Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Azilsartan as “Add-On” Treatment with Methotrexate Improves the Disease Activity of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of azilsartan (Azil) as “add-on” treatment with methotrexate (MTX) in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods This single center, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, pilot study included 64 patients with active RA. Patients received either placebo or Azil in addition to their currently used MTX doses for 90 days. The primary outcomes were DAS-28, SDAI, HAQ-DI, CDAI, EGA, and swollen and tender joints count. The secondary outcomes were the changes in the pain visual analogue scale (VAS-100), serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and anti-CCP, the lipid profile, and the markers of kidney and liver functions in the two groups at baseline and after 90 days. Results After 90 days, most clinical scores were significantly better in the Azil-treated group than in the placebo group. All inflammatory biomarkers were significantly improved after treatment with MTX + Azil compared to baseline and placebo group. No safety concerns were reported during the study period. Conclusions Azilsartan improved the effects of methotrexate on the clinical scores and certain inflammatory biomarkers of patients with active RA. Trial Registration The protocol was registered under the number 507/SA/1024 at the local clinical studies database, College of Medicine, Sulaimani University.
On the Role of Testosterone in Anxiety-Like Behavior Across Life in Experimental Rodents

Testosterone affects brain functions and might explain some of the observed behavioral sex differences. Animal models may help in elucidating the possible involvement of sex hormones in these sex differences. The effects of testosterone have been intensively investigated, especially in anxiety models. Numerous experiments have brought inconsistent results with either anxiolytic or anxiogenic effects. Besides methodological variations, contradictory findings might be explained by the divergent metabolism of testosterone and its recognition by neurons during prenatal and postnatal development. Gonadectomy and subsequent supplementation have been used to study the role of sex hormones. However, the variable duration of hypogonadism might affect the outcomes and the effect of long-term androgen deficiency is understudied. Testosterone can be metabolized to dihydrotestosterone strengthening the androgen signaling, but also to estradiol converting the androgen to estrogen activity. Moreover, some metabolites of testosterone can modulate γ-aminobutyric acid and serotonergic neurotransmission. Here we review the currently available experimental data in experimental rodents on the effects of testosterone on anxiety during development. Based on the experimental results, females are generally less anxious than males from puberty to middle-age. The anxiety-like behavior of females and males is likely influenced by early organizational effects, but might be modified by activational effects of testosterone and its metabolites. The effects of sex hormones leading to anxiogenesis or anxiolysis depend on factors affecting hormonal status including age. The biological and several technical issues make the study of effects of testosterone on anxiety very complex and should be taken into account when interpreting experimental results.
Are Guanxi-Type Supervisor–Subordinate Relationships Culture-General? An Eight-Nation Test of Measurement Invariance

Three dimensions of subordinate–supervisor relations (affective attachment, deference to supervisor, and personal-life inclusion) that had been found by Y. Chen, Friedman, Yu, Fang, and Lu to be characteristic of a guanxi relationship between subordinates and their supervisors in China were surveyed in Taiwan, Singapore, and six non-Chinese cultural contexts. The Affective Attachment and Deference subscales demonstrated full metric invariance whereas the Personal-Life Inclusion subscale was found to have partial metric invariance across all eight samples. Structural equation modeling revealed that the affective attachment dimension had a cross-nationally invariant positive relationship to affective organizational commitment and a negative relationship to turnover intention. The deference to the supervisor dimension had invariant positive relationships with both affective and normative organizational commitment. The personal-life inclusion dimension was unrelated to all outcomes. These results indicate the relevance of aspects of guanxi to superior–subordinate relations in non-Chinese cultures. Studies of indigenous concepts can contribute to a broader understanding of organizational behavior.
Vitamin D, Inflammatory Markers, Steroid Use and Systemic Factors: which Is the Culprit in Rheumatoid Arthritis Associated Osteoporosis?

Aim . To explore the risk factors for osteoporosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients. Methods . A cross-sectional study was conducted on 93 patients meeting the American College of Rheumatology – European League Against Rheumatism classification criteria for RA 2010(ACR-EULAR). Serum 25-OH vitamin D (25(OH) D levels was measured. In addition, the levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RhF), anticyclic - citrullinated protein/peptide antibodies (Anti-CCP) were assessed. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was also used to measure the bone mineral density BMD of the left femur at the time of recruitment. Results . The RA cohort was predominantly female (88.2%). The average age of the participants was 46.5±15.2 years. Osteoporosis was present in 25 (26.9%). Osteoporotic cases were significantly older (p <0.001) , female (p = 0.032) and had significantly more frequencies of diabetes (p = 0.022) and hypertension (p = 0.018) and had significantly lower calcium (p = 0.038 ). Logistic regression model for factors affecting osteoporosis showed that Steroids intake, increasing age and decreasing serum calcium were factors increasing the likelihood of having osteoporosis. Vitamin D did not show any relation with osteoporosis. Serum inflammatory markers like ESR, CRP, R.F and anti- CCP were higher in osteoporotic group but not significant. Conclusions . The results of this analysis indicated that systemic factors like age and intake of steroids are culprit factors in rheumatoid arthritis associated osteoporosis.
Periodontal pathogens and the association between periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis in Korean adults

Purpose Periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) share a similar inflammatory pathogenesis. Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) can induce anticyclic-citrullinated peptide autoantibodies (anti-CCP antibodies), a key factor in the development of RA. This study aimed at evaluating the relationships between the 2 diseases and identifying the clinical implications thereof, with a focus on periodontal pathogens in Korean adults. Methods A total of 260 RA patients and 86 age- and sex-matched control patients without arthritis were enrolled in this prospective cross-sectional study. Periodontal indices and the prevalence and amount of periodontal pathogens were compared between the groups. Correlations between periodontal and RA indices were examined, as were correlations between 9 periodontal pathogens and RA indices. Results The RA group had significantly higher values than the control group for all investigated periodontal indices (P<0.05) except the number of teeth. The gingival index (GI) was correlated with the disease activity score 28 (DAS28) (r=0.125, P=0.049), RA disease duration (r=0.253, P<0.001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (r=0.162, P=0.010), and anti-CCP antibody titer (r=0.205, P=0.004). Probing pocket depth (PPD) was correlated with ESR (r=0.139, P=0.027) and anti-Pg antibody titer (r=0.203, P=0.001). Bleeding on probing (BOP) was correlated with DAS28 (r=0.137, P=0.030), RA disease duration (r=0.202, P=0.001), ESR (r=0.136, P=0.030), anti-Pg antibody titer (r=0.177, P=0.005), and anti-CCP antibody titer (r=0.188, P=0.007). Clinical attachment level (CAL) and periodontitis severity were correlated with anti-Pg antibody titer (the former r=0.201, P=0.002; the latter r=0.175, P=0.006). The quantity of Pg was positively correlated with the serum anti-Pg antibody titer (r=0.148, P=0.020). Conclusions The GI, BOP, and PPD showed positive relationships with several RA indices. The anti-Pg antibody titer had positive relationships with PPD, BOP, CAL, and periodontitis severity. Thus, increasing values of periodontal indices could be used as a risk indicator of disease development in RA patients, and an increasing anti-Pg antibody titer could be considered as a warning sign in RA patients suffering with periodontitis.
Suitability of Maize-legume intercrops with optimum row ratio in mid hills of eastern Himalaya, India

Maize ( Zea mays L.) being a widely space crop were tried with different combinations of legumes cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata L. Walp), frenchbean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and blackgram ( Vigna mungo L.) as intercrops at different planting geometry to find out their suitability during 2009, 2010 and 2011 at eastern Himalayan, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Three experiments were carried out in sequence to identify suitable planting geometry to accommodate intercrops, screening best legume crops and subsequently best performed row ratio of maize and legume crops were intercropped in third experiment with 1:1, 1:2 and 1:5 row proportions. Sole maize gave the maximum grain yield with 4571.1 kg ha -1 , whereas, stover yield was highest with maize-cowpea intercrop at 1:2 row ratios (8013.4 kg ha -1 ) and 57.1 kg ha -1 day -1 production efficiency followed by frenchbean and least with blackgram. Competition indices like land equivalent ratio (LER) was highest with 1:2 row ratio of maize-frenchbean (1.66), land equivalent coefficient (0.67). But, highest area time equivalent ratio (ATER) noticed with 1:2 row ratio of maizeblackgram (1.47). Relative crowding coefficient (K) and competition ratio were noticed higher with 1:2 row ratio of maize-cowpea, whereas, cowpea combinations has better crowding coefficient and blackgram combinations registered better competitiveness. Monetary advantage index (MAI) was 6433.2 with 1:2 row ratio of maize-blackgram followed by maize-cowpea and lowest with maize-frenchbean with the trend of 1:2>1:5>1:1 row ratios. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/sja.v12i2. 21916 SAARC J. Agri. , 12(2): 52-62 (2014)
The Twentieth Century Reanalysis Project 3

G. P. Compo,a,b*J. S. Whitaker,b‡ P. D. Sardeshmukh,a,b N. Matsui,a,b R. J. Allan,c† X. Yin,d B. E. Gleason, Jr.,e‡ R. S. Vose,e‡ G. Rutledge,e‡ P. Bessemoulin,f S. Brönnimann,g,h M. Brunet,i,l R. I. Crouthamel,j A. N. Grant,g P. Y. Groisman,e,k P. D. Jones,l M. C. Kruk,d A. C. Kruger,m G. J. Marshall,n M. Maugeri,o H. Y. Mok,p Ø. Nordli,q T. F. Ross,r‡ R. M. Trigo,s X. L. Wang,t S. D. Woodruff,b‡ and S. J. Worleyu aUniversity of Colorado, CIRES, Climate Diagnostics Center, Boulder, CO, USA bNOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Physical Sciences Division, Boulder, CO, USA cACRE Project, Hadley Centre, Met Office, Exeter, UK dSTG Inc., Asheville, NC, USA eNOAA National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, NC, USA fMétéoFrance, Toulouse, France gETH Zurich, Switzerland hOeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Switzerland iCentre for Climate Change, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain jInternational Environmental Data Rescue Organization, Deale, MD, USA kUniversity Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA lClimatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK mSouth African Weather Service, Pretoria, South Africa nBritish Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK oDipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy pHong Kong Observatory, Hong Kong, China qNorwegian Meteorological Institute, Oslo, Norway rNOAA Climate Database Modernization Program, NCDC, Asheville, NC, USA sCentro de Geofı́sica da Universidade de Lisboa, IDL, University of Lisbon, Portugal tEnvironment Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Canada uNational Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA *Correspondence to: Gilbert P. Compo, 325 Broadway R/PSD1, Boulder, CO USA 80305-3328. E-mail: compo@colorado.edu, gilbert.p.compo@noaa.gov †The contribution of R. J. Allan was written in the course of his employment at the Met Office, UK, and is published with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen’s Printer for Scotland. ‡The contributions of these authors were prepared as part of their official duties as US Federal Government employees.
Authority and Emotions: Kim Jong Il and Religious Imagination in North Korean Literature

This dissertation explores how Kim Jong Il, the supreme leader of North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; DPRK) from 1994 to 2011, established his legitimacy based on constructs of his late father, Kim Il Sung’s, divine authority at the turn of the twentieth century. Focusing on North Korean historical narratives—produced and circulated under Kim Jong Il’s supervision—this study sheds light on the relationships among the idea of divine authority, the functions and purposes of historical narrative, and the people’s emotions expressed in North Korea’s historical writing. Previous studies often described this historical writing—or what my dissertation explores as the fictionalized biography of Kim Il Sung, the father, and Kim Jong Il, the son—as propaganda for the authoritarian regime while underestimating the religious quality of the propaganda (and more specifically its roots in Judeo-Christian biblical narrative). Scholars in North Korean studies have ignored the roles played by the North Korean people’s imaginations of immortality, encouraged by historical narratives, and their emotions, caused by religious visions, during the great famine and economic difficulties in the 1990s.
Present status and perspectives of colorectal cancer in Asia: Colorectal Cancer Working Group report in 30th Asia-Pacific Cancer Conference.

OBJECTIVE To reveal the present status and future directions of colorectal cancer in Asia. METHODS The Working Group consisted of oncologists from six Asian countries (Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Singapore and Philippines) discussed colorectal cancer in the 30th Asia-Pacific Cancer Conference and made a consensus report. RESULTS The incidence of colorectal cancer has been increasing rapidly in recent decades, and mortality has also increased except in Japan and Singapore. Colorectal screening with fecal occult blood tests is a national policy in Taiwan, Japan and Korea. Total colonoscopy is the most common examination for diagnosing colorectal cancers and neoplasms. However, there are differences in the macroscopic classification used. Laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer is extensively used, although the indication varies. Adequate lymph node harvesting of more than 12 nodes is performed in most countries. Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy is not routinely done for T2 or T3 rectal cancer. Total mesorectal excision is the standard surgery for rectal cancer. Survival rate data are unavailable for many countries and should be compiled in all. The differences in the health-care delivery systems affect the treatment choices for unresectable colorectal cancer. Infusional 5-FU plus leucovorin plus oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) is the most popular first-line regimen. Cetuximab is mainly used as a second- or third-line regimen with reference to k-ras mutation. Oxaliplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy is commonly used for stage III disease, whereas the clinical practice for stage II disease varies. CONCLUSIONS Further clinical cooperation is needed to optimize the management of colorectal cancer in Asia.
Demographic And Aging Intensity And Its Economical Threats Chinese Experiences

The study aimed to examine the health care policy implications on demographic and aging phenomena and its economical threats in China. The study use the panel data from 1950-2015 mainly extracted from International Monetary Fund (IMF), United Nations (UN), China NBS, China Statistical Yearbook and World Bank. The multivariate regression model is used to analyse the data at 5% level of significance, with the aid of Minitab 17 English Software. The study finds that the health care policy implementation and practices and the implementation of one child policy will threat the economic growth in China by 2030. The study recommends that, the redefining of the working age population to reflect the life expectancy level in a country. The higher the life expectancy is the higher the retirement age or wide working age; the job redesigning should be done to increase the capacity and ability of the elderly staff to stay in the office and to encourage the immigration as the means of supplementing the workforce in the country.
Reproductive ecology of Cneorum tricoccon L. (Cneoraceae) in the Balearic Islands

Abstract This paper examines some aspects of the reproductive biology of Cneorum tricoccon L. (Cneoraceae), a Mediterranean relict shrub which evolved under tropical conditions during the Tertiary. The breeding system, the flowering and fruiting phenology, and the variability in fecundity within and among populations of this plant were examined in the Balearic Islands. The plant is andromonoecious, and pollen from male flowers appeared to be more fertile than pollen from hermaphrodite flowers. There was no limitation of pollen, and xenogamous crosses produced more fruit than geitonogamous ones. The efficiency of male flowers suggests that their use increases plant fitness, thus maintaining such a breeding system. Flowering time is unusual compared with other species in the habitat; there is synchrony among individuals, and flowers are produced almost continuously from November through June. Floral sex ratio (number of hermaphrodite flowers: total number of flowers) varied greatly both through the flowering season and between years and was not consistent through time, suggesting that sex expression may be determined more by factors such as resource status of the plant than by genetic factors. Fully developed fruits are observed from December to July. Fecundity varied among individuals depending upon plant size and was consistent during the three years of the study (1992–1994). Fruit crop also differed strongly among sites. The greatest, most vigorous and thus most fecund plants are found in some populations of Mallorca island, especially at high altitudes. In other Balearic islands with low altitudes (
Mapping China Working Paper Series , 2020 , No . 1 1 China under Xi : Moving Beyond Performance Legitimacy ?

The People’s Republic of China has time and again proven its ability to defy conventional wisdom. Perhaps most astonishing out of all its achievements is still the fact that China’s transition to a quasi-market-economy was overseen and directed by no other than the Chinese Communist Party. Consequently, many regard this impressive level of economic growth as the primary source of legitimacy for CCP rule in contemporary China. Yet, despite growth slowing down as an inevitable part of China’s economic transition, the CCP still seems to enjoy the support of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people. Nevertheless, many of the problems that were concealed by rising prosperity such as socio-economic inequality or the urban/rural cleavage might now be coming to the fore again. Thus, this paper sets out to answer the question if economic performance can still serve as the primary source of legitimacy for CCP rule, or if the party must now find new sources of legitimacy. Michael Trinkwalder is a Research Assistant at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, where he focuses on EU-NATO cooperation, defense innovation and the implications of the rise of China. Previously, he has worked at the Center for Public Affairs of the German Armed Forces, AICGS at the Johns Hopkins University as well as the Aspen Institute Germany. He holds a M.A. in International Relations from the KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt and a B.A. in International Business Studies from the FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg.
PHYSICAL REVIEW B 102, 155118 (2020) Electronic structures of Bi2Se3 and AgxBi2Se3 under pressure studied by high-resolution x-ray absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations

Hitoshi Yamaoka ,1 Harald O. Jeschke ,2 Xiaofan Yang,2 Tong He,2 Hidenori Goto ,2 Nozomu Hiraoka,3 Hirofumi Ishii,3 Jun’ichiro Mizuki,4 and Yoshihiro Kubozono 2 1RIKEN SPring-8 Center, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan 2Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan 3National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu 30076, Taiwan, Republic of China 4Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, Sanda, Hyogo 669-1337, Japan
Genetic diversity analysis of papaya leaf distortion mosaic virus isolates infecting transgenic papaya “Huanong No. 1” in South China

Abstract The commercialized genetically modified papaya “Huanong No. 1” has been utilized to successfully control the destructive virus‐papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) in South China since 2006. However, another new emerging virus, papaya leaf distortion mosaic virus (PLDMV), was found in some PRSV‐resistant transgenic plants in Guangdong and Hainan provinces of South China through a field investigation from 2012 to 2019. The survey results showed that “Huanong No. 1” papaya plants are susceptible to PLDMV, and the disease prevalence in Hainan Province is generally higher than that in Guangdong Province. Twenty representative isolates were selected to inoculate “Huanong No. 1,” and all of the inoculated plants showed obvious disease symptoms similar to those in the field, indicating that PLDMV is a new threat to widely cultivated transgenic papaya in South China. Phylogenetic analysis of 111 PLDMV isolates in Guangdong and Hainan based on the coat protein nucleotide sequences showed that PLDMV isolates can be divided into two groups. The Japan and Taiwan China isolates belong to group I, whereas the Guangdong and Hainan isolates belong to group II and can be further divided into two subgroups. The Guangdong and Hainan isolates are far different from the Japan and Taiwan China isolates and belong to a new lineage. Further analysis showed that the Guangdong and Hainan isolates had a high degree of genetic differentiation, and no recombination was found. These isolates deviated from neutral evolution and experienced population expansion events in the past, which might still be unstable. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for clarifying the evolutionary mechanism and population genetics of the virus and for preventing and controlling the viral disease.