Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Two case reports of oral ulcers with lamotrigine several weeks after oxcarbazepine withdrawal.

OBJECTIVE To report two cases of mouth ulcers in lamotrigine patients after oxcarbazepine withdrawal. PATIENTS AND METHODS The first patient was a 35-year-old woman with bipolar disorder II (BD II) started on lamotrigine and tapered off oxcarbazepine while an inpatient. The second patient was a 36-year-old man with BD II. He was discharged on lamotrigine and oxcarbazepine with the recommendation of a slow withdrawal of oxcarbazepine. RESULTS Many weeks after hospital discharge and after a stable lamotrigine dose had been established, both patients developed painful mouth ulcers that were diagnosed during outpatient visits. The first patient developed ulcers 39 days after oxcarbazepine was stopped and the ulcers resolved 4 days after lamotrigine discontinuation. The second patient was taking 1200 mg/day of oxcarbazepine and after leaving hospital decreased this to 600 mg/day. Twenty-two days after the oxcarbazepine decrease, he developed oral ulcers that resolved with oxcarbazepine and lamotrigine discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS Lamotrigine is mainly metabolized by glucuronidation, specifically by the uridine 5'-diphosphate glucuronosyltransferases 1A4 (UGT1A4). Carbamazepine is a UGT1A4 inducer. These two cases suggest that oxcarbazepine may also induce lamotrigine metabolism. The discontinuation or dosage decrease of carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine may be associated with a slow increase of lamotrigine levels over several weeks and thus increase risk of lamotrigine toxicity that may manifest as oral ulcers. Hospital psychiatrists need to be aware that discontinuation of inducers may take several weeks to manifest as side effects.
A re‐assessment and refinement of RECOVSAT: An instrument to measure satisfaction with transaction‐specific service recovery

Purpose – To do an empirical assessment of the psychometric properties of an instrument that captures the multi‐dimensional nature of satisfaction with service recovery (RECOVSAT) using data (post‐recovery satisfaction ratings) from customers who have actually complained to a service firm.Design/methodology/approach – The methodology is a survey of bank clients who have lodged complaints with a retail bank.Findings – The empirical results suggest that a refined and shorter version of RECOVSAT demonstrates excellent construct validity when used to measure the post‐recovery satisfaction of complaining customers.Research limitations/implications – RECOVSAT is a valid and reliable instrument that can and should be used by service managers to assess customer satisfaction with their service recovery efforts. Failure to ensure that complaining customers are satisfied with the firm's service recovery efforts, can only lead to serious problems, as the service firm will be letting the customer down for the second t.
Decomposing BPC Permutations into Semi-Permutations for Crosstalk Avoidance in Multistage Optical Interconnection Networks

- This paper introduces a simple O(N) algorithm that decomposes BPC (bit-permute-complement) permutations into semi-permutations for avoiding crosstalk when realizing them in N × N optical multistage interconnection networks (OMINs). Crosstalk means that two optical signals, sharing an optical switch, undergo a kind of undesired coupling. A semi-permutation is a partial permutation which meets the requirement for each switch in an input and output stages of the network to be used with only one optical signal at a time. It provides avoiding crosstalk in the first and the last stages of a network and creates the potential for crosstalk-free realization of a semi-permutation, and finally the whole permutation in question. The algorithm is based on employment the periodicity of appearing 1’s and 0’s in columns of transition matrices for BPC permutations.
Forces and steps generated by single myosin molecules.

The elementary events in mechanochemical energy transduction by the actomyosin motor, fueled by ATP hydrolysis, were directly recorded from multiple and single molecules using nano-manipulation of single actin filaments by a microneedle. To avoid the effects of random orientation of myosin in the previous surface motility assay, we used single myosin-rod cofilaments with various ratios. At high myosin: rod ratios and high load, large force fluctuations caused by multiple myosin heads were observed. The noise analysis of the force fluctuations showed that individual powerstrokes generate 5.5 pN peak force and 2.3 pN averaged force over the cycle at near isometric condition. At a very low myosin: rod ratio, distinct force spikes were detected. At high load, the peak value of the force spikes was 5-6 pN and the duration (l/k_) was 50 ms, which agreed with the noise analysis of force fluctuations. As the load was reduced, the force of the spikes decreased, whereas the displacement caused by the spikes increased. At near zero load, the displacement was -17 nm. The duration of spikes was -25 ms, which was severalfold larger than that expected from the tight coupling model. The results suggest that an ATPase cycle produces many 17-nm powerstrokes during sliding at low load.
A New Solar Module Modeling for PV Applications Based on a Symmetrized and Shifted Gompertz Model

This paper focuses on a new approach to model photovoltaic (PV) solar modules based on symmetric-shifted Gompertz functions. This solution significantly reduces the number of fitting parameters, convergence problems, and computational costs in comparison with previous modeling. The entire I-V curve is provided, as well as relevant nonlinear relations between environmental and electrical variables. A comparison with previous approaches has also been included in this paper, discussing the relevant advantages of the proposed technique with respect to previously published solutions. Real data from CdTe thin-film and Si PV power plants have been used to assess this new nonlinear model. The proposed solution can also be applied to check the active power generated by PV modules based on the expected datasheet values provided by the manufacturers. This alternative process avoids the necessity of removing and analyzing the solar modules in a laboratory environment.
On the West German Tenants' Protection Legislation

The rental housing market is by no accounts a good textbook example for a neoclassical spot market. We can identify two sources which create deviations from the perfect spot market paradigm: government intervention that regulates competition in the housing market and deviations from perfect market assumptions within the competive market context. Often, in particular in the discussion about rent and eviction control, for instance, the West German "Zweites Wohnraumkundigungsschutzgesetz," these two sources of inefficiency are confused, and policy recommendations are easily victims of the mistake to propose first-best solutions in a second-best environment. This paper tries to disentangle the effects of government intervention and the effects of intrinsic housing market frictions. Government intervention takes place both on the demand and the supply side of the market, in the form of housing allowances ("Wohngeld"), tax subsidies, and rent and eviction control. Empirical analysis of government intervention in West Germany faces the problem of the impossibility of a with and without analysis, due to the fact that housing market intervention is basically a federal function, depriving researchers from regional variation, and that there is only poor time series data available to exploit the temporal variation in government policies. However, we are able to draw empirical conclusions by comparing evidence in West Germany with evidence from the United States where we observe a
A comparison between ozonolysis and sonolysis/ozonolysis treatments for the degradation of the cytostatic drugs methotrexate and doxorubicin: Kinetic and efficiency approaches

Cytostatics are a major class of chemotherapy drugs with great potential to cause genotoxic and/or mutagenic effects in all organisms. Currently, hospital wastewater treatment systems (HWTS) are not able to remove these compounds and they are discharged to the environment. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the oxidative degradation of the cytostatic drugs doxorubicin (DOXO) [(8s,10s)-10-(4-amino-5-hydroxy-6-methyl-tetrahydro-2h-pyran-2-yloxy)-6,8,11-trihydroxy-8-(2-hydroxyacetyl)-1-methoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrotetracene-5,12-dione] and methotrexate (METHO) {N-[4-[[(2,4-diamino-6-pteridinyl)methyl]methylamino]benzoyl]-L-glutamic acid} by ozonolysis alone and using a combined sonolysis/ozonolysis process on bench-scale at different pH values. Besides determining the degradation efficiency, a kinetic approach was applied to determine the reaction order and rate constants for different oxidative processes carried out at pH 7.0, which is the normal pH of hospital wastewater. The results showed that the removal efficiency of these compounds is pH-dependent. A combination of sonolysis and ozonolysis processes is more efficient than the ozonolysis process alone for the degradation of doxorubicin at all pH values, while methotrexate can easily be degraded by ozonolysis alone or sonolysis/ozonolysis methodologies at any pH.
Nitric oxide indices in human septic shock

ObjectivesTo study the relation between nitrite, nitrate, nitrotyrosine, and nitrosothiols as NO indices in human septic shock. DesignA prospective clinical study. SettingIntensive care units in a university hospital and a central county hospital. PatientsSixteen patients admitted for septic shock. Nine healthy volunteers served as controls. InterventionsNone. Measurements and Main ResultsPatients with septic shock had a hyperdynamic circulatory response and required infusion of at least two vasopressors to maintain systemic blood pressure. Four episodes of recurrent shock occurred in two patients. Heparinized plasma was collected once daily for analysis of NO indices. Peak plasma concentrations of nitrite + nitrate (NOx) were elevated in first episodes of septic shock; 144 ± 39 &mgr;M vs. controls, 20 ± 3 &mgr;M (p < .05). Peak plasma NOx concentrations in recurrent shocks were; 160 ± 19 &mgr;M. Peak plasma concentrations of 3-nitrotyrosine (NT) were elevated in primary septic shock 102 ± 19 pmol·mL−1 vs. controls 14 ± 6 pmol·mL−1 (p < .05). Peak NT concentrations were 117 ± 37 pmol·mL−1 in recurrent septic shock. Peak plasma NT concentrations did not coincide with peak NOx concentrations in half of the episodes of septic shock. Plasma NT was elevated (59 ± 15 pmol·mL−1 vs. controls 14 ± 6 pmol·mL−1, p < .05) in patients with normal plasma NOx concentrations throughout septic shock. Plasma concentrations of nitrosothiols did not change during septic shock. ConclusionsPlasma concentrations of NOx and NT are elevated in primary episodes of septic shock and may also be elevated in secondary septic shock, but too few episodes of recurrent septic shock occurred to allow firm conclusions. Plasma concentrations of NT are elevated in patients with septic shock with normal plasma NOx concentrations, indicating that plasma concentrations of NOx may not always accurately reflect NO production. Reactive nitrogen species may be formed in septic shock, and measuring both NOx and NT may give a better indication of NO production in septic shock than NOx alone. Plasma levels of nitrosothiols did not change during septic shock.
Do Etfs Increase Volatility?

We study whether exchange traded funds (ETFs)--an asset of increasing importance--impact the volatility of their underlying stocks. Using identification strategies based on the mechanical variation in ETF ownership, we present evidence that stocks owned by ETFs exhibit significantly higher intraday and daily volatility. We estimate that an increase of one standard deviation in ETF ownership is associated with an increase of 16% in daily stock volatility. The driving channel appears to be arbitrage activity between ETFs and the underlying stocks. Consistent with this view, the effects are stronger for stocks with lower bid-ask spread and lending fees. Finally, the evidence that ETF ownership increases stock turnover suggests that ETF arbitrage adds a new layer of trading to the underlying securities.
Assessing Perceived Quality in Industrial Service Settings

The development and application of a 22-item perceived service quality measure for the flight attendant segment of airline catering services is described. This ''performance-only'' scale emerges as a unidimensional measure with better psychometric properties than an alternative formulation based on ''performance x importance'' scores. Results of hypotheses tests provide evidence supporting the proposition that service performance exerts a significant influence on behavioral intentions via the mediating role of overall service quality perceptions. In addition, the study provides insights of a practical nature within an ongoing quality improvement environment. In particular, the measure provides actionable information for decision makers. Implications of the findings for researchers and industrial services marketers are discussed.
Is Wealth Increasingly Driving Consuption

This paper estimates the wealth effect on consumption of both equity and housing wealth, Using data across 16 industrial countries differentiated by type of financial system and examining trends in these wealth effects over time. The three main conclusions are found and their policy implications discussed: that the impact of a $1 increase in housing wealth on consumption is higher than the equivalent increase in equity wealth; countries with market- based financial systems have larger effects from changes in equity wealth than those with bank-based financial systems; and that the size of the wealth effects appears to be rising over time, probably reflecting financial deregulation.
Predictors of exception word and nonword reading in dyslexic children: The severity hypothesis

The classification of dyslexic children into discrete subtypes yields a poor description of the dyslexic population at large. Multiple regression methods were used to examine continuous variation in component reading subskills (nonword and exception word reading) and their underlying cognitive skills within a group of 59 9-15 year-old dyslexic children. Two measures of phonological skills contributed unique variance to nonword reading: phonological processing and verbal short-term memory skills. In contrast, the only unique predictor of exception word reading was reading experience. The results are discussed within a connectionist framework that views the decoding deficit in dyslexia as stemming from poorly specified phonological representations. The extent of the nonword reading deficit is determined by the severity of the underlying phonological impairment. In contrast, exception word reading is influenced more by print exposure.
Chronic alcohol consumption and its effect on nodes of frontocerebellar and limbic circuitry: Comparison of effects in France and the United States

Alcohol use disorders present a significant public health problem in France and the United States (U.S.), but whether the untoward effect of alcohol on the brain results in similar damage in both countries remains unknown. Accordingly, we conducted a retrospective collaborative investigation between two French sites (Caen and Orsay) and a U.S. laboratory (SRI/Stanford University) with T1‐weighted, structural MRI data collected on a common imaging platform (1.5T, General Electric) on 288 normal controls (NC), 165 uncomplicated alcoholics (ALC), and 26 patients with alcoholic Korsakoff's syndrome (KS) diagnosed at all sites with a common interview instrument. Data from the two countries were pooled, then preprocessed and analyzed together at the U.S. site using atlas‐based parcellation. National differences indicated that thalamic volumes were smaller in ALC in France than the U.S. despite similar alcohol consumption levels in both countries. By contrast, volumes of the hippocampus, amygdala, and cerebellar vermis were smaller in KS in the U.S. than France. Estimated amount of alcohol consumed over a lifetime, duration of alcoholism, and length of sobriety were significant predictors of selective regional brain volumes in France and in the U.S. The common analysis of MRI data enabled identification of discrepancies in brain volume deficits in France and the U.S. that may reflect fundamental differences in the consequences of alcoholism on brain structure between the two countries, possibly related to genetic or environmental differences. Hum Brain Mapp 35:4635–4653, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
IL-4 Induced Innate CD8+ T Cells Control Persistent Viral Infection

Memory-like CD8+ T cells expressing eomesodermin are a subset of innate T cells initially identified in a number of genetically modified mice, and also exist in wild mice and human. The acquisition of memory phenotype and function by these T cells is dependent on IL–4 produced by PLZF+ innate T cells; however, their physiologic function is still not known. Here we found that these IL-4-induced innate CD8+ T cells are critical for accelerating the control of chronic virus infection. In CIITA-transgenic mice, which have a substantial population of IL-4-induced innate CD8+ T cells, this population facilitated rapid control of viremia and induction of functional anti-viral T-cell responses during infection with chronic form of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. Characteristically, anti-viral innate CD8+ T cells accumulated sufficiently during early phase of infection. They produced a robust amount of IFN-γ and TNF-α with enhanced expression of a degranulation marker. Furthermore, this finding was confirmed in wild-type mice. Taken together, the results from our study show that innate CD8+ T cells works as an early defense mechanism against chronic viral infection.
Periodic solutions of Volterra integral equations.

Consider the system of equations x ( t ) = f ( t ) + ∫ − ∞ t k ( t , s ) x ( s ) d s , ( 1 ) and x ( t ) = f ( t ) + ∫ − ∞ t k ( t , s ) g ( s , x ( s ) ) d s . ( 2 ) Existence of continuous periodic solutions of (1) is shown using the resolvent function of the kernel k . Some important properties of the resolvent function including its uniqueness are obtained in the process. In obtaining periodic solutions of (1) it is necessary that the resolvent of k is integrable in some sense. For a scalar convolution kernel k some explicit conditions are derived to determine whether or not the resolvent of k is integrable. Finally, the existence and uniqueness of continuous periodic solutions of (1) and (2) are btained using the contraction mapping principle as the basic tool.
Individuals Seeking Treatment for Cannabis-Related Problems in Ontario: Demographic and Treatment Profile

We report on the extent of cannabis treatment-seeking within an addiction treatment system in Canada. Data represent all new admissions in fiscal year 2000 to substance abuse treatment agencies in the province of Ontario (n = 47,995). Analyses examine the prevalence of cannabis problems by demographic and treatment characteristics and provide contrasts with other client subgroups (alcohol, cocaine, and opiates). Clients reporting cannabis as their primary problem substance (13%) were more likely to be male, single, under age 20 and in high school. Legal system involvement and school- or family-based pressure to enter treatment were commonly reported, but less so by older cannabis clients. The distinctiveness of these clients within the larger treatment system raises questions of the relevance to cannabis clients of interventions designed for other substance-abusing populations.
Essays in empirical corporate finance and governance

We develop and test a nested logit model to examine how firms choose between a rights offering and a private equity placement. Family controlled firms avoid issue methods that dilute control benefits or subject them to more monitoring, especially when the family's control margin is small and the wedge between votes and capital is large. Control considerations also affect security design. Private placements reduce contracting and ex post holdup Costs ill new product market relationships. Finally, firms with higher asymmetric information about firm value tend to involve underwriter certification in a rights offering, and to choose I private placement when information asymmetries are extreme. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Fashion innovativeness, information technology innovativeness, and prior experience as factors influencing adoption of apparel mobile E-catalogs

The popularity of mobile devices has resulted in the proliferation of many emergent retailing platforms. One of the new inventions in the fields of mobile commerce and catalog shopping is mobile e-catalog apps. This study examines a causal model of how two aspects of domain-specific innovativeness – Fashion Innovativeness (FI) and Information Technology Innovativeness (ITI) – and prior experiences influence consumers’ decisions regarding the adoption of a new shopping platform: apparel Mobile E-catalog (MEC). A total of 217 usable responses were collected from US adult tablet users. The results indicate that respondents who have higher levels of FI and ITI and shop online more frequently have elevated Mobile E-catalog adoption intention. A post hoc analysis showed that 50% of the respondents were reluctant to unsubscribe from print catalogs, even when tablet versions of the catalogs were available. Findings suggest that US tablet users are not ready to suspend their use of print catalogs and switch solely to e-catalog versions. Therefore, providing both options to consumers may be a more effective strategy.
Titanium dioxide nanoparticles induce cytotoxicity and reduce mitotic index in human amniotic fluid-derived cells

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) are commonly used materials present in many consumables for which most people are exposed to. The biological hazards of the NPs on human health have been demonstrated previously. In this study, we aimed to assess the cytotoxicity potency of TiO2 NPs on the primary human amniotic fluid cells. The cells derived from amniotic fluid were treated with different dosages of TiO2 NPs for some periods. Cell adhesion status was assessed using a light microscopic observation. Cell proliferation and cell death rates were determined using trypan blue staining and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Also, mitotic index was determined using fluorescence in situ hybridization with chromosome 8 centromer-specific DNA probe. Disrupted cell adhesion, decreased proliferation, and increased mortality rates were detected in the cells that were treated with TiO2 NPs depending on the dosage (p < 0.001). Also, reduced mitotic index was determined in the cells depending on the time and TiO2 dosage when compared with the controls (p < 0.0001). These results showed that TiO2 NPs have high cytotoxicity for amniotic fluid-derived cells. Therefore, different products containing TiO2 NPs should be used with care, especially for pregnant women.