Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The differential effects of thiazolidindiones on atherogenic dyslipidemia in type 2 diabetes: what is the clinical significance?

Background: Diabetic dyslipidemia is typically characterized by an increase in plasma triglycerides, a decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and a concomitant increase in atherogenic small dense low-density lipoproteins. Thiazolidindiones are able to lower the levels of fasting glucose and glycated hemoglobin significantly by improving insulin sensitivity, as well as improving some aspects of diabetic dyslipidemia: total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol tend to increase while triglycerides are generally decreased. Objective: This paper reviewed the effects of pioglitazone and rosiglitazone on atherogenic diabetic dyslipidemia, in particular on small dense low-density lipoprotein particles. Methods: A literature search (by Medline and Scopus) was performed up to 15 March 2008. The authors also manually reviewed the references of selected articles for any pertinent material. Results: Pioglitazone showed an additional beneficial effect on triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the levels of small dense low-density lipoprotein compared to rosiglitazone. Conclusions: Since recent studies have suggested that these agents may also have a differential effect on long-term cardiovascular end-points despite similar improvements in glycated hemoglobin and insulin sensitivity, the different impact on atherogenic diabetic dyslipidemia may help to explain these findings.
Corneal wound healing after photorefractive keratectomy: a 3-year confocal microscopy study.

PURPOSE To perform a sequential quantitative analysis of corneal wound healing after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) by using confocal microscopy in vivo. METHODS In a prospective, nonrandomized, comparative trial performed in an institutional setting, 24 eyes of 14 patients received PRK to correct refractive errors between -1.25 and -5.75 D. Central corneas were examined preoperatively and at 1 day, 5 days, and 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after PRK by using confocal microscopy. A masked observer randomly examined 3 to 6 confocal scans per eye per visit to determine epithelial and stromal thickness, keratocyte density in 5 anterior-posterior stromal layers, corneal nerve density in the subbasal region and the stroma, and corneal light backscattering (corneal haze). RESULTS Epithelial thickness increased 21% (P < .001) by 12 months after PRK and thereafter remained unchanged to 36 months after PRK. There was no change in stromal thickness between 1 and 36 months after PRK (P = .35). The dense keratocyte population in the preoperative anterior 10% of the stroma (32,380 +/- 5,848 cells/mm3) that was partially or completely removed during photoablation was not reconstituted at 36 months in the anterior 10% of the post-PRK stroma (17,720 +/- 4,308 cells/mm3, P < .001). Subbasal nerve fiber bundle density was decreased 60% at 12 months after PRK (P < .001) before returning to densities at 24 and 36 months after PRK that were not significantly different from preoperative values (P = 1.0). Activated keratocytes and corneal haze peaked at 3 months after PRK. CONCLUSIONS Wounding of the cornea by PRK alters the normal structure, cellularity, and innervation of the cornea for up to 36 months.
Inhibition of colon cancer precursors in the rat by sulindac sulphone is not dependent on inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis

The non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug, sulindac, inhibits the growth of colorectal tumours in animal models of colon cancer and causes regression of polyps in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. The mechanism by which sulindac exerts this inhibitory effect is not known, but it has been postulated to be via the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. However, two recent studies have indicated that sulindac sulphone, the non‐prostaglandin inhibiting metabolite of sulindac, may be important in tumour inhibition. In the present study, we examined the effect of sulindac sulphone on the formation of aberrant crypt foci, the earliest identifiable lesions in the development of colorectal cancer, in the rat colon. We have previously shown that sulindac causes a dose dependent inhibition of aberrant crypt formation in this model. Aberrant crypt foci were induced with two oral doses of 1,2–dimethyl hydrazine at 25 mg/kg per dose. Treatment with sulindac sulphone at either 10 mg/kg b.d. , or 20 mg/kg, b.d. , was started on the day following administration of the first carcinogen dose and was continued for 3 weeks. Colons were then removed and examined for aberrant crypt foci. Colonic crypts were visualized by staining the unsectioned colon in 0.2% methylene blue solution. There was a significant reduction in the number of aberrant foci in rats treated with sulindac sulphone at 20 mg/kg, b.d. (ANOVA, P= 0.0054). The mechanism by which non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs inhibit formation of aberrant crypt foci is not clear; however, these data suggest that it is not due to the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis.
Universal Dependencies for Norwegian

This article describes the conversion of the Norwegian Dependency Treebank to the Universal Dependencies scheme. This paper details the mapping of PoS tags, morphological features and dependency relations and provides a description of the structural changes made to NDT analyses in order to make it compliant with the UD guidelines. We further present PoS tagging and dependency parsing experiments which report first results for the processing of the converted treebank. The full converted treebank was made available with the 1.2 release of the UD treebanks.
Temporal change in diagnostic criteria as a cause of the increase of malignant melanoma over time is unlikely

To assess whether the increase in malignant melanoma incidence could be due, at least in part, to changes in histological criteria of malignancy, pathologists in Australia, France, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and the USSR reviewed diagnoses of 50 consecutive pigmented naevi (40 junctional and compound; 10 intradermal) and 20 consecutive malignant melanomas made in each participating centre around 1930, around 1955 and around 1980. Collaborating pathologists re‐read the material, 2,665 cases in all, either from the original slide (82%) or from a recut block (17%), gave their diagnosis and indicated whether the lesion was benign (B), dubious benign (DB), dubious malignant (DM) or malignant (M). As the distribution of review diagnoses was much the same whether the original slide or one made from a recut block was read, the material was pooled. Overall, 2.8% of cases originally reported as B/DB were reviewed as DM/M, while 4.4% of the DM/M diagnoses were held to be B/DB. The shifts between categories were greatest around 1955 and least around 1980, suggesting increasing uniformity of interpretation. All available blocks were recut and sections sent to I ARC for review: 1.7% (22) of 1293 B/DB diagnoses were considered to be DM/M and 3.3% (18) of 551 DM/M diagnoses were considered to have been B/DB. The consistently low frequency of shift in diagnostic category, whether the material was reviewed in the collaborating laboratories or by one pathologist at IARC, in a study designed to give maximum attention to those lesions‐the junctional and compound naevi‐in which a change in opinion as to malignancy would be most likely to arise, suggests that pathologists, irrespective of geographical location, are using common criteria. These findings argue against changes in histological interpretation as being responsible for more than a small portion of the continuous increase of some 3% to 8% per annum observed in malignant melanoma incidence. Other explanations, such as an increase in the frequency or potential for malignant transformation of precursor lesions, must be sought. The anatomical distribution of the malignant melanomas examined followed the usual site pattern by sex, and their thickness was observed to decrease over the period of the study in most centres.
To Intervene or Not to Intervene:An Investigation of Three Think-Aloud Protocols in Usability Testing

This paper presents the results of a study investigating the use of three think-aloud methods in website usability testing: the concurrent think-aloud, the speech-communication, and the active intervention methods. These three methods were compared through an evaluation of a library website, which involved four points of comparison: overall task performance, test participants’ experiences, the quantity and quality of usability problems discovered, and the cost of employing the methods. Data were collected from 60 individuals, with 20 participants allocated to each testing method, who were asked to complete a set of nine experimental tasks. The results of the study revealed that the three variations enabled the identification of a similar number of usability problems and types. However, the active intervention method was found to cause some reactivity, modifying participants’ interaction with the interface, and negatively affecting their feelings towards the evaluator. The active intervention method also required much greater investment than did the other two methods in terms of evaluators' time.
A prospective study on antibody response to repeated vaccinations with pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide in splenectomized individuals with special reference to Hodgkin's lymphoma

Background. Splenectomy is accompanied by a life‐long risk of overwhelming postsplenectomy infection (OPSI), mainly caused by polysaccharide (PS) encapsulated bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae. Despite extensive prophylactic efforts the mortality and morbidity rates remain high. The present study was based on a strategy with a predefined vaccination algorithm including repeated 23‐valent pneumococcal vaccinations and monitoring of pneumococcal antibody levels. The antibody levels of splenectomized Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) patients were compared with those patients splenectomized due to immune‐mediated cytopenias [autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) and immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)] and also individuals who were splenectomized because of trauma (TRAUMA).
Size of radial and ulnar artery in local population.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate radial and ulnar artery diameter in patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography. METHOD This was a cross-sectional study in which we measured the inner diameter of radial and ulnar artery by using two dimensional ultrasound and Doppler examination in 251 patients visiting our hospital for diagnostic coronary angiography between February to September 2008. RESULTS The mean diameter of right and left radial artery was 2.3 +/- 0.4 mm and 2.2 +/- 0.4 mm respectively. The mean diameter of right and left ulnar artery was 2.4 +/- 0.4 mm and 2.3 +/- 0.3 mm respectively. The factors found to positively influence the size of radial artery included male sex, diabetes mellitus and smoking. There was no relationship of the size of the radial and ulnar artery with body size parameters (height, weight, Body Surface Area (BSA) & Body Mass Index (BMI). CONCLUSION We conclude that ulnar artery diameter is larger than the radial artery in our population. Knowing the size will guide the interventional cardiologist in using appropriate size sheaths and guide catheters. Cardiac surgeons can utilize ulnar artery for bypass grafting when it is deemed unsafe to harvest the radial artery.
Estimation of Serum Triglycerides, Serum Cholesterol, Total Protein, IgG Levels in Chronic Periodontitis Affected Elderly Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Aim: The present study was conducted to evaluate the serum triglycerides, serum cholesterol, total protein, and IgG levels in elderly patients who were affected by periodontal disease. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted at the Rajah Muthiah Dental College and Hospital in the periodontics division. The study was conducted for a period of 3 months. This study is a prospective analytical study. Sixty individuals who were systemically healthy in the age group of 50 and above were included in this study. Control and experimental groups of 30 participants each were included. Plaque index, gingival index, probing pocket depth, and clinical attachment loss were recorded. Biochemical parameters such as serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides, total protein, and IgG levels were also evaluated and correlated with the periodontal parameters. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 16.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). The relationship between periodontal status and the biochemical parameters such as serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides, total protein, and IgG levels were evaluated by Student′s t-test. Results: There was no significant difference in the plaque and gingival scores between the experimental and control group. It was observed that serum cholesterol level and total protein level was lower in participants suffering from chronic periodontitis. Triglycerides level was significantly elevated in the experimental group. IgG, a level which is not significant, concluded that there is no difference in control and experimental group. Conclusion: It was concluded from the results obtained from the study that there is an association between serum triglycerides, serum cholesterol, total protein, and periodontal disease. However, further longitudinal and well-controlled studies are required to evaluate the relationship between these biochemical parameters and periodontal disease.
Accurate modeling of switched reluctance motor by using improved winding function method

A novel method to model electrical machines based on winding function theory (WFM) is proposed. In conventional WFM, it is assumed that flux lines in air gap are in radial direction. The main drawback of this assumption is inaccuracy of the simulation results. To improve the accuracy of the WFM, modified winding function theory (MWFM) is proposed. In this method WFM is improved by finite element method (FEM) in which the exact permeance function is calculated by FEM. This new approach possesses a good accuracy beside of low calculation processing time. The simulation results for a 4:6 switched reluctance motor (SRM) based on WFM and MWFM is obtained and are compared with each other. Finally proposed MWFM has been validated by FEM results. These results have shown a good accordance with FEM and therefore MWFM method is practical in such applications which require high speed modeling calculations without losing proper accuracy.
Essentialization as a distinct form of abductive reasoning

Essentialism is often criticized for producing biased behavior. Because it is a view through which people attempt to grasp the essence of things, it appears contradictory that essentialism might result in distortions of reality. Somewhere within essentialist cognitive processes there must be mistakes or omissions that fail to capture reality correctly. In this paper, I treat essentialization as an abductive reasoning process, as a hypothesis, that explains particular characteristics of people on the basis of category membership alone. Besides essentialization, essentialist reasoning can also include deductive and inductive processes that aim at elaborating and testing initial hypotheses. Therefore, essentialist beliefs can be built by essentialization and hypotheses alone or they can be the product of more elaborate reasoning. The relationship of essentialization and general essentialist reasoning to truth and knowledge is discussed.
Executive Functions in 5- to 8-Year Olds: Developmental Changes and Relationship to Academic Achievement

Pronounced improvements in executive functions (EF) during preschool years have been documented in cross-sectional studies. However, longitudinal evidence on EF development during the transition to school and predictive associations between early EF and later school achievement are still scarce. This study examined developmental changes in EF across three time-points, the predictive value of EF for mathematical, reading and spelling skills and explored children’s specific academic attainment as a function of early EF. Participants were 323 children following regular education; 160 children were enrolled in prekindergarten (younger cohort: 69 months) and 163 children in kindergarten (older cohort: 78.4 months) at the first assessment. Various tasks of EF were administered three times with an interval of one year each. Mathematical, reading and spelling skills were measured at the last assessment. Individual background characteristics such as vocabulary, non-verbal intelligence and socioeconomic status were included as control variables. In both cohorts, changes in EF were substantial; improvements in EF, however, were larger in preschoolers than school-aged children. EF assessed in preschool accounted for substantial variability in mathematical, reading and spelling achievement two years later, with low EF being especially associated with significant academic disadvantages in early school years. Given that EF continue to develop from preschool into primary school years and that starting with low EF is associated with lower school achievement, EF may be considered as a marker or risk for academic disabilities.
Mainstreaming disability in education beyond 2015

This article presents an exemplary case study of an Independent Business Owner (IBO) from multiple case studies on narratives of differently abled persons. The aim of this article is to illustrate mainstreaming disability through an exemplary case of the IBO. The article is informed by the imperatives of critical theory to understand mainstreaming disability. I examine mainstreaming disability in reference to inclusive education and sustainable development via hephapreneurship (later described in the text). The purposively selected sample of the study was (n=18) participants. The argument forwarded suggests hephapreneurship as one way of mainstreaming disability. Data were collected through interviews, observations and informal conversations. Results indicate the need to unlock entrepreneurial capacities of persons with disabilities such that they may contribute to sustainable development. The study concludes by showing that the participation of independent business owners in sustainable development activities could serve as an anchor for mainstreaming disability beyond 2015. Keywords : actors in development; differently abled persons (DAPs); hephapreneurs; mainstreaming disability
The eosinophilias, including the idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome

An elevated blood eosinophil count may be associated with a number of reactive conditions and with clonal disorders of the bone marrow. When the blood eosinophil count is persistently greater than 1Æ5 · 10 ⁄ l for a period of 6 months, and damage to end organs such as the heart, lungs, skin, joints and nervous system can be demonstrated then, in the absence of any clonal abnormality or reactive cause, the term idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is used. There is evidence to suggest that, in some patients, clonal T-cell populations are present. Treatment of the idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome has been varied and has included steroids, hydroxyurea, interferon and Tcell agents, and chemotherapy. Recently, patients have been treated successfully with imatinib mesylate and a trial of its use in HES is planned.
Tempting trading opportunities and litigation consequences

This paper considers the conflicting disclosure and trading incentives faced by managers who become aware of negative earnings news. Prior work indicates that potential legal and reputational consequences provide managers with incentives to voluntarily disclose this news. Despite these incentives, managers’ warnings of negative news occur relatively infrequently. Therefore, I predict and test whether the receipt of negative news provides some managers with incentives to delay disclosing negative news in order to exploit information asymmetries. I find a negative relation between abnormal trade by insiders prior to the market’s receipt of negative earnings news and the timeliness of disclosure. Further analysis indicates that abnormal trade results in increased litigation consequences for the firm but only limited repercussions for managers. Collectively, my findings suggest that studies examining managers’ disclosure behavior, particularly those considering the probability of litigation and the effect of managers’ disclosure decisions, should consider the role of trading incentives.
Changes in Gene Cassettes of Class 1 Integrons among Escherichia coli Isolates from Urine Specimens Collected in Korea during the Last Two Decades

ABSTRACT Gene cassettes of class 1 integrons in Escherichia coli isolates from urine specimens collected in Korea during the last 2 decades were characterized. intI1 was detected in 54% of the isolates, yet gene cassette regions were amplified in only 43% of the isolates. intI2 was detected in 29 (5%) isolates, and no intI3 was detected in this study. Twenty-one different genes, including genes encoding resistance to antibiotics, an alcohol dehydrogenase gene (adhE), and unknown genes, were detected. The genes most commonly found in class 1 integrons were those for aminoglycoside and trimethoprim resistance. The occurrence of aminoglycoside resistance genes in class 1 integrons decreased, and the presence of dfr genes increased rapidly, during the last 2 decades. Single-gene cassettes were predominant during the 1980s, while multigene cassettes predominated from the 1990s on. The aadA1, aadA2, and blaP1-aadA2 gene cassettes were frequently found in isolates from the 1980s but were not detected in isolates recovered since 2000. dfrA12-aadA2 and dfrA17-aadA5 were the most prevalent gene cassettes among isolates recovered from the 1990s on. In conclusion, class 1 integrons would appear to be responsible for resistance to antibiotics commonly used to treat urinary tract infections, and selection of a specific gene cassette was found to occur over the course of time.
Corticotropin-releasing factor acting on corticotropin-releasing factor receptor type 1 is critical for binge alcohol drinking in mice.

BACKGROUND The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system has been implicated in the regulation of alcohol consumption. However, previous mouse knockout (KO) studies using continuous ethanol access have failed to conclusively confirm this. Recent studies have shown that CRF receptor type 1 (CRFR1) antagonists attenuate alcohol intake in the limited access "drinking in the dark" (DID) model of binge drinking. To avoid the potential nonspecific effects of antagonists, in this study, we tested alcohol drinking in CRFR1, CRFR2, CRF, and urocortin 1 (Ucn1) KO and corresponding wild-type (WT) littermates using the DID paradigm. METHODS On days 1 to 3, the CRFR1, CRFR2, Ucn1, and CRF KO mice and their respective WT littermates were provided with 20% ethanol or 10% sucrose for 2 hours with water available at all other times. On day 4, access to ethanol or sucrose was increased to 4 hours. At the end of each drinking session, the volume of ethanol consumed was recorded, and at the conclusion of the last session, blood was also collected for blood ethanol concentration (BEC) analysis. RESULTS CRFR1 KO mice had lower alcohol intakes and BECs and higher intakes of sucrose compared with WTs. In contrast, CRFR2 KO mice, while having reduced intakes initially, had similar alcohol intakes on days 2 to 4 and similar BECs as the WTs. To determine the ligand responsible, Ucn1 and CRF KO and WT mice were tested next. While Ucn1 KOs had similar alcohol intakes and BECs to their WTs, CRF KO mice showed reduced alcohol consumption and lower BECs compared with WTs. CONCLUSIONS Our results confirm that CRFR1 plays a key role in binge drinking and identify CRF as the ligand critically involved in excessive alcohol consumption.