Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Active and Passive Cigarette Smoke Exposure and Cervical lntraepithelial Neoplasia 1

This case-control analysis presents odds ratios for active and passive cigarette smoke exposure and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia of levels II and III (CIN II and CIN Ill) while controlling for confounders. From 1987 to 1988, 103 biopsy-conformed incident cases of CIN II or Ill and 268 controls with normal cervical cytology were enrolled. Seventy % of cases were cigarette smokers, while only 30% of controls had ever smoked. The adjusted odds ratio for current cigarette smoking was 3.4 (95% confidence interval, 1.7-7.0). The following confounders were included in logistic regression models: age, race, education, number of sex partners, contraceptive use, sexually transmitted disease history, and Pap smear history. The risk of CIN Il/Ill increased with increasing years of cigarette smoking and with increasing pack-years of exposure. Smoking was associated more strongly with CIN Ill than CIN II. The effect of passive cigarette smoke exposure was explored separately for smokers and nonsmokers and was found not to be consistently associated with CIN Il/Ill when controlling for confounders.
A Model for Thermoelastic Damping in Microplates

We present a model and analytical expressions for the quality factors of microplates due to thermoelastic damping. We solve the heat equation for the thermal current across the thickness of a microplate, and hence decouple the thermal equation from the plate equation. We utilize a perturbation method to derive an analytical expression for the quality factor of microplates, of general boundary conditions under electrostatic loading and residual stresses, in terms of their structural mode shapes. For the special case of no electrostatic and inplane loadings, we derive a simple analytical expression for the quality factor, which is independent of the mode shapes. We verify the model by comparing the calculated quality factors of the special case of microbeams to theoretical results obtained using the microbeam models in the literature. We present several results for various modes of microplates with various boundary conditions.
Bovine gene polymorphisms related to fat deposition and meat tenderness

Leptin, thyroglobulin and diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase play important roles in fat metabolism. Fat deposition has an influence on meat quality and consumers' choice. The aim of this study was to determine allele and genotype frequencies of polymorphisms of the bovine genes, which encode leptin (LEP), thyroglobulin (TG) and diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase (DGAT1). A further objective was to establish the effects of these polymorphisms on meat characteristics. We genotyped 147 animals belonging to the Nelore (Bos indicus), Canchim (5/8 Bos taurus + 3/8 Bos indicus), Rubia Gallega X Nelore (1/2 Bos taurus + 1/2 Bos indicus), Brangus Three-way cross (9/16 Bos taurus + 7/16 Bos indicus) and Braunvieh Three-way cross (3/4 Bos taurus + 1/4 Bos indicus) breeds. Backfat thickness, total lipids, marbling score, ribeye area and shear force were fitted, using the General Linear Model (GLM) procedure of the SAS software. The least square means of genotypes and genetic groups were compared using Tukey's test. Allele frequencies vary among the genetic groups, depending on Bos indicus versus Bos taurus influence. The LEP polymorphism segregates in pure Bos indicus Nelore animals, which is a new finding. The T allele of TG is fixed in Nelore, and DGAT1 segregates in all groups, but the frequency of allele A is lower in Nelore animals. The results showed no association between the genotypes and traits studied, but a genetic group effect on these traits was found. So, the genetic background remains relevant for fat deposition and meat tenderness, but the gene markers developed for Bos taurus may be insufficient for Bos indicus.
Patients with schizophreniform disorder use verbal descriptions for the representation of visual categories

Background. Neuropsychological impairment is a common finding in schizophrenia. However, a significant proportion of patients are not impaired in conventional neuropsychological tests. In this study, we investigated whether remitted patients with schizophreniform disorder exhibited dysfunctions in specific cognitive tasks. Method. Twenty remitted, highly functioning patients with schizophreniform disorder and 20 control subjects participated in the study. In addition to background neuropsychological evaluation (WAIS-R IQ, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Trail Making B, Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure), subjects received a category learning task. The categories consisted of geometric shapes systematically changing in shape and size. Training included the sequential presentation of category members (visual learning) and verbal description of categories. Results. The patients with schizophreniform disorder had normal IQ, executive functions/psychomotor speed (WCST and Trail Making B) and visual memory (Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure). In contrast, they displayed impaired categorization performances after visual learning. The performance of the patients improved markedly after verbal description of categories. Verbal knowledge about categories positively correlated with categorization performance in the patients, but not in the controls. Conclusions. Category learning functions, which include decision-making under uncertainty and feature integration, are impaired in patients with schizophreniform disorder who display normal executive functions and visual memory. These patients may use verbal knowledge as a compensatory strategy in visual tasks.
Spontaneous seizure electrocortical activity in rats: relation to arousal level.

The relationship between neocortical high voltage spindle activity (HVS) and the level of arousal (state of vigilance) was investigated in imp-DAK rats. Two groups of single records (6 h and 24 h) and one group of repeated ones (6 h daily for three consecutive days) were analysed. Five levels of arousal (states) were distinguished on the basis of hippocampal and neocortical EEG: high arousal (HA), moderate arousal (MA), low arousal (LA), slow wave sleep (SWS) and paradoxical sleep (PS). The number of HVS episodes and the cumulative amount (i.e. summed duration) of each state was calculated for each successive hour of recording. It was found that the number of HVS episodes correlated positively with the amount of the MA state, but not with the amount of the remaining states. The rate of HVS occurrence during the MA state, however, was not stable. It decreased along with the decrease in amount of MA in successive recording hours of the same recording session. However, at the beginning of each successive session, the HVS episodes became more numerous, whereas the MA amount decreased. The accompanying changes in the cumulative amount of the remaining states confirm indirectly the supposition that HVS occurrence is related to transitions from one state to another rather than to a given state itself.
The Rewarding Aspects of Music Listening Are Related to Degree of Emotional Arousal

Background Listening to music is amongst the most rewarding experiences for humans. Music has no functional resemblance to other rewarding stimuli, and has no demonstrated biological value, yet individuals continue listening to music for pleasure. It has been suggested that the pleasurable aspects of music listening are related to a change in emotional arousal, although this link has not been directly investigated. In this study, using methods of high temporal sensitivity we investigated whether there is a systematic relationship between dynamic increases in pleasure states and physiological indicators of emotional arousal, including changes in heart rate, respiration, electrodermal activity, body temperature, and blood volume pulse. Methodology Twenty-six participants listened to self-selected intensely pleasurable music and “neutral” music that was individually selected for them based on low pleasure ratings they provided on other participants' music. The “chills” phenomenon was used to index intensely pleasurable responses to music. During music listening, continuous real-time recordings of subjective pleasure states and simultaneous recordings of sympathetic nervous system activity, an objective measure of emotional arousal, were obtained. Principal Findings Results revealed a strong positive correlation between ratings of pleasure and emotional arousal. Importantly, a dissociation was revealed as individuals who did not experience pleasure also showed no significant increases in emotional arousal. Conclusions/Significance These results have broader implications by demonstrating that strongly felt emotions could be rewarding in themselves in the absence of a physically tangible reward or a specific functional goal.
Apocynin: Molecular Aptitudes

Apocynin is a naturally occurring methoxy-substituted catechol, experimentally used as an inhibitor of NADPH-oxidase. It can decrease the production of superoxide (O2 −) from activated neutrophils and macrophages while the ability of phagocytosis remains unaffected. The anti-inflammatory activity of apocynin has been demonstrated in a variety of cell and animal models of inflammation. Apocynin, after metabolic conversion, inhibits the assembly of NADPH-oxidase that is responsible for reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. It is, therefore, extensively used to reveal the role of this enzyme in cell and experimental models. Although some of the ROS serve as signaling molecules in the cells, excessive production is damaging and has been implicated to play an important role in the progression of many disease processes. This is why in many studies apocynin presents a promising potential treatment for some disorders; however, its utility with inflammatory diseases remains to be determined. Since its mode of action is not well defined, we tried to get a more precise insight into the mechanisms by which apocynin exerts its activity. Considering the anti-inflammatory activities of apocynin, we may conclude that this compound definitely deserves further study.
When Does Technology Use Enable Network Change in Organizations? A Comparative Study of Feature Use and Shared Affordances

The goal of this study is to augment explanations of how newly implemented technologies enable network change within organizations with an understanding of when such change is likely to happen. Drawing on the emerging literature on technology affordances, the paper suggests that informal network change within interdependent organizational groups is unlikely to occur until users converge on a shared appropriation of the new technology's features such that the affordances the technology enables are jointly realized. In making the argument for the importance of shared affordances, this paper suggests that group-level network change has its most profound implications at the organization level when individuals use the same subset of a new information technology's features. To explore this tentative theory, we turn to a comparative, multimethod, longitudinal study of computer-based simulation technology use in automotive engineering. The findings of this explanatory case study show that engineers used the new technology for more than three months, during which time neither group experienced changes to their advice networks. Initially, divergent uses of the technology's features by engineers in both groups precluded them from being able to coordinate their work in ways that allowed them to structure their advice networks differently. Eventually, engineers in only one of the two groups converged on the use of a common set of the technology's features to enact a shared affordance. This convergence was necessary to turn the technology into a resource that could collectively afford group members the ability to compare their simulation outputs with one another and, in so doing, alter the content and structure of the group's advice network. The implications of these findings for the literatures on technology feature use, affordances, social networks, and post-adoption behaviors in organizations are discussed.
Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems for Improving Oral Absorption of Ginkgo Biloba Extracts

Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) are mixtures of oils, surfactants, and cosurfactants, which are emulsified in aqueous media under conditions of gentle stirring and digestive motility that would be encountered in the gastrointestinal tract. We found that SEDDS could efficiently improve oral absorption of the sparingly soluble drugs by rapid self-emulsification and subsequently dispersion in the absorption sites. Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) has become a widely used herbal remedy for increasing cognitive function in elderly people. The main purpose of our work is to prepare SEDDS for improving oral absorption of GBE. Pseudoternary phase diagrams were constructed to identify the efficient self-emulsification region, and particle size distributions of resultant emulsions were determined. The optimized formulation for bioavailability assessment consisted of 45% Tween 80-Cremophor EL35 (1:1, w/w), 10% 1, 2-propanediol, and 45% ethyl oleate. The mean droplet size distribution of the optimized SEDDS was ∼100 nm when diluted with 500-fold volume of the distilled water. The in vitro dissolution rates of the active components of GBE SEDDS form were significantly faster than those of the GBE tablets. After single oral administration of 800 mg GBE as SEDDS or tablets to fasted dogs, the relative bioavailability of SEDDS for bilabolide and ginkgolide A and B was 162.1, 154.6, and 155.8% compared with the reference tablets, respectively. Our results suggested the potential and promising use of SEDDS for the efficient delivery of the sparingly soluble drugs or traditional Chinese medicines, such as GBE by oral administration.
HIV Protease Inhibitors Are Inhibitors but Not Substrates of the Human Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (BCRP/ABCG2)

Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) is a recently discovered ATP-binding cassette drug transporter. Hence, the full spectrum of therapeutic agents that interact with BCRP remains to be elucidated. Because human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitors (HPIs) are well known P-glycoprotein (P-gp) substrates, and there is an overlap in substrate specificity between P-gp and BCRP, this study was performed to investigate whether HPIs are substrates and/or inhibitors of BCRP. First, the effect of HPIs on BCRP efflux activity in human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells stably expressing wild-type BCRP (482R) and its two mutants (482T and 482G) was studied by measuring intracellular mitoxantrone fluorescence using flow cytometry. We found that ritonavir, saquinavir, and nelfinavir were effective inhibitors of wild-type BCRP (482R) with IC50 values of 19.5 ± 0.8 μM, 19.5 ± 7.6 μM, and 12.5 ± 4.1 μM, respectively. Ritonavir, saquinavir, and nelfinavir inhibited 482T and 482G with IC50 values that were approximately 2 times greater than that for 482R. Indinavir and amprenavir had no significant inhibition on BCRP activity. Direct efflux of radiolabeled HPIs in HEK cells was measured to determine whether the HPIs are substrates of BCRP. None of the HPIs were found to be transported by BCRP. Together, ritonavir, saquinavir, nelfinavir, indinavir, and amprenavir are not substrates for BCRP. However, ritonavir, saquinavir, and nelfinavir are effective inhibitors of the transporter. These results suggest that BCRP may play an important role in drug-drug interactions involving coadministration of the HPIs with drugs that are substrates of the transporter.
Oral Contraceptive Use, Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity, and Systemic Hemodynamics in Young Women

Endogenous female sex hormones influence muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), a regulator of arterial blood pressure and important factor in hypertension development. Although ≈80% of American women report using hormonal contraceptives sometime during their life, the influence of combined oral contraceptives (OCs) on MSNA and systemic hemodynamics remains equivocal. The goal of this study was to determine whether women taking OCs have altered MSNA and hemodynamics (cardiac output and total peripheral resistance) at rest during the placebo phase of OC use compared with women with natural menstrual cycles during the early follicular phase. We retrospectively analyzed data from studies in which healthy, premenopausal women (aged 18–35 years) participated. We collected MSNA values at rest and hemodynamic measurements in women taking OCs (n=53; 25±4 years) and women with natural menstrual cycles (n=74; 25±4 years). Blood pressure was higher in women taking OCs versus those with natural menstrual cycles (mean arterial pressure, 89±1 versus 85±1 mm Hg, respectively; P=0.01), although MSNA was similar in both groups (MSNA burst incidence, 16±1 versus 18±1 bursts/100 heartbeats, respectively; P=0.19). In a subset of women in which detailed hemodynamic data were available, those taking OCs (n=33) had similar cardiac output (4.9±0.2 versus 4.7±0.2 L/min, respectively; P=0.47) and total peripheral resistance (19.2±0.8 versus 20.0±0.9 U, respectively; P=0.51) as women with natural menstrual cycles (n=22). In conclusion, women taking OCs have higher resting blood pressure and similar MSNA and hemodynamics during the placebo phase of OC use when compared with naturally menstruating women in the early follicular phase.
WHERE DO GAMES OF INNOVATION COME FROM? EXPLAINING THE PERSISTENCE OF DYNAMIC INNOVATION PATTERNS

This paper contributes to explaining how and why distinct games of innovation emerge by suggesting that games are nested in innovation systems with persistent innovation dynamics. Dominant lifecycle models focus on how innovation systems transit from an effervescent stage, to product innovation, to process innovation, and so on. They propose specific mechanisms and limiting conditions that affect knowledge production and investment to explain these systematic transitions. Building on these models, we rethink the conditions and mechanisms of innovation to suggest that endogenous renewal cycles can re-create the knowledge and funding necessary to maintain innovation systems for long periods in one stage. We take steps towards developing a theoretical model of innovation dynamics that extends the applicability of lifecycle theories and unifies them with emerging views such as high-velocity innovation and hyper-competition. We also describe three possible types of endogenous renewal cycles, each sustaining a different level of knowledge dynamism and enabling different types of games of innovation.
Genetic Diversity of the KIR/HLA System and Outcome of Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treated with Chemotherapy

Objective To explore genes of the killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) and of the HLA ligand and their relationship with the outcome of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients treated with first-line 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan (FOLFIRI). Methods A total of 224 mCRC patients were screened for KIR/HLA typing. The determination of the KIR/HLA combinations was based upon the gene content and variants. Genetic associations with complete response (CR), time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated by calculating odds and hazard ratios. Multivariate modeling with prognostic covariates was also performed. Results For CR, the presence of KIR2DL5A, 2DS5, 2DS1, 3DS1, and KIR3DS1/HLA-Bw4-I80 was associated with increased CR rates, with median ORs ranging from 2.1 to 4.3, while the absence of KIR2DS4 and 3DL1 was associated with increased CR rates (OR 3.1). After univariate analysis, patients that underwent resective surgery of tumor, absence of KIR2DS5, and presence of KIR3DL1/HLA-Bw4-I80 showed a significant better OS (HR 1.5 to 2.8). Multivariate analysis identified as parameters independently related to OS the type of treatment (surgery; HR 2.0) and KIR3DL1/HLA-Bw4-I80 genotype (HR for T-I80 2.7 and for no functional KIR/HLA interaction 1.8). For TTP, no association with KIR/HLA genes was observed. Conclusion This study, for the first time, evidences that the genotyping for KIR-HLA pairs are found predictive markers associated with complete response and improves overall survival prediction of FOLFIRI treatment response in metastatic colorectal cancer. These results suggest a role of the KIR/HLA system in patient outcome, and guide new research on the immunogenetics of mCRC through mechanistic studies and clinical validation.
Antimicrobial susceptibility profile of molecular typed cystic fibrosis Stenotrophomonas maltophilia isolates and differences with noncystic fibrosis isolates

Multiresistance in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia limits the effectiveness of antimicrobial therapy for infections due to this organism. It can be of special concern in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients due to frequent antimicrobial administration. The in vitro activity of 41 antimicrobial agents against 76 epidemiologically defined CF S. maltophilia isolates by pulsed‐field‐gel electrophoresis (PFGE) technique under XbaI and SpeI restriction was compared with that obtained with 51 non‐CF strains recovered from respiratory sources. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined with the standard National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards agar dilution technique, but with 24‐hr incubation. Forty‐seven different PFGE profiles were observed within 76 S. maltophilia CF isolates. Minocycline (resistance rate, 0%; MIC90, 1 μg/ml), doxycycline (6.4%; 8 μg/ml), trovafloxacin (4.2%; 2 μg/ml), moxifloxacin (6.3%; 2 μg/ml), clinafloxacin (6.3%; 2 g/ml), and moxalactam (17.0%; 64 g/ml) displayed low resistance rates. On the contrary, resistance rates were higher with ceftazidime (70.0%; 256 μg/ml), cefepime (83.0%; 128 μg/ml), piperacillin (87.2%; >1,024 μg/ml), ticarcillin (87.2%; >512 μg/ml), and aztreonam (95.7%; >1,024 μg/ml). Clavulanate reverted resistance to ticarcillin and aztreonam in 40.4% and 31.7% of strains, respectively. Aminoglycosides displayed reduced activities with susceptibility rates lower than 20% and MIC90 higher than 128 μg/ml. With the exception of trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole (25.4 vs. 31.3%), CF isolates were more resistant than non‐CF isolates. Remarkably, resistance was enhanced in S. maltophilia isolates persistently recovered in chronically colonized patients. Susceptibility analysis demonstrated higher resistance rates among CF S. maltophilia isolates when compared with respiratory isolates from non‐CF patients. Moreover, persistently recovered CF S. maltophilia isolates were more resistant than sporadic non‐CF isolates. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2003; 35:99–107. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The role of the apolipoprotein E polymorphism in the prediction of coronary artery disease age of onset

We investigated the role of the apolipoprotein (Apo) E polymorphism in the prediction of CAD age of onset in a sample of unrelated living male (n = 65) and female (n = 54) Caucasian subjects diagnosed with CAD. Cumulative distributions of age at the first diagnosis of CAD were estimated for each Apo E genotype and tested for homogeneity using the log‐rank test. The Apo e33 genotype was used as a reference group for all hypothesis tests. Analyses were performed separately in males and females. We found evidence suggesting that the presence of the Apo s32 genotype in males is associated with a significantly earlier CAD age of onset. These results suggest that the Apo E polymorphism may be a gender‐specific predictor of CAD age of onset.