, and other adverse events that make long‐term surveillance imperative. As they perform more ELG, practitioners face increased logistical difficulty performing appropriate patient follow‐up. A computer‐based data ELG registry was created using Epi Info, a program developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that enables users to design a data entry form, enter data, and perform statistical analyses. The database has been used to track 259 patients (214 men and 45 women) who underwent ELG between November 1999 and October 2003. One‐year follow‐up was available for 182 patients, 2‐year follow‐up for 104 patients, and 3‐year surveillance data for 40 patients, which represent follow‐up rates of 89.6%, 78.8%, and 61.5%, respectively. There were 25 late deaths. The Kaplan‐Meier estimate for 1‐year survival was 92.5%. Twenty‐one patients underwent 24 secondary angiographic procedures at a mean 8.6 ± 10.3 months (range, 1–37.6) after stent‐graft repair. No mortality was observed in association with a secondary intervention. There were no late conversions to open aneurysm repair. The Kaplan‐Meier estimate for freedom from secondary intervention for all patients at 1 year was 91.0%. A computer‐based registry facilitates appropriate and timely patient follow‐up and may improve the long‐term outcome from ELG. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2004;62:252–261. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Making Memories: A Cross-Sectional Investigation of Episodic Memory Encoding in Childhood Using fMRI

In adults, the neural substrate associated with encoding memories connected to a specific time and place include the prefrontal cortex and medial temporal lobe (MTL). Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, this research studied the developmental trajectory of this frontal-MTL system by comparing 7- and 8-year-old children to those who were 10 or older in conditions that promoted episodic encoding. In 1 condition, participants generated verbs from nouns heard; in another, they listened to short stories for comprehension. Regions in which brain activation predicted subsequent recognition memory performance were identified. These included the left prefrontal cortex, but not MTL, in the verb generation condition for both age groups. In the story comprehension condition, activation in left posterior MTL predicted subsequent memory performance in both age groups, and activation in left anterior MTL (including the hippocampus proper) and left prefrontal cortex predicted subsequent memory only for the older children. These results illustrate both similarities and differences in how brain systems interact in development to mediate the formation of episodic memories.
Anticipatory activation in the amygdala and anterior cingulate in generalized anxiety disorder and prediction of treatment response.

OBJECTIVE The anticipation of adverse outcomes, or worry, is a cardinal symptom of generalized anxiety disorder. Prior work with healthy subjects has shown that anticipating aversive events recruits a network of brain regions, including the amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex. This study tested whether patients with generalized anxiety disorder have alterations in anticipatory amygdala function and whether anticipatory activity in the anterior cingulate cortex predicts treatment response. METHOD Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed with 14 generalized anxiety disorder patients and 12 healthy comparison subjects matched for age, sex, and education. The event-related fMRI paradigm was composed of one warning cue that preceded aversive pictures and a second cue that preceded neutral pictures. Following the fMRI session, patients received 8 weeks of treatment with extended-release venlafaxine. RESULTS Patients with generalized anxiety disorder showed greater anticipatory activity than healthy comparison subjects in the bilateral dorsal amygdala preceding both aversive and neutral pictures. Building on prior reports of pretreatment anterior cingulate cortex activity predicting treatment response, anticipatory activity in that area was associated with clinical outcome 8 weeks later following treatment with venlafaxine. Higher levels of pretreatment anterior cingulate cortex activity in anticipation of both aversive and neutral pictures were associated with greater reductions in anxiety and worry symptoms. CONCLUSIONS These findings of heightened and indiscriminate amygdala responses to anticipatory signals in generalized anxiety disorder and of anterior cingulate cortex associations with treatment response provide neurobiological support for the role of anticipatory processes in the pathophysiology of generalized anxiety disorder.
TRPC6-mediated ERK1/2 Activation Regulates Neuronal Excitability via Subcellular Kv4.3 Localization in the Rat Hippocampus

Recently, we have reported that transient receptor potential channel-6 (TRPC6) plays an important role in the regulation of neuronal excitability and synchronization of spiking activity in the dentate granule cells (DGC). However, the underlying mechanisms of TRPC6 in these phenomena have been still unclear. In the present study, we investigated the role of TRPC6 in subcellular localization of Kv4.3 and its relevance to neuronal excitability in the rat hippocampus. TRPC6 knockdown increased excitability and inhibitory transmission in the DGC and the CA1 neurons in response to a paired-pulse stimulus. However, TRPC6 knockdown impaired γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic inhibition in the hippocampus during and after high-frequency stimulation (HFS). TRPC6 knockdown reduced the Kv4.3 clusters in membrane fractions and its dendritic localization on DGC and GABAergic interneurons. TRPC6 knockdown also decreased extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation and the efficacy of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) in neuronal excitability. An ERK1/2 inhibitor generated multiple population spikes in response to a paired-pulse stimulus, concomitant with reduced membrane Kv4.3 translocation. A TRPC6 activator (hyperforin) reversed the effects of TRPC knockdown, except paired-pulse inhibition. These findings provide valuable clues indicating that TRPC6-mediated ERK1/2 activation may regulate subcellular Kv4.3 localization in DGC and interneurons, which is cause-effect relationship between neuronal excitability and seizure susceptibility.
CD69 Controls the Pathogenesis of Allergic Airway Inflammation1

Airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness are central issues in the pathogenesis of asthma. CD69 is a membrane molecule transiently expressed on activated lymphocytes, and its selective expression in inflammatory infiltrates suggests that it plays a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. In CD69-deficient mice, OVA-induced eosinophilic airway inflammation, mucus hyperproduction, and airway hyperresponsiveness were attenuated. Cell transfer of Ag-primed wild-type but not CD69-deficient CD4 T cells restored the induction of allergic inflammation in CD69-deficient mice, indicating a critical role of CD69 expressed on CD4 T cells. Th2 responses induced by CD69-deficient CD4 T cells in the lung were attenuated, and the migration of CD4 T cells into the asthmatic lung was severely compromised. The expression of VCAM-1 was also substantially altered, suggesting the involvement of VCAM-1 in the CD69-dependent migration of Th2 cells into the asthmatic lung. Interestingly, the administration of anti-CD69 Ab inhibited the induction of the OVA-induced airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness. This inhibitory effect induced by the CD69 mAb was observed even after the airway challenge with OVA. These results indicate that CD69 plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of allergen-induced eosinophilic airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness and that CD69 could be a possible therapeutic target for asthmatic patients.
Science Use in Regulatory Impact Analysis: The Effects of Political Attention and Controversy

Scholars, policymakers, and research sponsors have long sought to understand the conditions under which scientific research is used in the policymaking process. Recent research has identified a resource that can be used to trace the use of science across time and many policy domains. US federal agencies are mandated by executive order to justify all economically significant regulations by regulatory impact analyses (RIAs), in which they present evidence of the scientific underpinnings and consequences of the proposed rule. To gain new insight into when and how regulators invoke science in their policy justifications, we ask: does the political attention and controversy surrounding a regulation affect the extent to which science is utilized in RIAs? We examine scientific citation activity in all 101 economically significant RIAs from 2008-2012 and evaluate the effects of attention -- from the public, policy elites and the media -- on the degree of science use in RIAs. Our main finding is that regulators draw more heavily on scientific research when justifying rules subject to a high degree of attention from outside actors. These findings suggest that scientific research plays an important role in the justification of regulations, especially those that are highly salient to the public and other policy actors.
WhatsApp at Tertiary Education Institutions in Nigeria: The Dichotomy of Academic Disruption or Academic Performance Enhancer?

The purpose of this study is to investigate how WhatsApp disrupt or enhance students’ academic performance. This study relied on a qualitative approach to investigate WhatsApp as both an academic disruptor and academic performance enhancer in tertiary education institutions. Participants were selected from two universities namely public and state universities. Snowball purposive sampling allowed for the selection of twenty students capable of providing deep insight into WhatsApp and education with informed consent. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Findings revealed that WhatsApp can cause academic disruption through addiction to non-educational communities, but also, it can enhance academic performance through building and improving students’ community of learning. The study concluded that institutions, lecturers and literate friends and family members can enhance students' academic performance through WhatsApp functions by expanding the community of learning to enable them to acquire and share knowledge, therefore, the study calls for a wider use of WhatsApp to enhance academic performance and students via a focus on a community of learning.
Effects of MRI Contrast Agents on the Stem Cell Phenotype

The ultimate therapy for ischemic stroke is restoration of blood supply in the ischemic region and regeneration of lost neural cells. This might be achieved by transplanting cells that differentiate into vascular or neuronal cell types, or secrete trophic factors that enhance self-renewal, recruitment, long-term survival, and functional integration of endogenous stem/progenitor cells. Experimental stroke models have been developed to determine potential beneficial effect of stem/progenitor cell-based therapies. To follow the fate of grafted cells in vivo, a number of noninvasive imaging approaches have been developed. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a high-resolution, clinically relevant method allowing in vivo monitoring of cells labeled with contrast agents. In this study, labeling efficiency of three different stem cell populations [mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC), rat multipotent adult progenitor cells (rMAPC), and mouse mesenchymal stem cells (mMSC)] with three different (ultra)small superparamagnetic iron oxide [(U)SPIO] particles (Resovist®, Endorem®, Sinerem®) was compared. Labeling efficiency with Resovist® and Endorem® differed significantly between the different stem cells. Labeling with (U)SPIOs in the range that allows detection of cells by in vivo MRI did not affect differentiation of stem cells when labeled with concentrations of particles needed for MRI-based visualization. Finally, we demonstrated that labeled rMAPC could be detected in vivo and that labeling did not interfere with their migration. We conclude that successful use of (U)SPIOs for MRI-based visualization will require assessment of the optimal (U)SPIO for each individual (stem) cell population to ensure the most sensitive detection without associated toxicity.
Company’s Sustainability and Accounting Conservatism: Firms Delisting from KOSDAQ

This paper finds evidence that delisting firms make reported earnings more conservative to avoid litigation risk. Conservatism has been used as one of suitable reporting quality measurements that is separate from discretionary accruals, in that investors can monitor the firm’s contract efficiency or litigation risk by demanding conservatism. We collect a sample that is composed of 6348 listed non-financial companies for the period 2009–2016. Our results are as follows. First, we find that companies ahead of delisting are more conservative than other companies in Korean Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (KOSDAQ). Second, companies that are ahead of delisting whose auditor is non-big4 are significantly more conservative. Our results imply that companies that are in the process of delisting are seeking to increase their sustainability and to improve earnings quality, such as conservatism, and that small auditors are more conservative in order to mitigate the higher risk of litigation in comparison with big4 auditors. This study has a role to complement prior studies regarding delisting, and provides that the delisting institutions in KOSDAQ market can improve the efficiency and the reliability of the capital market.
Testing criminological theories beyond the West: evidence from Czechia during and after transition

ABSTRACT While the theories of social disorganization and routine activities receive considerable support in explaining crime in Western Europe and America, their applicability to other geographical contexts remains largely unexplored. To fill this gap, this paper presents empirical evidence from a Central European post-socialist country, Czechia. Regression analyses at the level of administrative districts are used to identify the key variables affecting property and violent crime during the transformation from socialism to democracy during the 1990s and in the post-transformation period after 2010. Contrary to the Western and some other post-socialist contexts, the theories receive little support in the context of present-day Czechia. Reasons for the limited applicability of the theories to the Czech post-transformation setting are discussed.
Phase I trial of 13-cis-retinoic acid in children with neuroblastoma following bone marrow transplantation.

PURPOSE Treatment of neuroblastoma cell lines with 13-cis-retinoic acid (cis-RA) can cause sustained inhibition of proliferation. Since cis-RA has demonstrated clinical responses in neuroblastoma patients, it may be effective in preventing relapse after cytotoxic therapy. This phase I trial was designed to determine the maximal-tolerated dosage (MTD), toxicities, and pharmacokinetics of cis-RA administered on an intermittent schedule in children with neuroblastoma following bone marrow transplantation (BMT). PATIENTS AND METHODS Fifty-one assessable patients, 2 to 12 years of age, were treated with oral cis-RA administered in two equally divided doses daily for 2 weeks, followed by a 2-week rest period, for up to 12 courses. The dose was escalated from 100 to 200 mg/m2/d until dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was observed. A single intrapatient dose escalation was permitted. RESULTS The MTD of cis-RA was 160 mg/m2/d. Dose-limiting toxicities in six of nine patients at 200 mg/m2/d included hypercalcemia (n = 3), rash (n = 2), and anemia/thrombocytopenia/emesis/rash (n = 1). All toxicities resolved after cis-RA was discontinued. Three complete responses were observed in marrow metastases. Serum levels of 7.4 +/- 3.0 mumol/L (peak) and 4.0 +/- 2.8 mumol/L (trough) at the MTD were maintained during 14 days of therapy. The DLT correlated with serum levels > or = 10 mumol/L. CONCLUSION The MTD of cis-RA given on this intermittent schedule was 160 mg/m2/d. Serum levels known to be effective against neuroblastoma in vitro were achieved at this dose. The DLT included hypercalcemia, and may be predicted by serum cis-RA levels. Monitoring of serum calcium and cis-RA levels is indicated in future trials.