Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Entecavir vs lamivudine for prevention of hepatitis B virus reactivation among patients with untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma receiving R-CHOP chemotherapy: a randomized clinical trial.

IMPORTANCE Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation is a serious complication for patients with lymphoma treated with rituximab-containing chemotherapies, despite lamivudine prophylaxis treatment. An optimal prophylactic antiviral protocol has not been determined. OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy of entecavir and lamivudine in preventing HBV reactivation in patients seropositive for the hepatitis B surface antigen with untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma receiving chemotherapy treatment with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS Randomized, open-label, phase 3 study conducted from February 2008 through December 2012 at 10 medical centers in China. This study was a substudy of a parent study designed to compare a 3-week with a 2-week R-CHOP chemotherapy regimen for untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Patients enrolled in the parent study who were seropositive for the hepatitis B surface antigen and had normal liver function, serum HBV DNA levels of less than 103 copies/mL, and no prior antiviral therapy were randomized to entecavir (n = 61) or lamivudine (n = 60). INTERVENTIONS Daily entecavir (0.5 mg) or lamivudine (100 mg) beginning 1 week before the initiation of R-CHOP treatment to 6 months after completion of chemotherapy. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary efficacy end point was the incidence of HBV-related hepatitis. The secondary end points included rates of HBV reactivation, chemotherapy disruption due to hepatitis, and treatment-related adverse events. RESULTS There were 121 patients randomly assigned to receive entecavir (n = 61) or lamivudine (n = 60). The date of last patient follow-up was May 25, 2013. The rates were significantly lower for the entecavir group vs the lamivudine group for HBV-related hepatitis (0% vs 13.3%, respectively; difference between groups, 13.3% [95% CI, 4.7% to 21.9%]; P = .003), HBV reactivation (6.6% vs 30%; difference, 23.4% [95% CI, 10.2% to 36.6%]; P = .001), and chemotherapy disruption (1.6% vs 18.3%; difference, 16.7% [95% CI, 6.4% to 27.0%]; P = .002). Of the 61 patients in the entecavir group, 15 (24.6%) experienced treatment-related adverse events. Of 60 patients in the lamivudine group, 18 (30%) experienced treatment-related adverse events (difference between entecavir and lamivudine groups, 5.4% [95% CI, -10.5% to 21.3%]; P = .50). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Among patients seropositive for the hepatitis B surface antigen with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma undergoing R-CHOP chemotherapy, the addition of entecavir compared with lamivudine resulted in a lower incidence of HBV-related hepatitis and HBV reactivation. If replicated, these findings support the use of entecavir in these patients. TRIAL REGISTRATIONS clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01793844; Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Identifier: CTR-TRC-11001687.
Effects of cerebellar dentate nucleus GABAergic cells on rat inferior olivary neurons

The present study was undertaken to analyze the effects on unitary activity of inferior olive (IO) neurons elicited by activation of cerebellar lateral nucleus (LN), in rats submitted to the chronic destruction of MDJ structures, i.e. in animals in which the LN-evoked effects in IO should be depended only on activation of GABAergic cells of LN. It has been observed that about two-thirds of the olivocerebellar neurons are significantly affected by LN stimulation, and > 68% of those cells were inhibited. Two-thirds of the inhibitory responses were compatible with a monosynaptic linkage, whereas the remaining inhibitions were probably due to polisynaptic linkages. The majority of LN-induced inhibitions was abolished or greatly reduced following application of GABA antagonists.
SMALL‐RODENT DYNAMICS AND PREDATION

The hypothesis that the regular multiannual population oscillations of boreal and arctic small rodents (voles and lemmings) are driven by predation is as old as the scientific study of rodent cycles itself. Subsequently, for several decades, the predation hypothesis fell into disrepute, possibly because the views about predation and rodent dy- namics were too simplistic. Here we review the work that has been done on the predation hypothesis primarily in Fennoscandia over the past decade. Models of predator-prey interaction have been constructed for the least weasel (Mustela nivalis) and the field vole (Microtus agrestis), which are considered to be the key specialist predator and the key prey species in the multispecies communities in the boreal forest region in Fennoscandia. The basic model has been parameterized with independent field data, and it predicts well the main features of the observed dynamics. An extension of the model also including generalist and nomadic avian predators predicts correctly the well- documented and striking geographic gradient in rodent oscillations in Fennoscandia, with the amplitude and cycle period decreasing from north to south. These geographic changes are attributed to the observed latitudinal change in the density of generalist and nomadic predators, which are expected to have a stabilizing effect on rodent dynamics. We review the other observational, modeling, and experimental results bearing on the predation hypothesis and conclude that it accounts well for the broad patterns in rodent oscillations in Fennoscandia. We discuss the application of the predation hypothesis to other regions in the northern hemisphere. The predation hypothesis does not make predictions about multiannual and latitudinal changes in body size, behavior, and demography of ro- dents, which may have some population-dynamic consequences. With the current evidence, however, we consider it unlikely that the phenotypic and genotypic composition of pop- ulations would be instrumental for generating the broad patterns in rodent oscillations.
Efficient QCA design of single-bit and multi-bit subtractors

The design of digital circuits in Quantum Dot Cellular Automata (QCA) has been of active interest in the last decade. While there are many proposals for design of adders, work on subtractors is limited. This paper presents efficient QCA designs of single-bit and multi-bit subtractors. The designs are based on new results on majority logic. Simulations in QCADesigner are presented. The complexity of the proposed designs in terms of cell count and area are also given.
Machine Learning for Dynamic Incentive Problems

We propose a generic method for solving infinite-horizon, discrete-time dynamic incentive problems with hidden states. We first combine set-valued dynamic programming techniques with Bayesian Gaussian mixture models to determine irregularly shaped equilibrium value correspondences. Second, we generate training data from those pre-computed feasible sets to recursively solve the dynamic incentive problem by a massively parallelized Gaussian process machine learning algorithm. This combination enables us to analyze models of a complexity that was previously considered to be intractable. To demonstrate the broad applicability of our framework, we compute solutions for models of repeated agency with history dependence, many types, and varying preferences.
Number of children and upstream intergenerational financial transfers: evidence from Hong Kong.

OBJECTIVES This study examined financial transfers from adult children to elderly parents in Hong Kong and tested three hypotheses about the motives for such transfers. We address previous research, suggesting that family financial support for retirees will decline in the coming decades as a consequence of the reduction in the fertility rate; we also examine whether financial transfers are a function of the number of adult children in the family. METHODS We used multiple regression models based on data from a representative sample of parents aged 60 years and older to identify the correlates of the amount of transfers from adult children to their elderly parents. RESULTS We found evidence for the hypothesis that upstream transfers to elderly parents are their way of withdrawing savings from a "support bank" in which they made contribution for their children's education earlier in life and that transfers are altruistic in nature, but our results provide only moderate support to the old age security hypothesis that perceives family as a source of capital. DISCUSSION The number of children has a ceiling effect on transfers, which calls into question common assumptions about the extent to which the decline in fertility will pose a severe threat to the extent of familial support of older persons over the coming decades.
Broadly cross-reactive, high-affinity antibody to hypervariable region 1 of the hepatitis C virus in rabbits.

The HCV hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) of the main E2 envelope protein is critically important in HCV neutralization but its extreme variability makes immune therapy and vaccine development particularly difficult. To explore the hypothesis that HVR1 carries a common epitope susceptible of eliciting cross-reactive neutralizing and inhibitory antibodies, rabbits were immunized with a series of synthetic HVR1 peptides. The anti-HVR1 produced were purified and characterized. Several lines of evidence supported the working hypothesis: (1) although injected only once, a boosting effect from poorly homologous peptides was observed; (2) purified rabbit IgG reacted with high affinity with immunizing peptides and cross-reacted with 16 of 17 unrelated HVR1 peptides; (3) antibodies appeared of restricted diversity irrespective of the linear HVR1 peptide sequences; (4) anti-HVR1 peptides effectively captured HCV in 22 of 33 plasmas from random infected patients; (5) anti-HVR1 IgG blocked the binding of antibody-captured HCV to MOLT-4 cells. These findings suggest that with an appropriate HVR1 peptide immunization scheme, high titer, broadly cross-reactive, blocking antibodies to HCV can be produced. Antibodies to the putative ubiquitous HVR1 epitope may have important clinical uses.
Formalization of a software architecture for embedded systems: a process algebra for SPLICE

SPLICE is an industrially developed and applied software architecture for large-scale distributed embedded systems. The key feature of SPLICE is asynchronous communication between processes. The characteristics of systems built with SPLICE include dynamic data distribution, fault-tolerance, and real-time performance. The objective of the work presented in this paper was to use a formal model to reason about the behaviour of SPLICE systems and to support the design process in system decomposition and refinement. We formalize SPLICE using a process algebra called SPLICE Process Algebra. This process algebra allows us to derive properties of the SPLICE architecture. From these properties a set of guidelines can be produced that aid in the development of SPLICE applications.
Placental examination: prognosis after delivery of the growth-restricted fetus

Purpose of review This article describes the role of placental examination in the prognostic evaluation of fetal growth restriction (FGR) infants. Recent findings A new comprehensive placental classification system was reported. Maternal underperfusion, fetal thrombotic vasculopathy (FTV), villitis (including villitis of unknown etiology and infectious villitis), inflammation, and immature/dysmature villi are important factors affecting FGR prognosis, whereas genomic imprinting is a key factor affecting growth and diseases, as well as placental abnormality. Summary We discuss the role of placental examination in determining FGR prognosis. Maternal underperfusion, fetal thrombotic vasculopathy, and villitis (including villitis of unknown etiology and infectious villitis) are the most important findings affecting FGR prognosis. Although limited, data have suggested an association of inflammation and immature/dysmature villi with postnatal growth in FGR infants. Placental size also contributes postnatally through fetal programming. In addition, placental imprinting can be a key of pre and postnatal growth and diseases, including imprinting disorders, as well as placental abnormalities such as placental mesenchymal dysplasia.
Classification and pathology of primary progressive aphasia

Objective: We aimed to determine the extent to which patients with progressive language impairment conform to 2011 primary progressive aphasia (PPA) classification and to examine clinicopathologic correlations within PPA variants. Methods: Sixty-two consecutive patients with pathologically confirmed dementia who presented clinically with aphasia were identified. Patients with insufficient clinical information were excluded. PPA classifications were applied to anonymized clinical data taken from patients' initial assessment by raters who were blinded to clinical and pathologic diagnosis. Results: The final cohort comprised 52 patients, 30 of whom met basic PPA criteria. Twenty-five patients met one of the 3 PPA classifications (13 logopenic, 8 nonfluent/agrammatic, and 4 semantic). Five patients did not meet the criteria for any of the PPA variants. All patients who met semantic variant PPA and 75% of patients who met nonfluent/agrammatic variant PPA classifications had frontotemporal lobar degeneration spectrum pathology. Pathologies were heterogeneous in patients who met logopenic variant PPA criteria (46% Alzheimer disease [AD], 8% AD mixed with dementia with Lewy bodies, 23% frontotemporal lobar degeneration, and 23% other). Conclusion: The 2011 PPA recommendations classify a large proportion of patients who meet basic PPA criteria. However, some patients had aphasic syndromes that could not be classified, suggesting that the 2011 recommendations do not cover the full range of PPA variants. Classification of semantic variant PPA provides a good prediction of underlying pathology. Classification of logopenic variant does not successfully differentiate PPA due to AD from PPA due to other pathologies.
Renin-Angiotensin System in the Adrenal

Extrarenal renin has been found in a number of tissues. All the components of the renin-angiotensin system have been identified in the adrenal cortex. Adrenal renin has been found in many animal species, including the human, but most of the studies have been carried out in the rat. Renin is present and synthesized mainly in the zona glomerulosa cells. Renin production is under physiological control and can be influenced by ACTH, changes in electrolyte balance and the genetic background of the rat. The evidence suggests that adrenal renin plays a role as a local hormone in regulating aldosterone production by the zona glomerulosa cells.
A Terahertz high-efficiency on-chip antenna

Novel high efficiency Terahertz on-chip antenna is presented. The proposed antenna is based on IHP SiGe process SG13G2. We use the SiO2 layer as a low-loss substrate. The antenna structure is shielded from the lossy bulk of the chip with a rectangular ground. The antenna has a simulated gain of 2.25dBi at 710GHz and radiation efficiency of 31%.
European countries with small populations can obtain low prices for drugs: Lithuania as a case history

Objectives: Assess whether European countries with smaller populations can obtain appreciable discounts for generics, similar to some of the larger European countries, to investigate the validity of recently published hypotheses. Methods: Observational study involving all 3.4 million ambulatory care patients currently contained within the compulsory health insurance system in Lithuania among four drug classes, with a particular focus on generics. Utilization measured in defined daily doses (DDDs). Prices in terms of reimbursed expenditure/DDD. Reductions in reimbursed expenditure/DDD for generic proton pump inhibitors, statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in either 2007 or 2009 were compared with 2000 or 2001 originator prices, as well as a range of European countries. Results: There was an appreciable reduction in reimbursed expenditure/DDD for generics in each drug class in Lithuania, such as 56% reduction for generic omeprazole, 65% for generic ramipril, 83% for generic simvastatin, 85% for generic sertraline and 87% for generic atorvastatin. This is despite appreciably lower utilization of proton pump inhibitors, statins and antidepressants in Lithuania versus Western European countries. Reductions in generic prices were similar to those among a range of European countries, with no apparent correlation between the number of competitors and price reductions in practice. Conclusion: European countries with smaller populations can obtain substantial reductions in prices of generics versus originators. This was seen in Lithuania among classes with currently limited utilization versus Western European countries, as well as those with similar utilization patterns. In addition, matching price reductions for generics were seen among Western European countries. Overall, our findings demonstrate that it is possible for European countries with smaller populations to engineer low prices with manufacturers.
Piperidine induced polarity conversion in single-walled carbon nanotube field effect transistors

Piperidine is found to be an efficient electron doping agent that converts as-prepared p-type single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) field effect transistors (FETs) into n-type SWCNT-FETs. Electron transfer from the amine group in piperidine to the SWCNTs is suggested to be the origin of the p- to n-type conversion. The effect of electron doping is further supported by the Raman tangential G + and G − -peak downshift up to 3 cm − 1 without the peak broadening. No detectable change in the Raman D-peak suggests non-covalent attachment of piperidine to the SWCNTs. A low temperature (110 °C) Si3N4 passivation layer is used to maintain the long term air stability of the converted n-type devices. A complementary SWCNT inverter is demonstrated through integrating the n- and p-type SWCNT-FETs.
Beneficial effect of diazoxide in obese hyperinsulinemic adults.

UNLABELLED Hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and increased adipose tissue are hallmarks of the obesity state in both humans and experimental animals. The role of hyperinsulinemia as a possible preceding event in the development of obesity has been proposed. We previously demonstrated that administration of diazoxide (DZ), an inhibitor of insulin secretion, to obese hyperinsulinemic Zucker rats resulted in less weight gain, enhanced insulin sensitivity, and improved glucose tolerance. Assuming that hyperinsulinemia plays a major role in the development of human obesity, then its reversal should have therapeutic potential. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a randomized placebo-controlled trial in 24 hyperinsulinemic adults [body mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m2]. All subjects were placed on a low-calorie (1260 for females and 1570 for males) Optifast (Sandoz, Minneapolis, MN) diet. After an initial 1-week lead-in period, 12 subjects (mean +/- SE for age and BMI, 31 +/- 1 and 40 +/- 2, respectively) received DZ (2 mg/kg BW.day; maximum, 200 mg/day, divided into 3 doses) for 8 weeks; and 12 subjects (mean +/- SE for age an BMI, 28 +/- 1 and 43 +/- 1, respectively) received placebo. Compared with the placebo group, DZ subjects had greater weight loss (9.5 +/- 0.69% vs. 4.6 +/- 0.61%, P < 0.001), greater decrease in body fat (P < 0.01), greater increase in fat-free mass to body fat ratio (P < 0.01), and greater attenuation of acute insulin response to glucose (P < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference in insulin sensitivity and glucose effectiveness, as determined by the insulin-modified i.v. glucose tolerance test (Bergman's minimal model) and no significant difference in glycohemoglobin values. CONCLUSION 8 weeks treatment with DZ had a significant antiobesity effect in hyperinsulinemic obese adults without inducing hyperglycemia.
Effects of depth and rate of breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability.

Effects of depth and rate of breathing on heart rate (HR) and HR variability were observed in two experiments. Respiration rate (RR) affected only cardiac stability, faster breathing producing more stable cardiac rate. Respiration depth (RD) affected both HR level and variability. Deep breathing produced faster, more variable HR, while shallow breathing had the opposite effects. A third experiment, in which Ss were trained to control HR using respiration, further illustrated the dramatic effects of respiration on cardiac rate. Implications of these results for experiments utilizing HR as a dependent variable and studies of autonomic control were discussed.
High bandwidth attitude control based on musculoskeletal system with biarticular muscles

It is a quite wondering fact that all land animals and humans have biarticular muscles although the extra biarticular mechanism seems unnecessary in engineering view. This research investigates the contribution of biarticular muscles in living organisms to the attitude control. A method of angular stiffness calculation is proposed and the maximum angular stiffness of each musculoskeletal model is estimated based on the method. It is shown that the model with biarticular muscles can set higher angular stiffness without increasing the total mass of actuators. Furtheremore, experimental results show that control bandwidth is extended due to the high stiffness property.
Development and evaluation of calcium alginate beads prepared by sequential and simultaneous methods

The objective of this study was to develop a sustained release dosage form of Trimetazidine dihydrochloride (TMZ) using a natural polymeric carrier prepared in a completely aqueous environment. TMZ was entrapped in calcium alginate beads prepared with sodium alginate by the ionotropic gelation method using calcium chloride as a crosslinking agent. The drug was incorporated either into preformed calcium alginate gel beads (sequential method) or incorporated simultaneously during the gelation stage (simultaneous method). The beads were evaluated for particle size and surface morphology using optical microscopy and SEM, respectively. Beads produced by the sequential method had higher drug entrapment. Drug entrapment in the sequential method was higher with increased CaCl2 and polymer concentration but lower with increased drug concentration. In the simultaneous method, drug entrapment was higher when polymer and drug concentration were increased and also rose to a certain extent with increase in CaCl2 concentration, where further increase resulted in lower drug loading. FTIR studies revealed that there is no interaction between drug and CaCl2. XRD studies showed that the crystalline drug changed to an amorphous state after formulation. Release characteristics of the TMZ loaded calcium alginate beads were studied in enzyme-free simulated gastric and intestinal fluid.
Speaking About Culture in Multiple Voices

As a mark of gratitude to Alexander Leighton, this article engages him in a dialogue, reopening several debates that were enriched by his research and reflections on ethics, the ‘aesthetic dimension’ of the research enterprise, the processes that mediate between collective and individual variables, and his strong distrust of theory. The authors discuss some of the features of Leighton's perspective that they have retained and transformed in their own work on community responses to chronic mental illness in rural Quèbec, on the course of schizophrenia in India, and on culture and psychosis in clinical settings in Montrèal. The challenge remains the one that Leighton identified: how can findings derived from different disciplines be made to co-ordinate? The authors argue that this question must be answered from within the centre of each discipline rather than from their frontiers or zones of interface.