Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased Risk of Serious Hemorrhage with Bevacizumab in Cancer Patients: A Meta-Analysis

Background: The role of the widely-used angiogenesis inhibitor bevacizumab in the development of serious hemorrhage is not well defined in cancer patients. This study was conducted to determine the overall risk of hemorrhage with bevacizumab by a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCT). Methods: Databases from PubMed and the Web of Science from January 1966 to May 2009 and abstracts presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conferences from January 2000 to May 2009 were searched to identify relevant studies. Eligible studies included prospective RCTs in which bevacizumab was compared to controls concurrently with antineoplastic therapy. Summary incidence rates, relative risks (RR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated employing fixed- or random-effects models. Results: A total of 12,617 patients with a variety of solid tumors from 20 RCTs were included for analysis. The incidence of all-grade hemorrhage was 30.4% (95% CI 21.5–40.9), with 3.5% (95% CI 2.2–5.7%) being high grade (grade 3–5). Overall, bevacizumab significantly increased the risk of bleeding with an RR of 2.48 (95% CI 1.93–3.18) when compared to the controls, with RRs of 3.02 (95% CI 2.42–3.78) and 2.01 (95% CI 1.43–2.83) at 5 and 2.5 mg/kg/week, respectively. Significantly increased risks for epistaxis or pulmonary hemorrhage were observed. In addition, bevacizumab significantly increased the risk of high-grade bleeding with an RR of 1.91 (95% CI 1.36–2.68). The risk of fatal bleeding was low (0.8%; 95% CI 0.4–1.7), and significantly elevated only in lung cancer (RR 5.02; 95% CI 1.52–16.66). Conclusion: Bevacizumab may significantly increase the risk of serious hemorrhage in cancer patients.
Important Role of Superoxide Dismutase in EDHF-Mediated Responses of Human Mesenteric Arteries

The endothelium synthesizes and releases several vasodilator substances, including prostacyclin, nitric oxide (NO), and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). We have identified hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as an EDHF in mouse and human mesenteric arteries and porcine coronary microvessels. We also have recently demonstrated that Cu,Zn-SOD plays an important role in EDHF synthesis in mouse mesenteric arteries. However, it remains to be determined whether SOD also plays an important role in EDHF-mediated responses of human arteries. In this study, we addressed this point in human mesenteric arteries. We used small mesenteric arteries of patients who underwent gastrectomy operations. Isometric tensions and membrane potentials were recorded in the presence of indomethacin and Nω-nitro-L-arginine to inhibit the synthesis of prostacyclin and NO, respectively. Pretreatment with Tiron, a cell-permeable SOD-mimetic, significantly enhanced the EDHF-mediated relaxations and hyperpolarizations to bradykinin, and this effect was abolished by catalase, indicating that this enhancing effect was achieved by H2O2. By contrast, Tiron did not affect endothelium-independent relaxations, indicating that the enhancing effect of Tiron is not caused by the enhancement of vascular smooth muscle responses. These results indicate that SOD plays an important role in EDHF-mediated relaxations and hyperpolarizations of human mesenteric arteries.
Determination of Photoluminescence Quantum Yields of Scattering Media with an Integrating Sphere: Direct and Indirect Illumination

The ever-increasing use of fluorescent nanomaterials and micrometersized beads in the life and material sciences requires reliable procedures for the measurement of the key performance parameter fluorescence quantum yield (φf) of scattering particle dispersions and reference systems to evaluate the performance of such measurements. This encouraged us to systematically study, both theoretically and experimentally, the optical determination of photoluminescent quantum yield as a function of the scattering and absorption properties of the sample and the illumination geometry with an integrating sphere method. The latter included measurements with a direct and an indirect illumination. As a representative and easyto-prepare reference system, we used ethanolic dispersions of 250 nm sized silica particles and the dye rhodamine 101 and systematically varied the concentration of the dye and particles within the typical ranges of spectroscopic and (bio)analytical applications of fluorescent nanomaterials. Based on our measurements, we recommend indirect sample illumination geometry for the accurate measurement of φf of samples with low or unknown absorption and high scattering coefficients such as dispersions of luminescent particles or fluorescent reporters in biological matrices. This finding is of utmost relevance for all (bio)analytical applications of fluorescent nanomaterials ranging from particle labels and probes over assay platforms to safety barcodes.
Prevalence and risk factors of excessive daytime sleepiness in a community sample of young children: the role of obesity, asthma, anxiety/depression, and sleep.

STUDY OBJECTIVES We investigated the prevalence and association of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) with a wide range of factors (e.g., medical complaints, obesity, objective sleep [including sleep disordered breathing], and parent-reported anxiety/depression and sleep difficulties) in a large general population sample of children. Few studies have researched the prevalence and predictors of EDS in young children, none in a general population sample of children, and the results are inconsistent. DESIGN Cross-sectional SETTING Population -based. PARTICIPANTS 508 school-aged children from the general population. INTERVENTIONS N/A. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Children underwent a 9-hour polysomnogram (PSG), physical exam, and parent completed health, sleep and psychological questionnaires. Children were divided into 2 groups: those with and without parent reported EDS. The prevalence of subjective EDS was approximately 15%. Significant univariate relationships were found between children with EDS and BMI percentile, waist circumference, heartburn, asthma, and parent reported anxiety/depression, and sleep difficulties. The strongest predictors of EDS were waist circumference, asthma, and parent-reported symptoms of anxiety/depression and trouble falling asleep. All PSG sleep variables including apnea/hypopnea index, caffeine consumption, and allergies were not significantly related to EDS. CONCLUSIONS It appears that the presence of EDS is more strongly associated with obesity, asthma, parent reported anxiety/depression, and trouble falling asleep than with sleep disordered breathing (SDB) or objective sleep disruption per se. Our findings suggest that children with EDS should be thoroughly assessed for anxiety/depression, nocturnal sleep difficulties, asthma, obesity, and other metabolic factors, whereas objective sleep findings may not be as clinically useful.
How many factors are important in U.K. stock returns?

ABSTRACT I use the sequential approach of Harvey and Liu ([2018]. Lucky factors (Working Paper). Duke University) to build linear factor models in U.K. stock returns among a set of 13 candidate factors using individual stocks and three groups of test portfolios between July 1983 and December 2017. My study finds that the Market factor is the dominant factor in reducing mispricing in individual stocks and test portfolios regardless of the pricing error metric used. The Market factor has a bigger impact when using a value weighting pricing error metric. Whether a second factor is used or not depends upon which metric is used for mispricing and the time period examined. My study finds support for a two-factor model for the whole sample period of the Market factor and the Conservative Minus Aggressive (CMA) factor of Fama and French ([2015]. “A five-factor asset pricing model.” Journal of Financial Economics 116: 1–22) when giving greater weight to the mispricing of larger companies.
Digital holographic microscopy reveals prey-induced changes in swimming behavior of predatory dinoflagellates

The shallow depth of field of conventional microscopy hampers analyses of 3D swimming behavior of fast dinoflagellates, whose motility influences macroassemblages of these cells into often-observed dense “blooms. ” The present analysis of cinematic digital holographic microscopy data enables simultaneous tracking and characterization of swimming of thousands of cells within dense suspensions. We focus on Karlodinium veneficum and Pfiesteria piscicida, mixotrophic and heterotrophic dinoflagellates, respectively, and their preys. Nearest-neighbor distance analysis shows that predator and prey cells are randomly distributed relative to themselves, but, in mixed culture, each predator clusters around its respective prey. Both dinoflagellate species exhibit complex highly variable swimming behavior as characterized by radius and pitch of helical swimming trajectories and by translational and angular velocity. K. veneficum moves in both left- and right-hand helices, whereas P. piscicida swims only in right-hand helices. When presented with its prey (Storeatula major), the slower K. veneficum reduces its velocity, radius, and pitch but increases its angular velocity, changes that reduce its hydrodynamic signature while still scanning its environment as “a spinning antenna. ” Conversely, the faster P. piscicida increases its speed, radius, and angular velocity but slightly reduces its pitch when exposed to prey (Rhodomonas sp.), suggesting the preferred predation tactics of an “active hunter. ”
Effect of aging on hepatic biotransformation in female Fischer 344 rats: changes in sulfotransferase activities are consistent with known gender-related changes in pituitary growth hormone secretion in aging animals.

The effect of aging on hepatic drug conjugation in 5- to 6-, 12- to 13- and 22- to 23-month-old female Fischer 344 rats was examined. The overall disposition of acetaminophen including the formation and elimination kinetics of its sulfate and glucuronide metabolites were used as in vivo probes. The effects of aging on selected in vitro drug metabolizing enzyme activities and on the pattern of phenol and bile salt sulfotransferase isoenzymes were also determined. Aging decreased the total clearance of acetaminophen and the partial clearance of acetaminophen to acetaminophen sulfate by 36 and 47%, respectively. Increasing age also resulted in a reduced partial clearance of acetaminophen to the glucuronide- (24%) and to the glutathione-derived conjugates (29%). UDP glucuronosyltransferase activity toward 1-naphthol, morphine and testosterone was unaffected by advanced age, whereas there was a significant correlation between increased age and increased UDP glucuronosyltransferase activity toward estrone. Cytochrome P-450 concentration and glutathione-S-transferase activity toward 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene were unchanged by aging. Oxidative demethylase activity toward p-nitroanisole was decreased 18% and sulfotransferase activities toward p-nitrophenol, acetaminophen and glycolithocholate were decreased 27, 12 and 12%, respectively, in the 22- to 23-month-old rats, compared to the 5- to 6-month-old animals. In contrast to the age-related feminization in the pattern of sulfotransferase isoenzyme activities that occurs in male rats, there was no effect of aging on the pattern of phenol and bile salt sulfotransferase isoenzyme activities in female rats. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Syntactic ambiguity resolution in discourse: modeling the effects of referential context and lexical frequency.

Sentences with temporarily ambiguous reduced relative clauses (e.g., The actress selected by the director believed that.) were preceded by discourse contexts biasing a main clause or a relative clause. Eye movements in the disambiguating region (by the director) revealed that, in the relative clause biasing contexts, ambiguous reduced relatives were no more difficult to process than unambiguous reduced relatives or full (unreduced) relatives. Regression analyses demonstrated that the effects of discourse context at the point of ambiguity (e.g., selected) interacted with the past participle frequency of the ambiguous verb. Reading times were modeled using a constraint-based competition framework in which multiple constraints are immediately integrated during parsing and interpretation. Simulations suggested that this framework reconciles the superficially conflicting results in the literature on referential context effects on syntactic ambiguity resolution.
Texting decreases the time to treatment for genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a text message result service within an inner London sexual health clinic. Method: Demographic data, diagnoses, and time to diagnosis and treatment were collected over a 6 month period for patients receiving text messages and a matched standard recall group. Data on messages sent, staff time, and cost in relation to result provision were collected. Results: Over a 6 month period 952 text messages were sent. In the final month of analysis, 33.9% of all clinic results were provided by text, resulting in a saving of 46 hours of staff time per month. 49 messages requested that the patient return for treatment, 28 of these patients had untreated genital Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection. The mean number of days (SD) to diagnosis was significantly shorter in the text message group (TG) v the standard recall group (SG) (7.9 (3.6) v 11.2 (4.7), p <0.001). The median time to treatment was 8.5 days (range 4–27 days) for the TG group v 15.0 (range 7–35) for SG, p = 0.005. Conclusion: Patients with genital CT infection are diagnosed and receive treatment sooner since the introduction of a text message result service. The introduction of this service has resulted in a significant saving in staff time.
Maximizing present value: A model to explain why moderate response rates obtain on variable-interval schedules.

In Phases 1 and 3, two Japanese monkeys responded on a multiple variable-ratio 80 variable-interval X schedule, where the value of X was adjusted to ensure equal between-schedule reinforcement rates. Components strictly alternated following the delivery of a food pellet, and each session ended following 50 components. Phase 2 differed from the others only in that the 50 pellets previously earned during the session were delivered together at session's end. Variable-ratio response rates did not decrease across phases, but variable-interval response rates decreased substantially during the Phase 2 procedure. This rate decrease was attributed to the food-at-session's-end manipulation removing the greater immediacy of reinforcement provided by short interresponse times relative to long interresponse times. Without this time preference for short interresponse times, the variable-interval interresponse-time reinforcement feedback function largely controlled response emission, dictating a response-rate reduction. This result was explained in terms of the economic notion of "maximizing present value. "
Is Ultrasound a Valid and Reliable Imaging Modality for Airway Evaluation?: An Observational Computed Tomographic Validation Study Using Submandibular Scanning of the Mouth and Oropharynx

Ultrasound (US) imaging of the airway may be useful in predicting difficulty of airway management (DAM); but its use is limited by lack of proof of its validity and reliability. We sought to validate US imaging of the airway by comparison to CT‐scan, and to assess its inter‐ and intra‐observer reliability. We used submandibular sonographic imaging of the mouth and oropharynx to examine how well the ratio of tongue thickness to oral cavity height correlates with the ratio of tongue volume to oral cavity volume, an established tomographic measure of DAM.
Altered Expression of Interferon‐&ggr; and Interleukin‐4 in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Summary: Experimental data indicate that mucosal CD4+ T cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Based on the pattern of cytokine production, CD4+ T cells may be distinguished into two different phenotypes. Th1 responses are characterized by secretion of interleukin (IL)‐2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐&agr;, lymphotoxin, and interferon (IFN)‐&ggr; and are associated with delayedtype hypersensitivity reactions, whereas Th2 responses, which are characterized by secretion of IL‐4, IL‐5, and IL‐10, have been associated with humoral immune responses and allergy. To assess the number of IFN‐&agr; and IL‐4 positive cells in IBD and normal intestinal specimens, frozen sections from intestinal specimens from 10 Crohn's disease (CD), 8 ulcerative colitis (UC), and 8 healthy controls were examined by immunohistochemistry. Monoclonal antibodies for CD3, CD8, IFN‐&ggr;, and IL‐4 were used. T‐lymphocyte infiltration and cytokine expression by epithelial, lamina propria, and submucosal cells were scored on a four‐point scale by two independent observers who were blinded for the clinical data. One‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) testing was used for statistical analysis. In intestinal specimens from IBD patients, the number of CD3+ cells was found increased in the lamina propria and, within the submucosa, this increase was significant (p < 0.001). In CD the number of lamina propria IFN‐&ggr; positive cells was significantly increased as compared with controls (p < 0.002). In UC the number of both IFN‐&ggr; and IL‐4 producing cells in the lamina propria was not significantly increased as compared with controls. The present results confirm the existence of a Thl‐biased pattern production in CD but not in UC.
Inhibition of N2 Fixation in Soybean Is Associated with Elevated Ureides and Amino Acids1

Decreased N2 fixation in soybean (Glycine max) L. Merr. during water deficits has been associated with increases in ureides and free amino acids in plant tissues, indicating a potential feedback inhibition by these compounds in response to drought. We evaluated concentrations of ureides and amino acids in leaf and nodule tissue and the concurrent change in N2 fixation in response to exogenous ureides and soil-water treatments for the cultivars Jackson and KS4895. Exogenous ureides applied to the soil and water-deficit treatments inhibited N2 fixation by 85% to 90%. Mn fertilization increased the apparent catabolism of ureides in leaves and hastened the recovery of N2 fixation following exogenous ureide application for both cultivars. Ureides and total free amino acids in leaves and nodules increased during water deficits and coincided with a decline in N2 fixation for both cultivars. N2 fixation recovered to 74% to 90% of control levels 2 d after rewatering drought-stressed plants, but leaf ureides and total nodule amino acids remained elevated in KS4895. Asparagine accounted for 82% of the increase in nodule amino acids relative to well-watered plants at 2 d after rewatering. These results indicate that leaf ureides and nodule asparagine do not feedback inhibit N2 fixation. Compounds whose increase and decrease in concentration mirrored the decline and recovery of N2 fixation included nodule ureides, nodule aspartate, and several amino acids in leaves, indicating that these are potential candidate molecules for feedback inhibition of N2 fixation.
A randomised controlled trial of buttonhole cannulation for the prevention of fistula access complications.

OBJECTIVES This multicentre, prospective, open label, randomised controlled trial was to determine whether buttonhole cannulation technique in new and established haemodialysis fistula reduced complications and prolonged the access life compared to usual practice. METHOD Seventy subjects were recruited for this study. Subjects randomised to the buttonhole group had their fistula cannulated by the same staff member for two to four weeks at the same angle and direction with sharp needles. Once the tunnel was developed, blunt needles were used. The control group continued with usual practice (rope ladder rotation technique). RESULTS Infection at the cannulation site occurred in four patients in the buttonhole group and one in the rope ladder rotation group (p = 0.11). Haematomas at the cannulation site and site pain experienced during the dialysis session were more often recorded for the buttonhole group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS This study showed that buttonhole cannulation resulted more infections, haematoma formation and site pain during dialysis than with the rope ladder rotation group. A further larger scale longitudinal study is recommended.
A meta‐analysis comparing the efficacy of omeprazole with H2‐receptor antagonists for acute treatment of duodenal ulcer in Asian patients

A meta‐analysis was performed on pooled data from five large double‐blind studies (a total of 1057 patients), which were conducted in Asia to compare the effects of omeprazole with H2‐receptor antagonists (H2‐RA) in duodenal ulcer. As each study followed the same protocol and data evaluation procedures, a detailed analysis of ulcer healing, symptom relief and influence of prognostic factors across the data was possible. Patients received omeprazole 20 mg om or standard doses of H2‐RA for a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 weeks, depending on healing (as verified by endoscopy). All efficacy analyses were based on per protocol data. The mean healing rates at 2 weeks were 72% for omeprazole and 42% for H2‐RA (difference 30%; 95% CI: 24–36%; P< 0.0001) and at 4 weeks were 96% for omeprazole and 83% for H2‐RA (difference 13%; 95% CI: 10–17%; P< 0.0001). In addition to treatment, ulcer size had a significant influence on healing, with large ulcers (diameter>10 mm) taking longer to heal than small ulcers. There was no significant influence of smoking and alcohol drinking on ulcer healing. Patients on omeprazole experienced significantly less epigastric pain after 2 weeks than those on H2‐RA, 79% of them being completely symptom‐free on omeprazole compared with 65% on H2‐RA. The incidence of adverse events was approximately 5% on each treatment and profiles were similar for each drug. It is concluded that omeprazole, even in the presence of adverse prognostic influences, results in significantly better healing of duodenal ulcer and relief from symptoms than H2‐RA.