Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vildagliptin, a DPP-4 inhibitor for the twice-daily treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus with or without metformin

Introduction: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors increase circulating levels of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose dependent insulinotropic polypeptide regulating glucose-dependent insulin secretion. In addition, GLP-1 suppresses glucagon secretion, delays gastric emptying and increases satiety. The combination of vildagliptin with the biguanide metformin is of particular interest because of its complementary mode of action, addressing insulin resistance, alpha- and beta cell function in the islet of the pancreas. Areas covered: Because of the abundance of data supporting the use of vildagliptin alone and in combination with metformin, the present paper aims at giving an overview on the current evidence for its use in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Expert opinion: The data suggest that vildagliptin offers similar glycemic control compared to sulfonylureas and thiazolidinediones, while having the benefit of being associated with fewer cases of hypoglycemia and less body weight gain. There is increasing evidence that compared with sulfonylureas, vildagliptin has favorable effects on pancreatic alpha- and beta-cell function. Vildagliptin in combination with metformin, improve glycemic control with a favorable safety and tolerability profile, making it an attractive therapeutic option in patients where metformin monotherapy alone is not sufficient.
The relationship between ABO histo‐blood group, factor VIII and von Willebrand factor

ABO histo‐blood group is a major determinant of plasma levels of factor VIII (FVIII) and von Willebrand factor (vWF). Blood group O individuals have significantly (approximately 25%) lower plasma levels of both glycoproteins. This association is of clinical significance. Low plasma levels of either FVIII or vWF have long been established as causes of excess bleeding. Conversely, there is accumulating evidence that elevated FVIII–vWF levels may represent an important risk factor for ischaemic heart disease and venous thromboembolic disease. In spite of the well‐documented association between ABO blood group and FVIII–vWF levels, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. However, it has been established that the ABO effect is primarily mediated through a direct functional effect of the ABO locus on plasma vWF levels.
Article : Role of adipokines in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. The increased prevalence of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hypertriglyceridaemia and hypercholesterolemia are considered to be the potential causative factors for NAFLD. NAFLD is emerging as a major clinical problem worldwide. Recently much attention has been focused in India as the prevalence of obesity and diabetes is rising. NAFLD is responsible for unexplained raise in transaminases, and an important cause of cryptogenic cirrhosis and cryptogenic hepatocellular carcinoma in India. NAFLD is a spectrum of disease ranging from simple steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), potentially leading to fibrosis and cirrhosis. Studies have suggested that the adipokines are involved in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and its progression to NASH, through their metabolic and proor anti-inflammatory activity. Adipokines in particular tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 are believed to mediate the shift in pathology from steatosis to steatohepatitis. In addition, other adipokines such as adiponectin, leptin and resistin also play a crucial role in the development and progression of NAFLD through their metabolic and pro–or anti-inflammatory activity. This suggests that imbalance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines may have a role in the development of liver damage in NAFLD. Understanding the relationship between adipokines and NAFLD may play an important role in the early identification/diagnosis, treatment and also help in preventing disease progression.
Gender differences in determinants of suicidal ideation in French-speaking community living elderly in Canada

ABSTRACT Background: To inform public health suicide prevention and mental health promotion campaigns, this study will carry out gender-specific analyses to ascertain the determinants of suicidal ideation or death thoughts in a large representative sample of community dwelling older adults. Methods: Data used in this study were from the ESA survey (Enquête sur la Santé des Aînés – Survey on the Health of the Elderly) on a large representative sample of community dwelling older adults (n = 2,494). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to study the association between suicidal ideation, mental health service, and antidepressant use and a number of clinical and socio-demographic factors. Results: The prevalence of suicidal ideation reached 6.3%. The findings of this study show that the presence of suicidal ideation in females is associated with younger age, single or widowed status, the reporting of daily life stressors, and chronic conditions as well as the presence of major or minor depression in the past year. In males, suicidal ideation is associated with older age, single or widowed status, and depression. Furthermore, suicidal ideation is significantly associated with antidepressant use in females but not males and this after controlling for a number of clinical factors. Conclusion: Although no gender differences are observed between suicidal ideation and mental health service use, females with suicidal ideation are more likely to be dispensed antidepressants than males with suicidal ideation. Future research should focus on gender-specific determinants of antidepressant and mental health service use associated with suicidal ideation.
HIV/AIDS and Other Household Shocks as Catalysts of Local Commercialization of Non‐Timber Forest Products in Southern Africa

Local trade in non-timber forest products (NTFPs) is increasing globally, yet the causes have been little studied. We examine household shock as a driver of NTFP trade in five southern African countries, with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS related illness and death. Over the past two years 95% of trader households had experienced at least one shock, with family illness and death recorded for 68% and 42% of households, respectively. Almost 40% had entered the trade because of HIV/AIDS related shocks. Additional shocks included natural disasters, crop pests or failure and livestock loss. The sale of NTFPs was the third-most common coping strategy, after kinship and agricultural adjustments. Coping strategies differed between sites and type of shock. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Mobile Phone Customer Loyalty in Thailand: A Path Analysis Case Study

Research was reviewed globally from mobile/cellular carriers to develop the six antecedents (customer satisfaction, perceived service quality, customer trust, corporate image, perceived value, and perceived switching costs) contributing to mobile customer loyalty in Thailand. Data were drawn from interviews with 515 Thai mobile users, who were asked about customer satisfaction, service quality perceptions, and customer loyalty. Findings suggest that perceived service quality and value have a direct positive influence on customer satisfaction: if the customer’s perception of service quality and customer satisfaction is high, it has a strong influence on customer loyalty. Additionally, if the perceived service quality is high, it has a direct impact on perceived value and customer satisfaction, in terms of price, value, terms, and reasonable carrier services. Finally, perception regarding switching costs is recognized in non-monetary terms and plays a key role in influencing customer loyalty.
Inadequacy of Standard Screen Resolution for Localization of Seizures Recorded from Intracranial Electrodes

Summary: Seizures recorded during long‐term monitoring with implanted intracranial electrodes are typically interpreted by visual inspection alone by using digital display systems. When high‐frequency activity is digitized and displayed on a typical monitor, it is altered in ways that are not always appreciated and that may have an impact on the intracranial EEG (ICEEG) interpretation. We describe a case of a neocortical‐onset seizure in which false localization occurred with a 12‐s per screen display. Because frequencies in excess of 100 Hz are not uncommon in neocortical seizures, at most 4 to 5 s of EEG, depending on the screen resolution, data‐sampling rate, and other factors, should be displayed at one time during visual interpretation to localize the seizure onset. Alternatively, spectral analysis should be performed on recordings of neocortical seizures to detect high‐frequency activity that may be missed on visual inspection.
Mechanical and Antibacterial Bowel Preparation in Colon and Rectal Surgery

Colorectal surgery performed prior to 1970 was fraught with postoperative infectious complications which occurred in more than 30–50% of all operations. Diversion of the fecal stream appeared mandatory when operating on an urgent or emergent basis, thereby requiring the performance of multiple, staged operations instead of a single surgery encompassing resection and primary anastomosis as is performed commonly today. Multiple studies conducted in the early 1970s determined that anaerobic colonic microflora were causative agents in postoperative infections in colon and rectal surgery, and these studies initiated the development of effective oral preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in combination with preoperative mechanical bowel preparation. This dual-tier regimen significantly reduced the incidence of postoperative infectious complications, thus allowing most uncomplicated colon and rectal surgeries to be performed in a single stage without the need for the diversion of the fecal stream and multiple operations. Therefore, a preoperative mechanical and antibacterial bowel regimen serves as the cornerstone of modern elective colorectal surgery, and these regimens now comprise three therapeutic directives. The first step is preoperative mechanical cleansing of the bowel, which is then followed by preoperative oral antibiotic prophylaxis. Finally, perioperative parenteral antibiotics directed against aerobic and anaerobic colonic microflora are utilized.
Paraoxonase 1 192/55 Gene Polymorphisms in Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract: An esterase, paraoxonase 1 (PON1), protects against organophosphate neurotoxicity and decreases lipoprotein oxidation. Two polymorphisms of PON1 [192 (R or Q) and 55 (M or L)] exist and are associated with coronary artery disease. We have previously shown that serum PON1 activity (PON1a) is lower in vascular dementia (VaD) than in Alzheimer's disease (AD), suggesting that PON1a may distinguish VaD from AD. As PON1 polymorphism modifies PON1a, we determined 192 and 55 PON1 polymorphisms by sequence‐specific primer PCR in 64 healthy subjects (HS; mean age: 79.5 ± 6.3 years; 38 women) and in 72 patients (mean age: 80.2 ± 6.8 years; 51 women) undergoing cognitive evaluations. According to DSM‐IV/NINCDS/ADRDA/NINDS/AIREN criteria, 45 patients (mean age: 80.0 ± 7.2 years, 34 women) had AD and 27 patients (mean age: 79.8 ± 6.6 years, 16 women) had VaD. We also measured serum PON1a by spectrophotometry. No significant differences in phenotype distributions among the three study groups were detected by χ2 test. Among the variables, age, sex, and phenotypes 192 and 55, logistic regression selected only polymorphism 192, but not 55, as a discriminating factor between AD and VaD (p < 0.05). Substitution of serum PON1a for genotype yielded a similar result. PON1 polymorphism 192 appears to be a reliable marker to distinguish patients with AD from patients with VaD and from healthy subjects. Changes in 192 polymorphism distributions in AD and in VaD may at least partially explain the significant difference in PON1a in these two types of dementia.
Cross–National Collaboration of Marketing Personnel within a Multinational: Leveraging Customer Participation for New Product Advantage

Multinational success in building new product advantage through customer participation is contingent on a multinational's ability to understand the moderating influence of cross-national collaboration of its marketing personnel. The findings from a survey of global marketing managers indicate that customer participation as an information source positively influences new product advantage, but this effect is dampened when cross-national collaboration within a multinational is high. However, customer participation as a codeveloper positively influences new product advantage only when the level of cross-national collaboration is high. The contrasting moderating effects of cross-national collaboration have important implications for international marketing theory and practice.
Visual and cognitive deficits predict stopping or restricting driving: the Salisbury Eye Evaluation Driving Study (SEEDS).

PURPOSE To determine the visual and other factors that predict stopping or restricting driving in older drivers. METHODS A group of 1425 licensed drivers aged 67 to 87 years, who were residents of greater Salisbury, participated. At 1 year after enrollment, this group was categorized into those who had stopped driving, drove only within their neighborhood, or continued to drive beyond their neighborhood. At baseline, a battery of structured questionnaires, vision, and cognitive tests were administered. Multivariate analysis determined the factors predictive of stopping or restricting driving 12 months later. RESULTS Of the 1425 enrolled, 1237 (87%) were followed up at 1 year. Excluding those who were already limiting their driving at baseline (n = 35), 1.5% (18/1202) had stopped and 3.4% (41/1202) had restricted their driving. The women (odds ratio [OR], 4.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.05-8.20) and those who prefer to be driven (OR, 3.91; 95% CI, 1.91-8.00) were more likely to stop or restrict driving. Depressive symptoms increased likelihood of restricting or stopping driving (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.009-1.16 per point Geriatric Depression Scale). Slow visual scanning and psychomotor speed (Trail Making Test, Part A: OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.03), poor visuoconstructional skills (Beery-Buktenica Test of Visual Motor Integration: OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05-1.25), and reduced contrast sensitivity (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.03-1.28) predicted stopping or reducing driving. Visual field loss and visual attention were not associated. The effect of vision on changing driving behavior was partially mediated by cognition, depression, and baseline driving preferences. CONCLUSIONS In this cohort, contrast sensitivity and cognitive function were independently associated with incident cessation or restriction of driving space. These data suggest drivers with functional deficits make difficult decisions to restrict or stop driving.
Schakels of obstakels? Nederlandse politieke partijen en de eensgezindheid, verdeeldheid en representativiteit van partijleden

Approximately 2.5% of the electorate in the Netherlands is member of a political party. This modestly sized group plays an important role in representative democracies: members are part of the electorate and of their party and function as intermediaries between voters and elected officials. There is, however, debate as to the role of party members. The impression exists that members of the same party are internally divided over important political issues, that it is largely impossible to distinguish between members of different parties substantively, and that members differ in terms of views and backgrounds, and thereby drive a wedge between voters and elected officials. Based on the Leyden Party Member Survey, this study investigates how internally cohesive, externally different and representative in terms of membership Dutch parties are. This study’s findings suggest, at least for the Netherlands, that the view that party members are obstacles is factually incorrect. In general, party members are internally quite cohesive and adopt a shared, substantive position that differentiates from the position of members of other parties. Although their demographic profile deviates, members’ substantive views are congruent with those of the voters and MPs of their party.
Molecular cloning and expression of bothrojaracin, a potent thrombin inhibitor from snake venom.

Bothrojaracin is a potent and selective thrombin inhibitor that has been isolated from the venom of Bothrops jararaca. It does not interact with the catalytic site of the enzyme but binds to both anion-binding exosites 1 and 2 resulting in a potent inhibition of thrombin activity towards fibrinogen and platelets [Zingali, R. B. , Jandrot-Perrus, M. , Guillin, M. C. & Bon, C. (1993) Biochemistry 32, 10794-108021. Bothrojaracin is a 27-kDa protein composed of two disulfide-linked polypeptide chains, A and B, of 15 kDa and 13 kDa, respectively. The sequences of A and B chains determined by molecular cloning exhibit a high degree of identity with other snake venom lectin-like proteins. In contrast to other ligands that interact with thrombin exosite 1, the amino acid sequence of bothrojaracin does not contain an acidic sequence similar to the C-terminal tail of hirudin. Expression of functional bothrojaracin was achieved in COS cells upon transfection with two pcDNA3 vectors containing the complete cDNAs. Recombinant bothrojaracin, which was secreted into the medium, was able to bind to and inhibit thrombin. When expressed alone, the B chain formed inactive dimers that were secreted into the culture medium. In contrast, no bothrojaracin-related protein was detected in conditioned media from cells transfected with the A chain.
Liposuction Infiltration: The Quito Formula – a New Approach Based On An Old Concept

INTRODUCTION Liposuction is a highly sought after surgical procedure. Despite its popularity, not all of the factors associated with its execution are well understood. No well-established guidelines exist for plastic surgeons regarding the subcutaneous infiltration of fluid and, thus, the procedure is often performed subjectively. OBJECTIVE To establish the usefulness of the Quito formula (infiltrate volume = weight [kg] × percentage of body surface to be liposuctioned × 2.4 [mL]) for calculating the volume of fluid to be infiltrated subcutaneously during small-volume liposuction performed under epidural anesthesia. METHODS A prospective study was conducted on a group of 50 patients who were candidates for liposuction on multiple body parts between November 2004 and February 2010. RESULTS The maximum volume of infiltrate was 5000 mL and the maximum volume of aspirate was 4500 mL, with a 30% total aspirated area. No patient required blood transfusion, and there were no major complications. However, one patient presented with a small local infection, another with a sacral seroma and two patients had postdural puncture headaches. No patient showed clinical signs consistent with overhydration, dehydration, pulmonary embolism, fat embolism or lidocaine intoxication. CONCLUSIONS When performing small-volume liposuction, subcutaneous infiltration using the Quito formula to calculate the volume of infiltrate proved to be useful, safe and objective.
Patrimonial Economic Voting and Asset Value – New Evidence from Taxation Register Data

Recent research on economic voting has moved beyond the traditional reward–punishment hypothesis, according to which the economy is merely considered a valence issue. Instead, patrimonial economic voting research looks at voters as property owners within the economic system. These studies have relied on survey items that measure whether individuals own different kinds of property to test the patrimonial dimension. This study emphasizes the importance of a surprisingly neglected aspect: the value of assets. It uses official register data files from the Swedish Tax Agency on the value of individuals’ assets merged with survey data from the 2006 Swedish National Election Study. The study finds that the relationship between patrimony and voting behavior in Sweden is similar to that found in other countries, but only when it is tested in a similar way as in these studies – that is, only when it is coded as whether voters own different assets. This study brings three important contributions to the debate. First, it offers a new empirically based categorization of the dimensionality of asset ownership and shows that the previous distinction between low- and high-risk assets is insufficient. Secondly, it shows that merely having assets or not, which is what previous studies have measured, is not what primarily matters; the relevant factor is the value of the assets. And thirdly, it demonstrates that only the value of some kinds of assets matters (especially stocks and real estate properties), while other assets (savings in bonds and funds) do not affect voting behavior or political opinions.
Deletion of the Nontransforming Epstein-Barr Virus Strain P3HR-1 Causes Fusion of the Large Internal Repeat to the DSL Region

The nontransforming Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) strain P3HR-1 is known to have a deletion of sequences of the long unique region adjacent to the large internal repeats. The deleted region is believed to be required for initiation of transformation. To establish a more detailed map of the deletion in P3HR-1 virus, SalI-A of the transforming strain M-ABA and of P3HR-1 virus was cloned into the cosmid vector pHC79 and multiplied in Escherichia coli. The cleavage sites for BamHI, BglII, EcoRI, PstI, SacI, SacII, and XhoI were determined in the recombinant plasmid clones. Analysis of the boundary between large internal repeats and the long unique region showed that in M-ABA (EBV) the transition is different from that in B95-8 virus. The map established for SalI-A of P3HR-1 virus revealed that, in contrast to previous reports, the deletion has a size of 6.5 kilobase pairs. It involves the junction between large internal repeats and the long unique region and includes more than half of the rightmost large internal repeat. The site of the deletion in the long unique region is located between a SacI and a SacII site, about 200 base pairs apart from each other. The sequences neighboring the deletion in the long unique region showed homology to the nonrepeated sequences of the DSR (duplicated sequence, right) region. Sequences of the large internal repeat are thus fused to sequences of the DSL (duplicated sequence, left) region in P3HR-1 virus DNA under elimination of the DSL repeats. Jijoye, the parental Burkitt lymphoma cell line from which the P3HR-1 line is derived by single-cell cloning, is known to produce a transforming virus. Analysis of the Jijoye (EBV) genome with cloned M-ABA (EBV) probes specific for the sequences missing in P3HR-1 virus revealed that the sequences of M-ABA (EBV) BamHI-H2 are not represented in Jijoye (EBV). In Jijoye (EBV) the complete DSL region including the DSL repeats is, however, conserved. Further analysis of Jijoye (EBV) and of Jijoye virustransformed cell lines will be helpful to narrow down the region required for transformation.
Deactivation of Sensory-Specific Cortex by Cross-Modal Stimuli

Visual and auditory cortices traditionally have been considered to be modality-specific. Thus, their activity has been thought to be unchanged by information in other sensory modalities. However, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the present experiments revealed that ongoing activity in the visual cortex could be modulated by auditory information and ongoing activity in the auditory cortex could be modulated by visual information. In both cases, this cross-modal modulation of activity took the form of deactivation. Yet, the deactivation response was not evident in either cortical area during the paired presentation of visual and auditory stimuli. These data suggest that cross-modal inhibitory processes operate within traditional modality-specific cortices and that these processes can be switched on or off in different circumstances.