Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Lamivudine Therapy and Factors Associated with Emergence of Resistance in Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Japan

Objective: Several reports have examined the efficacy of long-term lamivudine therapy and the risk factors involved in emergence of viral resistance in Japanese patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, the patient cohorts in such studies are relatively small. Methods: We analyzed 234 chronically HBV-infected Japanese patients who were treated with lamivudine for more than 12 months. They comprised patients with HBV genotype A (n = 8), genotype B (n = 21), genotype C (n = 203) and other HBV genotypes (n = 2). Results: In most patients, lamivudine resulted in normalization of alanine transaminase (ALT) levels at 6 and 12 months, and suppression of serum HBV DNA to undetectable levels by the branched chain DNA probe assay (bDNA). Rates of ALT normalization and non-detection of HBV DNA were higher among patients with genotype B than genotype C disease. The proportions of patients who achieved HBeAg loss were 27, 42 and 45% after 6 months, 1 year and 2 years, respectively. The emergence of mutations was not different among genotypes A, B and C by the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate analyses identified high HBV DNA level (bDNA ≧100 MEq/ml) as an independent factor associated with emergence of the YMDD motif mutation in all patients. Among patients with genotype C disease, which is the predominant HBV genotype in Japan, multivariate analysis also identified high HBV DNA level and HBeAg positivity as factors associated with emergence of resistance. Conclusion: Patients exhibiting these factors at the commencement of lamivudine treatment must be monitored carefully at regular intervals for emergence of viral resistance.
Psychological functioning and quality of life in lung transplant candidates and recipients.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the psychological functioning and quality of life (QOL) of lung transplant candidates and recipients. METHODS The following measures were completed by 36 lung transplant candidates (the pretransplant group [PRE]) and 73 recipients (the posttransplant group [POST]): the Rand-36 Item Health Survey 1.0 (RAND-36), visual analog scale of overall QOL (OQOL), Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI), Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory (DSFI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and Body Cathexis Scale (BC). RESULTS Compared to the PRE, POST patients had significantly better scores on the following measures: RAND-36 total, physical health, role limitations due to physical health, general health, vitality, and social functioning subscales (all p < 0.0001); visual analog scale of OQOL (p < 0.0001); BSI (p < 0.05); BC (p < 0.05); HAD anxiety (p < 0.05) and depression (p < 0.0001); and RSES (p < 0.05). Despite better scores, some areas did not differ between the PRE and the POST, and many patients continued to experience impairments in psychological functioning. Specifically, the RAND-36 emotional health and role limitations due to emotional health subscale scores did not differ between the PRE and the POST and they remained lower than published norms. A significant proportion of patients in both groups (44% of PRE patients and 28% of POST patients) had borderline or clinical levels of anxiety (ie, the HAD). Finally, PRE and POST mean scores were significantly lower than published norms on the RSES (p < 0.05) and the body image scale of the DSFI (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Although lung transplant recipients have better general, physical, and psychological health than their pretransplant counterparts, the present research suggests that both groups experience impairment in several areas of psychological functioning. Future research into the QOL of the lung transplant population should be aimed at recognizing, intervening, and improving patients' psychological and emotional well-being.
A randomized controlled clinical trial evaluating the effect of multi mineral-vitamin D supplementation on pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women at risk for pre-eclampsia

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the favorable effects of multi mineral-vitamin D supplementation on pregnancy outcomes among pregnant women at risk for pre-eclampsia. Materials and Methods: This randomized single-blind controlled clinical trial was conducted among 46 pregnant, primigravida, women at risk for pre-eclampsia (aged 18-40 years) at their third trimester. Pregnant women were randomly assigned to receive either the multi mineral-vitamin D supplements (n=23) or the placebo (n=23) for 9 weeks. Fasting blood samples were taken at baseline and after applying a 9-wk intervention to measure serum calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and 25-hydroxy vitamin D. Newborn's measurements (weight, height and head circumference) were determined. Results: Although no significant difference was seen in newborn's weight and head circumference between the two groups, mean of newborn's length (51.3±1.7 vs. 50.3±1.2 cm, P=0.03) among the newborn's whose mothers were receiving multi mineral-vitamin D supplements were taller than those whose mothers received placebo. As compared to the placebo, consumption of multi mineral-vitamin D supplements also resulted in increased levels of serum calcium (+0.19 vs. -0.08 mg/dL, P=0.03), magnesium (+0.15 vs. -0.08 mg/dL, P=0.03), zinc (+8.25 vs. -21.38 mg/dL, P=0.001) and vitamin D (+3.79 vs. -1.37 ng/ml, P=0.01). Conclusion: In conclusion, multi mineral-vitamin D supplementation for 9 weeks during pregnancy and in pregnant women at risk for pre-eclampsia resulted in increase of newborn's height, increased circulating levels of maternal serum calcium, magnesium, zinc and vitamin D as compared to the placebo group.
Actin Tyrosine-53-Phosphorylation in Neuronal Maturation and Synaptic Plasticity

Rapid reorganization and stabilization of the actin cytoskeleton in dendritic spines enables cellular processes underlying learning, such as long-term potentiation (LTP). Dendritic spines are enriched in exceptionally short and dynamic actin filaments, but the studies so far have not revealed the molecular mechanisms underlying the high actin dynamics in dendritic spines. Here, we show that actin in dendritic spines is dynamically phosphorylated at tyrosine-53 (Y53) in rat hippocampal and cortical neurons. Our findings show that actin phosphorylation increases the turnover rate of actin filaments and promotes the short-term dynamics of dendritic spines. During neuronal maturation, actin phosphorylation peaks at the first weeks of morphogenesis, when dendritic spines form, and the amount of Y53-phosphorylated actin decreases when spines mature and stabilize. Induction of LTP transiently increases the amount of phosphorylated actin and LTP induction is deficient in neurons expressing mutant actin that mimics phosphorylation. Actin phosphorylation provides a molecular mechanism to maintain the high actin dynamics in dendritic spines during neuronal development and to induce fast reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in synaptic plasticity. In turn, dephosphorylation of actin is required for the stabilization of actin filaments that is necessary for proper dendritic spine maturation and LTP maintenance. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Dendritic spines are small protrusions from neuronal dendrites where the postsynaptic components of most excitatory synapses reside. Precise control of dendritic spine morphology and density is critical for normal brain function. Accordingly, aberrant spine morphology is linked to many neurological diseases. The actin cytoskeleton is a structural element underlying the proper morphology of dendritic spines. Therefore, defects in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton in neurons have been implicated in neurological diseases. Here, we revealed a novel mechanism for regulating neuronal actin cytoskeleton that explains the specific organization and dynamics of actin in spines. The better we understand the regulation of the dendritic spine morphology, the better we understand what goes wrong in neurological diseases.
Influence of source and quantity of protein on the development of immunity and resistance to African trypanosomiasis

Although it is well documented that severe protein deprivation inhibits the development of the immune response and exacerbates certain infections, little has been done to study the effects of native diets on endemic diseases or immunity. Therefore, protein-restricted diets were formulated for mice to mimic the sources and amounts measured in human diets of the Batouri region of Cameroon, endemic for African trypanosomiasis. Weanling C57BL/6 female mice were fed a diet that contained 73% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of protein. The sources of protein were all plant (cornmeal), all animal (casein), or a ratio that reflected the native diet (2.2 parts plant to 1 part animal protein). Diets were isocaloric on a weight basis, equal in lipids, and adequate in vitamins and minerals. Control mice were fed laboratory chow or two times the RDA of animal protein (casein). Mice fed only cornmeal or the native diets consumed as much food but did not gain as much weight as mice fed only animal protein, indicating the poorer quality of protein in their diets. Upon infection with Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, however, significantly higher numbers of these mice controlled the first peak of parasitemia and survived the infection as compared with mice fed the other three diets. Since all mice developed patent infections and the parasite growth rate was unaffected by diet, innate immune factors were ruled out as the cause for the higher level of resistance to the parasite. To determine whether diet affected the development of the immune system, weanling mice were maintained on diets for 30 days before immunization with sheep erythrocytes or trinitrophenylated Ficoll. Mice fed only plant protein or native diets elicited higher direct plaque-forming-cell responses to both the T-cell-dependent and T-cell-independent antigens. Since variant-specific immunity which controls levels of African trypanosomes in the blood is a T-cell-independent humoral immunoglobulin M response, this suggests that cornmeal, a protein of poor quality, was adequate for the development of humoral immunity and resistance to African trypanosomiasis while casein, an animal protein of high quality, was not. This provides more evidence that diet plays an important role in infection and immunity.
Comparison of cefdinir and penicillin V in the treatment of pediatric streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis

Background. Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) tonsillopharyngitis continues to be a prevalent pediatric infectious disease that requires prompt treatment for relief of symptoms and to prevent complications. Objective. To compare the efficacy/tolerability of cefdinir and penicillin V in the treatment of pediatric GABHS tonsillopharyngitis as demonstrated in two clinical trials of similar design. Design. Multicenter, randomized, investigator-blinded trials. Patients. Children ≤12 years of age with sore throat, pharyngeal erythema and positive rapid streptococcal antigen test results. Intervention. In Study A patients took cefdinir 7 mg/kg twice daily or 14 mg/kg once daily or penicillin V 10 mg/kg 4 times daily (all regimens for 10 days). In Study B patients took cefdinir 7 mg/kg twice daily for 5 days or penicillin V 10 mg/kg 4 times daily for 10 days. Measurements. Clinical and microbiologic evaluations were conducted at multiple times during and after therapy. Results. Of 1274 patients 1122 were evaluable (679 patients received cefdinir; 443 received penicillin V). Clinical cure and microbiologic eradication rates were superior in the combined cefdinir treatment groups (94.9 and 92.7%, respectively), whether given once or twice daily for 10 days or twice daily for 5 days, compared with the penicillin treatment group (88.5 and 70.9%, respectively;P < 0.001 for both). Adverse event rates were comparable in the 2 groups. Conclusion. Cefdinir is a reliable and well-tolerated drug for the management of GABHS tonsillopharyngitis in children.
British cohabitation and the household division of labour

The structure of the family unit in the United Kingdom has undergone monumental changes in recent decades. The legal definition of a family has evolved substantially to include a wider range of family forms, most recently same-sex marriage, which became legal in the United Kingdom (excluding Northern Ireland) in 2014. Legal changes in the family accompany a range of social changes – among the most common of these is an expansion in the number of different-sex non-marital co-residential unions (concisely called "cohabitation") (Ermisch and Francesconi, 2000; Beaujouan and Bhrolchain, 2011). Since the 1970s, these types of relationships have become widely accepted (Coast, 2009) and increasingly common (Office for National Statistics, 2012a). However, despite its prevalence, cohabitation in the United Kingdom is seldom studied independently of marriage. My dissertation strives to fill this gap in the literature. Specifically, my dissertation adds to the understanding of the household division of labour during cohabitation. Instead of merely examining cohabitation as one homogenous relationship type, Chapter 2 profiles three groups of cohabitants: 1) pre-marital cohabitants; 2) non-marital short-term cohabitants; 3) long-term cohabitants who reside together for five years or longer. Subsequent chapters examine how each of these groups, in turn, addresses the household division of labour – pre-marital and early couple formation cohabitation in Chapter 3, couples transitioning from cohabitation to marriage in Chapter 4, and during long-term cohabitation in Chapter 5. This dissertation is a significant contribution to the field of economic sociology because the household division of labour has not yet been explored during cohabitation in this way.
Marijuana use among youths in Mississippi, United States

Abstract Background Increased use of marijuana among youths in Mississippi, United States is of great concern to Public Health in the 21st century. This study examined the prevalence of marijuana use according to gender, race and ethnicity. Method The data for this study was obtained from Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) for 2015, a cross-sectional survey of the Mississippi High School Students, which examined the prevalence and trends in the use of marijuana according to gender, race and ethnicity. The trends in the percentage of students that reported the use of marijuana and its product was examined by univariate t-test statistical analysis at p < 0.05. The frequency distribution was used to determine the percentage differences in the groups. Results The students that ever used marijuana was 39.4% in Blacks, 39.1% in Hispanics and 31.0% in Whites. A total of 13.7% male and female (4.8%) used marijuana before 13 years of age. In addition, the students currently using marijuana include Blacks (10.9%), Hispanic (13.7%) and Whites (7.2%). Approximately 9.7% of students ever used the synthetic product, which was higher in Hispanic (18.7%) when compared to Blacks (8.8%) and Whites (9.1%). Conclusion The use of marijuana is significantly higher among the male youth in Mississippi than females, which is a major public health concern. Furthermore, there was higher rates of smoking marijuana in Hispanics and Blacks when compared to White youth.
Dissociation of mitogenesis and late-stage promotion of tumor cell phenotype by phorbol esters: mitogen-resistant variants are sensitive to promotion.

The JB-6 mouse epidermal cell line has been used as a model system for studying the mechanism of late-stage promoter-dependent preneoplastic progression. The studies reported here are concerned with determining whether there is a requirement for mitogenic stimulation in promotion of anchorage independence and tumorigenicity in JB-6 cells. Such a requirement would predict that variants selected for 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) mitogen resistance would also be promotion resistant. Promotion-responsive cell lines have been selected for resistance to TPA-induced mitogenic stimulation at plateau density by cotreatment with colchicine and removal of mitogen-responsive colchicine-detached cells. The selected TPA-resistant population of cells showed a mitogenic response that was diminished by a factor of four but showed no diminution in the promotion-of-anchorage-independence response to TPA. Mitogen-resistant clonal lines derived from the selected population fell into three phenotypic classes when assayed in soft agar: (i) anchorage-independent transformants; (ii) variants resistant to promotion of anchorage independence by TPA; and (iii) variants sensitive to promotion by TPA. The existence of the latter class (i.e., the mitogen-resistant promotable variants) indicates a lack of obligatory causal relationship between TPa-induced mitogenesis and late-stage promotion and, thereby suggests that the two events can be dissociated.
How the Equity Terminal Value Influences the Value of the Firm

The discounted cash flow model (DCFM) views the intrinsic value of common stock as the present value of its expected future cash flows. This paper analyses whether the equity terminal value (EqTV) of the firm calculated by fundamentals is appreciated by the market. It also studies the impact of variations in EqTV and the extent to which the market perceives these variations. Using a sample of 62 Spanish listed companies, this paper shows that EqTV and its variations are positively and significantly correlated with EqTV assigned by the market and its corresponding variations. It therefore corroborates the validity and relevance of the valuation model.
Investor sentiment and the prediction of stock returns: a quantile regression approach

ABSTRACT We employ quantile regression to provide a detailed picture of the stock return forecasting ability of investor sentiment. We find that investor sentiment predicts aggregate stock returns at lower quantiles. However, the forecasting power is lost at upper quantiles. The results are robust after controlling for a comprehensive set of macroeconomic and financial predictors and for characteristic portfolios. We also show that investor sentiment consists mainly of cash flow news and contains little information about discount rate news. The ability to forecast cash flows increases gradually from the lower quantiles to upper quantiles. Our results do not support that the ability of investor sentiment to predict stock returns comes from a rational forecast of future cash flows.
An empirical study on the features influencing users' adoption towards personal health records system

Personal health records system (PHRs) is an increasingly popular area in medical activities. It is conceded that PHRs could improve healthcare documentation, increase information access for patients and providers and help patients to better control the expenses of care. Consumers who use PHR could gain more knowledge about their health conditions, inquire more questions, and feel more connected to their physicians and make moves to improve their health. Although PHRs have various potential benefits to patients, hospitals as well as institutions, the supporting evidence of specific benefits and successfully business cases for PHR adoption is limited and wide use and adoption of PHRs has not appear. To promote the adoption of PHR system, understanding the factors that affect patients' adoption of PHR system is of necessity. However, little research has been done to learn what prospective users want in a PHR. The characteristic of PHR system and consumers both play a pivotal role in influencing the PHR adoption decision. This paper was to use PHR features to explain the relationships. Seven independent variables including relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, data quality, data model quality, privacy and interactivity was adopted, exerting significant positive or negative influence on the factors including perceived usefulness and trust. And the variables of PU and trust were assumed positively related with individuals' willingness to adopt PHR system. The SPSS and partial least squares (PLS) technique was adopted to examine the casual relationships this paper hypothesized. Therefore, suggestion regarding what developers, institutions and government should do to improve the adoption rate of PHR was raised.
The role of external debt in the foreign direct investment-growth relationship

This paper investigates the relevance of external debt as a factor inhibiting economic growth gains to be accrued from foreign direct investment (FDI). We develop a model that formalizes a mechanism to allow for the influence of external debt in the transmission of FDI‐generated externalities and conduct threshold regressions to test the existence of a debt contingency effect that limits the positive impact of inward FDI on growth. With the use of annual as well as 5‐year averaged data for 39 developing countries over the period 1984–2010, our findings support the hypothesis that FDI‐induced growth is dependent on the external debt constraint. In particular, we show that beyond a certain threshold high indebtedness constrains economies from reaping growth benefits from FDI as they seek to reduce their debt levels. In this scenario, the evidence also shows that increasing financial development can mitigate the negative influence of high external debt on the FDI–growth nexus.
p23/Sba1p Protects against Hsp90 Inhibitors Independently of Its Intrinsic Chaperone Activity

ABSTRACT The molecular chaperone Hsp90 assists a subset of cellular proteins and is essential in eukaryotes. A cohort of cochaperones contributes to and regulates the multicomponent Hsp90 machine. Unlike the biochemical activities of the cochaperone p23, its in vivo functions and the structure-function relationship remain poorly understood, even in the genetically tractable model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The SBA1 gene that encodes the p23 ortholog in this species is not an essential gene. We found that in the absence of p23/Sba1p, yeast and mammalian cells are hypersensitive to Hsp90 inhibitors. This protective function of Sba1p depends on its abilities to bind Hsp90 and to block the Hsp90 ATPase and inhibitor binding. In contrast, the protective function of Sba1p does not require the Hsp90-independent molecular chaperone activity of Sba1p. The structure-function analysis suggests that Sba1p undergoes considerable structural rearrangements upon binding Hsp90 and that the large size of the p23/Sba1p-Hsp90 interaction surface facilitates maintenance of high affinity despite sequence divergence during evolution. The large interface may also contribute to preserving a protective function in an environment in which Hsp90 inhibitory compounds can be produced by various microorganisms.