Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of CYP2C19 Polymorphisms on Serum Concentration of Voriconazole in Iranian Hematological Patients

Objective: This study aimed to determine the portion of Iranian patients who attain therapeutic serum concentrations of voriconazole (VRCZ) following administration of fixed doses. In addition, the effect of CYP2C19 polymorphism on serum levels of VRCZ was also investigated. Methods: Forty-eight adult patients of Iranian origin with hematologic malignancies, who received VRCZ for treatment of invasive aspergillosis, were recruited into the study. Blood samples were drawn at day 4 of treatment to measure trough drug concentrations and determine genotyping of CYP2C19 polymorphisms of each patient. High-performance liquid chromatography method was used for measuring VRCZ serum level and CYP2C19 polymorphisms were conducted by Sanger sequencing. Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients alongside with CYP2C19 polymorphisms were assessed to determine the effective factor/s on VRCZ serum concentration. Findings: Seventy-three percent of patients achieved therapeutic serum concentrations of VRCZ with administration of usual fixed doses in clinical practice. There was no correlation between weight-adjusted dose and serum concentrations of VRCZ. Mean serum levels were significantly different neither in genders nor in routes of administrations. Extensive and ultrarapid metabolizers (URMs) comprised 48.7% and 21.6% study population, respectively. CYP2C19 polymorphism dramatically influenced the trough levels of VRCZ, so that all patients with subtherapeutic levels expressed URM phenotype. Conclusion: With respect to high incidence of URM phenotype in Iranian population, and observed association of this phenotype with sub-therapeutic levels in our study, performing therapeutic drug monitoring is strongly recommended for all patients.
The impact of crude oil inventory announcements on prices: Evidence from derivatives markets

This study examines the impact of weekly crude oil storage announcements on oil futures and options prices. We document evidence of a strong announcement day effect on both markets, and find prices to move in anticipation of the inventory surprise. Futures returns significantly decrease with positive surprises and increase with negative surprises. There is no evidence of an asymmetric impact on futures prices. Nearâ€ theâ€ money options exhibit the greatest price sensitivity, and the magnitude of the price response of both futures and options declines with maturity. The results remain robust even after controlling for various macroeconomic and other storageâ€ related news variables.
Much more than malnutrition: motherhood and the state in the Peruvian Andes

This thesis draws on women’s lived experience as recipients of state programmes and services aimed at poor mothers to explore contradictions in processes of development and social inclusion. Women’s ambivalent responses to these programmes raise important questions, first of all, about being the targeted object and what ‘for poor mothers’ means to those so categorised, and secondly, about the act of targeting, and how it can serve both as a constraint and as a resource. State concern with chronic child malnutrition serves as the entrance point to my research, carried out in rural Ayacucho, Peru, from October 2012 to November 2013. This project was motivated by concerns regarding the medicalisation of food scarcity, as malnutrition, and how this approach spread to further interventions by the state to shape parenting in the rural Andes. I examine three programmes: (1.) mothers’ interactions with the local public health centre, which is at the forefront of the state’s effort to reduce chronic child malnutrition, (2.) the Juntos (‘Together’) cash transfer programme, under which families receive small bi-monthly payments conditional on children’s school attendance and health centre check-ups, and (3.) the Cuna Mas (‘Cradle Plus’) programme, which involves home visits to promote mother-child interaction and play. My research builds on the concepts of ‘governmentality’ and ‘reproductive governance’ by examining how women in their roles as mothers are sought out for the development of the nation, and urged to act along state-recommended lines. By looking at their reactions to being targeted, I explore how they make use of what is on offer and manage the boundaries of their inclusion. I show that considerations of agency are central to debates on citizenship and inclusion, as well as to understanding the implications of medicalisation.
Evidence for autophagy-dependent pathways of rRNA turnover in Arabidopsis

Ribosomes account for a majority of the cell's RNA and much of its protein and represent a significant investment of cellular resources. The turnover and degradation of ribosomes has been proposed to play a role in homeostasis and during stress conditions. Mechanisms for the turnover of rRNA and ribosomal proteins have not been fully elucidated. We show here that the RNS2 ribonuclease and autophagy participate in RNA turnover in Arabidopsis thaliana under normal growth conditions. An increase in autophagosome formation was seen in an rns2–2 mutant, and this increase was dependent on the core autophagy genes ATG9 and ATG5. Autophagosomes and autophagic bodies in rns2–2 mutants contain RNA and ribosomes, suggesting that autophagy is activated as an attempt to compensate for loss of rRNA degradation. Total RNA accumulates in rns2–2, atg9–4, atg5–1, rns2–2 atg9–4, and rns2–2 atg5–1 mutants, suggesting a parallel role for autophagy and RNS2 in RNA turnover. rRNA accumulates in the vacuole in rns2–2 mutants. Vacuolar accumulation of rRNA was blocked by disrupting autophagy via an rns2–2 atg5–1 double mutant but not by an rns2–2 atg9–4 double mutant, indicating that ATG5 and ATG9 function differently in this process. Our results suggest that autophagy and RNS2 are both involved in homeostatic degradation of rRNA in the vacuole.
Percutaneous Closure of Atrial Septal Defects Under Transthoracic Echocardiography Guidance Without Fluoroscopy or Intubation in Children.

OBJECTIVE Demonstrate the benefits of percutaneous atrial septal defect (ASD) closure under guidance of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) without fluoroscopy. METHODS From February 2013 to April 2014, 127 consecutive patients with an isolated type II ASD were recruited to undergo percutaneous closure under either TTE (n = 60, TTE group) or TEE (n = 67, TEE group) guidance. The TTE group received local anesthesia or sedation with propofol, and the TEE group received general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation. Follow-up examinations were performed for both groups at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after discharge and annually thereafter. RESULTS The TTE group had a significantly shorter procedure time and respirator ventilation duration than the TEE group. The dose of propofol required, the cost, and the pharyngeal complication rate were significantly lower in the TTE group than in the TEE group. The median follow-up of 11.6 months was uneventful in all patients. CONCLUSIONS Percutaneous ASD closure with TTE guidance as the only imaging tool avoids fluoroscopy, endotracheal intubation, and probe insertion and is associated with a satisfactory procedural success rate and lower costs. This procedure is a safe and reliable treatment for ASD.
Baseline Pain and Response to Analgesic Medications in the Postsurgery Dental Pain Model

In designing clinical trials for the treatment of acute pain, enrollment of patients with moderate to severe pain is recommended even when the desired indication is treatment of mild pain. To test this approach, the authors explored the results of two studies that had the same standard placebo‐controlled, parallel‐group design and that compared the study medication to a single dose of ibuprofen 400 mg. One study had 25 subjects, the other 50 in its ibuprofen arm. Subjects indicating moderate or severe pain (on a scale ranging from 0 = none, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe) following a surgical extraction of two or more third molars were enrolled. There was a difference between the ibuprofen groups in these two studies in average baseline pain intensity (PI) (2.88 ± 0.33 vs. 2.26 ± 0.44). In the higher baseline group, PI decreased faster, achieving lower levels of PI that were maintained for the rest of the study period. The results of pain relief measurements paralleled those of PI. The authors conclude that including patients with a higher degree of baseline pain in the postoperative dental pain model has the potential to increase discrimination of analgesic properties of new drugs.
In support of an early polypharmacy approach to the treatment of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a multifaceted disease, characterized by hyperglycaemia, resulting from a combination of insulin resistance, impaired incretin action and β‐cell dysfunction leading to relative insulin deficiency. Although traditional anti‐diabetes agents improve hyperglycaemia, they do so at a cost, which may entail hypoglycemia and increased body weight; exacerbating dyslipidemia, hypertension and components of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome associated with T2DM—potentially increasing cardiovascular risk. At diagnosis, many patients with T2DM are treated with medical nutritional therapy (MNT) and exercise, then single or multiple oral anti‐diabetes agents until treatment failure, when insulin is used. This strategy has been challenged by recommendations for polypharmacy approaches to the treatment of T2DM, as current strategies are unable to improve multiple aspects of the disease, nor are they likely to address underlying pathophysiology. Although the 2009 American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) treatment algorithm recommends a stepwise approach with MNT and metformin, later adding oral agents, incretin‐based therapies or insulin, some experts have recommended a more aggressive approach. In his 2008 ADA Banting Lecture, Dr. Ralph DeFronzo recommended early treatment with metformin, TZD and exenatide at initiation of therapy. The authors' of this article recommend an aggressive early polypharmacy approach addressing underlying pathophysiology, including the incretin defect—with MNT and exercise, metformin and an incretin‐based therapy and/or basal insulin if glycemic goal is not achieved within 3 months. This approach attempts to modify the disease, aiming for tight glycemic control, weight loss, reduced hypoglycemia, improvements to hypertension, dyslipidemia and insulin resistance—and improved cardiovascular outcomes.
CEACAM1 is a potent regulator of B cell receptor complex‐induced activation

Carcinoembryonic antigen‐related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1, CD66a) is a member of the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily, previously characterized as an adhesion and signaling molecule in epithelial, endothelial, and hematopoietic cells. Here, we show that the CEACAM1 isoform expression pattern is different in nonactivated and activated primary mouse B lymphocytes and that CEACAM1 influences B cell receptor complex‐mediated activation. A CEACAM1‐specific monoclonal antibody strongly triggered proliferation of mouse B cells when combined with surface IgM cross‐linking. However, anti‐CEACAM1 was not mitogenic when added alone. The proliferation was more pronounced and lasted longer as compared with other activators of B cells, such as anti‐IgM in the presence of interleukin‐4 or lipopolysaccharide. A similar, costimulatory effect was exerted by CEACAM1‐expressing fibroblasts, indicating that homophilic CEACAM1–CEACAM1 cell‐mediated binding is the physiological stimulus for CEACAM1‐triggered B cell signaling. The anti‐CEACAM1/anti‐IgM‐activated cells aggregated in a lymphocyte function‐associated antigen‐1‐dependent manner. Furthermore, cells that were activated by anti‐CEACAM1/anti‐IgM secreted Ig but did not go through Ig class‐switching. Anti‐CEACAM1 induced phosphorylation of c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (stress‐activated protein kinase) but did not activate the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase or p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinases.
The clinical effects of Kinesio® Tex taping: A systematic review

Kinesio® Tex tape (KTT) is used in a variety of clinical settings. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of KTT from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the management of clinical conditions. A systematic literature search of CINAHL; MEDLINE; OVID; AMED; SCIENCE DIRECT; PEDRO; www.internurse. com; SPORT DISCUS; BRITISH NURSING INDEX; www.kinesiotaping. co.uk; www.kinesiotaping. com; COCHRANE CENTRAL REGISTER OF CLINICAL TRIALS; and PROQUEST was performed up to April 2012. The risk of bias and quality of evidence grading was performed using the Cochrane collaboration methodology. Eight RCTs met the full inclusion/exclusion criteria. Six of these included patients with musculoskeletal conditions; one included patients with breast-cancer-related lymphedema; and one included stroke patients with muscle spasticity. Six studies included a sham or usual care tape/bandage group. There was limited to moderate evidence that KTT is no more clinically effective than sham or usual care tape/bandage. There was limited evidence from one moderate quality RCT that KTT in conjunction with physiotherapy was clinically beneficial for plantar fasciitis related pain in the short term; however, there are serious questions around the internal validity of this RCT. There currently exists insufficient evidence to support the use of KTT over other modalities in clinical practice.
Event-triggered output feedback H∞ control for networked control systems with time-varying sampling and packet losses

This paper is concerned with the event-triggered H∞ control for the networked control systems with non-uniform sampling and packet losses via dynamic output feedback controller (DOFC). By proposing the event-triggered mechanism, in which the output of the system is sampled by a time-varying sampling period and only the necessary sampled data is transmitted through the communication network, and the network-induced delay and the packet losses are considered simultaneously. Under the proposed event-triggering mechanism, the closed-loop system is modelled as a time-delay system. Based on the model, some novel criteria in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) for co-designing both the desired DOFC and the event-triggered parameters are derived. Finally, a simulation example is employed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Layered Multitask Tracker via Spatial–Temporal Laplacian Graph

Most multitask trackers define the trace of each candidate as one task, and assume all tasks are equally related. Multitask learning is only evaluated on the current frame. In fact, these assumptions are limited, and ignore the multitask relationship in consecutive frames. In this letter, we propose a discriminative layered multitask tracker via spatial–temporal Laplacian graphs, which defines the layered tasks from a novel view, and naturally incorporates the global and local target information into reverse multitask tracking process. The spatial–temporal Laplacian graphs not only exploit the sequential consistent information of the target, but also make full use of the geometric structure corresponding to the tasks among the adjacent frames. Besides, $l_{0}$ norm constraint and labeling information are used to improve the tracking robustness. Encouraging experimental results on challenging sequences justify that the proposed method performs well both in accuracy and robustness against some related trackers.
Obesity and asthma: a specific phenotype?

BACKGROUND Obesity is associated with an increased prevalence of asthma, especially in women, and appears to be more severe in the obese. This study aimed to determine if obese subjects have a specific asthma phenotype. METHODS Forty-four consecutive obese subjects (body mass index [BMI] > or = 30 kg/m(2)) and 44 consecutive nonobese subjects (BMI < 25 kg/m(2)), all with asthma, completed an asthma control questionnaire, and underwent methacholine challenge with symptom perception scores, and sputum induction for differential cell count. BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio also were measured. RESULTS Despite similar expiratory flows, bronchodilator response, airway responsiveness to methacholine, and symptom perception scores, asthma control was poorer in obese subjects than in nonobese subjects (p = 0.005). Total lung capacity (p = 0.01), expiratory reserve volume (p < 0.0001), functional residual capacity (p < 0.0001), and residual volume (p = 0.006) were lower in obese subjects than in nonobese subjects. Induced-sputum eosinophil and neutrophil counts were similar in both groups, although there was an inverse correlation between sputum eosinophils and waist circumference and a trend for a similar relationship for BMI. Blood serum C-reactive protein (p = 0.009) and fibrinogen (p = 0.0004) levels were higher in obese subjects than in nonobese subjects. CONCLUSION Obese people with asthma had poorer asthma control than nonobese asthmatics despite similar symptoms perception. Bronchial and systemic inflammatory characteristics and the specific pattern of pulmonary function changes suggest a different phenotype of asthma in these subjects. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00532363 and NCT00532831.
Financial Market Contagion: Evidence from Asia Using Fraction Co-integration and Multivariate GARCH Approach

The increased episodes of the financial crises throughout the world in the 1990s motivated research interests to identify the channels through which such crises spread from one country to the entire region and across regions and to suggest policies to avoid the worst of such crises. Researchers have identified several factors that may spark and induce contagion of the crisis. Strong trade and financial market linkages may contribute to contagion of the crises. This also implies that, even economies with strong fundamentals could not escape contagion. This study attempts to identify and trace the alleged origin and the subsequent path of the currency contagion using data from a sample of selected Asian countries. For empirical estimation, we use high frequency data (daily observation) on exchange rates from 1994 to 2002. We split the sample in to three periods (full, pre and post-crisis periods), investigate fractional integration and co-integration properties, construct a multivariate GARCH model and apply Granger causality test to identify the inter-linkages among exchange rate markets in selected Asian countries. The evidence suggests that most of the exchange rates within crisis-hit Asian countries are strongly linked and may have had provided a channel for contagion during 1997 Asian crisis.
Banking sector depth and economic growth nexus: a comparative study between the natural resource-based and the rest of the world’s economies

Abstract This paper investigates the relationship between banking sector depth and long-term economic growth in the natural resource-based economies vis-à-vis economies that are not dependent on natural resources. For the empirical investigation, a Generalised Method of Moments estimator for dynamic panel data models is adopted for 194 countries spanning the period 1964–2013. Using different measures of banking sector depth and economic growth, the investigation yields three key findings. First, the banking–growth relationship is non-linear and positive within certain levels of banking sector depth in both country groups. Second, the time lag between the change in the level of banking sector depth and the effect on economic growth is shorter in the natural resource-based countries than in the other countries. Finally, the total effect of banking sector deepening on long-term economic growth is weaker in economies with abundant natural resources than in the rest of the world.
Quality of Life in Europe

Human behavior is based on certain causes related to the satisfaction of the unlimited needsthat we have. Nothing enters into the human consciousness if it is not driven by a particularinterest. Many times we wondered why people want a certain comfort in exchange for sacrifices on longterm: we want houses, cars, holidays, quality services. All our life we work and give up many tothings (maybe) more important than achieving material benefits. It's about quality of life. In thispaper we analyzed the quality of life in Europe addressing several factors, such as subjective wellbeing,living standards and material constraints, work-life balance, family life and social life,health and education.
Evaluation of antioxidant capacity of Chinese five-spice ingredients

Abstract Phenolic compounds in spices were reportedly found to possess high antioxidant capacities (AOCs), which may prevent or reduce risk of human diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. The potential AOC of Chinese five-spice powder (consist of Szechuan pepper, fennel seed, cinnamon, star anise and clove) with varying proportion of individual spice ingredients was investigated through four standard methods. Our results suggest that clove is the major contributor to the AOC of the five-spice powder whereas the other four ingredients contribute to the flavour. For example, the total phenolic content as well as ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values increased linearly with the clove percentage in five-spice powder. This observation opens the door to use clove in other spice mixtures to increase their AOC and flavour. Moreover, linear relationships were also observed between AOC and the total phenolic content of the 32 tested spice samples.
A smart headband for epileptic seizure detection

Epilepsy is a common neural disorder disease; about 1.7% of the global population has epilepsy. Most patients take antiepileptic drugs to reduce their seizures. Among them, nearly one-third of the patients are drug-resistant epilepsy. The alternative treatment is the resection surgery of removing the epileptogenic zone. However, all above patients will still have some seizures, which will influence the patients' quality-of-life, and further introduce danger and inconvenience to patients and people around. This paper presents the design and develop of the smart headband for epileptic seizure detection. The headband consists of a textile headband with flexible print circuit (FPC) inside, and fabric electrodes on it. The whole system includes the following circuits: an analog front-end circuitry for electroencephalography (EEG) record, an epileptic seizure detection System-on-Chip (SoC), and a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Chip. The result of designed circuits yields a compact and low-power design of smart headband for epileptic seizure detection which is suitable for wearable usage.
Mach-Zehnder Interferometer based high sensitive water salinity sensor for oceanographic applications

A high sensitive Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) based fiber optic sensor for the measurement of sea water salinity has been demonstrated in this research. At first, femtosecond laser is used as the source and its performance in sensing salinity of sea water is analyzed. Secondly, a Carbon monoxide (CO) laser operating in the spectrum of 4.8 to 8.3 pm is used to excite the arms of MZI. It has been observed that wavelength shifts related to attenuation dips are highly sensitive to salinity of sea water when CO laser is used as the source. Using simple and robust schematic design, sensitivity of 0.01pm/ppt is achieved for salinity range of 31 to 37 ppt at a constant temperature of 27°C. The all-optical MZI salinity sensor indicated here is easy to fabricate, low cost, highly sensitive and finds application in the field of oceanography.