Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Routinization, work characteristics and their relationships with creative and proactive behaviors

Summary Researchers have claimed that routinization hinders creativity. However, empirical evidence for this assumption is sparse. In this study, we argue that routinization may be beneficial for creativity and related behavior due to available resources that can be used to develop new ideas while working. We examine the relationship between routinization and four work character istics (job control, job complexity, time pressure, and supervisor support) on the one hand and a range of creative and proactive behaviors on the other hand in a randomly selected sample of 278 employees of a German high tech company. Regression analyses reveal that in addition to work characteristics, routinization is generally positively related to creative and proactive behaviors. Ways to enhance routinization and thereby creative and proactive behaviors are discussed.
Children's understanding of the evidential connotation of ‘know’ in relation to overestimation of their own knowledge

ABSTRACT This study examined five- to seven-year-olds' assumptions about the experiential connotation of ‘I know that's X’. In Experiment 1 children tried to identify which of a set of unfamiliar targets had a given name (X), and after they had chosen, we enquired either whether they KNEW their chosen item was (X) or whether they were SURE. Six- to seven-year-olds (N = 39) judged that they were sure more often than they judged that they knew, which suggests that although they experienced confidence that they had chosen correctly, they assumed it would be inappropriate to judge ‘know’, because this would imply an experiential basis, which was absent. Five- to six-year-olds (N = 36) did not discriminate between the two kinds of question. In Experiment 2, children could infer which item was a named unfamiliar cartoon character by ruling out familiar distractors. Six- to seven-year-olds (N = 35) judged that they knew they had picked the right one much more often than they judged that they knew their chosen picture was (target name). Again, five- to six-year-olds (N = 44) did not discriminate between the two kinds of question. This demonstrates powerfully that the older children held an experiential connotation of ‘I know that's X’, since they avoided such judgements even when they knew by inference they had chosen correctly.
Taken to the Limit: Simple and Not-so-Simple Loan Loss Distributions

Formulae for the distribution of the losses of a loan portfolio that are both realistic and simple enough to be implemented in a spreadsheet are hard to come by. The most prominent example is the Vasicek (1987) formula which is based upon a simplified version of the multivariate Merton (1974) model (the CreditMetrics model). Using an algorithm from the theory of Archimedean Copula functions, this paper gives some more limiting loss distributions which are driven by random variables with different dependency structures. This allows us to study the effects of different specifications of the dependency structure on the overall portfolio default risk and in particular on the tail risk of the credit portfolio.
Two Hops or More: On Hop-Limited Search in Opportunistic Networks

While there is a drastic shift from host-centric networking to content-centric networking, how to locate and retrieve the relevant content efficiently, especially in a mobile network, is still an open question. Mobile devices host increasing volume of data which could be shared with the nearby nodes in a multi-hop fashion. However, searching for content in this resource-restricted setting is not trivial due to the lack of a content index, as well as, desire for keeping the search cost low. In this paper, we analyze a lightweight search scheme, hop-limited search, that forwards the search messages only till a maximum number of hops, and requires no prior knowledge about the network. We highlight the effect of the hop limit on both search performance (i.e., success ratio and delay) and associated cost along with the interplay between content availability, tolerated waiting time, network density, and mobility. Our analysis, using the real mobility traces, as well as synthetic models, shows that the most substantial benefit is achieved at the first few hops and that after several hops the extra gain diminishes as a function of content availability and tolerated delay. We also observe that the return path taken by a response is on average longer than the forward path of the query and that the search cost increases only marginally after several hops due to the small network diameter.
Characterization of manganese peroxidases from the hyperlignolytic fungus IZU-154

Four isozymes of manganese peroxidase (MnP) were identified in the culture fluid of the hyperlignolytic fungus IZU-154 under nitrogen starvation conditions. One of them was purified and characterized kinetically. The specific activity and Kcat/K(m) value of the MnP from IZU-154 were 1.6 times higher than those of the MnP from a typical lignin-degrading fungus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Two cDNAs encoding MnP isozymes from IZU-154 were isolated. The coding sequence of the two cDNAs, IZ-MnP1 cDNA and IZ-MnP2 cDNA, were 1,152 (384 amino acids) and 1,155 (385 amino acids) bp in length, respectively. They exhibit 96.2% identity at the nucleotide level and 95.1% identity at the amino acid level. Southern blot analysis indicated that two MnP isozyme genes exist in IZU-154 genomic DNA. The primary structures of two MnPs from IZU-154 were similar to those of MnPs from P. chrysosporium. The amino acid sequences including the important residues identified in MnPs from P. chrysosporium, such as the manganese-binding residues, the calcium-binding residues, the disulfide bonds, and the N-glycosylation site, were conserved in the two deduced IZ-MnPs. However, several discrepancies were found in the context around the distal histidine residue between MnP from IZU-154 and MnP from P. chrysosporium, which likely led to the difference in the kinetic parameters for MnP function.
Absence of Gastrointestinal Pathogens in Ileum Tissue Resected for Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is one of the most common gastrointestinal emergencies in premature infants and has been linked with viral antigens in as much as 40% of cases in single-center cohorts. We examined 28 tissue sections from surgically resected ileum from 27 preterm infants with NEC from 2 separate institutions for 15 common bacterial, viral, and parasitic gastrointestinal pathogens using multiplex reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction amplification and suspension array detection methods. We did not detect infectious enteritis pathogens in any of the NEC tissues and conclude that gastrointestinal pathogens are a rare cause of NEC.
Normalisation et Responsabilité Sociétale des Entreprises en Tunisie : le rôle des certifications internationales

Nous nous interrogeons sur la contribution de la normalisation a l’instauration d’une demarche de responsabilite societale au sein des entreprises tunisiennes. Nous exposons les liens theoriques entre normalisation et RSE et proposons les resultats d’une etude qualitative aupres de neuf entreprises tunisiennes certifiees. Nous soulignons que l’engagement dans la normalisation entraine au sein de ces entreprises des changements de differentes natures.
The buccal mucosa fenestrated graft for Bracka first stage urethroplasty: experimental study in rabbits.

OBJECTIVE To histologically evaluate, in an experimental study in rabbits, the integration process of the buccal mucosa fenestrated graft applied in the corpora cavernosa for Bracka first stage urethroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS A urethral defect was surgically created in 16 male rabbits of the New Zealand breed through the excision of the penile urethra. The urethral defect was corrected by applying buccal mucosa fenestrated graft through two cruciform incisions in the distal portions of its longitudinal axis. The animals were sacrificed at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks post surgery and their genitals were subjected to clinical and histological assessment. RESULTS The buccal mucosa fenestrated graft showed complete uptake in all groups, with keratinization squamous metaplasia and mucosal proliferation of the fenestrated areas. The fenestrated graft area represented an increase in length of 25 % in length in relation to the original standard graft. CONCLUSIONS The fenestrated buccal mucosa graft presented total integration to the adjacent epithelia with re-epithelization of the incision areas of the graft (fenestrations) and no significant inflammatory or scarring reactions when compared to other mucosa transplanted areas; therefore its application is viable in cases of extensive urethral defect whenever the donating area might be insufficient.
ACUTE EFFECT OF PHYSIOLOGICAL CONCENTRATIONS OF VASOPRESSIN ON RAT RENAL FUNCTION

1. The antidiuretic, pressor and electrolyte transport effects of arginine vasopressin (AVP) were simultaneously evaluated in the anaesthetized water diuretic rat. Increasing concentrations of AVP (7.5, 75 and 750 ng/kg bolus and per h), were used to produce plasma levels which approximate the physiological range (4.8 ± 2.4, 35.7 ± 12.5, 85.2 ± 16.1 pg/mL respectively).
Event-Related Potentials to an English/Spanish Syllabic Contrast in Mexican 10–13-Month-Old Infants

We report brain electrophysiological responses from 10- to 13-month-old Mexican infants while listening to native and foreign CV-syllable contrasts differing in Voice Onset Time (VOT). All infants showed normal auditory event-related potential (ERP) components. Our analyses showed ERP evidence that Mexican infants are capable of discriminating their native sounds as well as the acoustically salient (aspiration) foreign contrast. The study showed that experience with native language influences VOT perception in Spanish learning infants. The acoustic salience of aspiration is perceived by both Spanish and English learning infants, but exposure provides additional phonetic status to this native-language feature for English learning infants. The effects of early experience and neural commitment as well as the impact of acoustic salience are further discussed.
Antigen-specific IgE in Sinus Mucosa of Allergic Fungal Rhinosinusitis Patients

Background Local tissue production of antigen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) has been shown in patients with allergic rhinitis and in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with nasal polyps. In allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS), specific IgE has been established in nasal lavage fluid and eosinophilic mucin. In this study, local production of antigen-specific IgE within sinus mucosa of AFRS patients was evaluated. Methods Sinus mucosa homogenates from 11 AFRS patients, 8 patients with CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP), and 9 nonrhinosinusitis control patients were assessed for IgE localization by immunohistochemistry. AFRS and control tissue homogenates were also evaluated for antigen-specific IgE to 14 common antigens by ImmunoCAP testing (Phadia AB, Portage, MI). Results There was a significant increase in IgE staining in AFRS sinus epithelium and subepithelium compared with controls and with patients with CRSsNP (p ≤ 0.012 for all group differences). AFRS patients showed increased IgE staining in the subepithelium when compared with epithelium (p < 0.001). AFRS sinus tissue had significantly more IgE measured by ImmunoCAP when compared with control sinus tissue for 7 of 14 specific antigens (p < 0.05) and for total IgE (p = 0.004). Antigens with a significant difference on ImmunoCAP included Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Timothy grass, red maple, cockroach, ragweed, and cocklebur. Conclusion AFRS patients showed significantly more IgE in sinus mucosa tissue specimens, with increased IgE in subepithelial sites when compared with epithelium. The increased expression of antigen-specific IgE is not limited to fungal antigens. These findings support the role of type I hypersensitivity and local manifestations of allergy in AFRS patients.
Heart failure.

INTRODUCTION Heart failure occurs in 3-4% of adults aged over 65 years, usually as a consequence of coronary artery disease or hypertension, and causes breathlessness, effort intolerance, fluid retention, and increased mortality. The 5-year mortality in people with systolic heart failure ranges from 25-75%, often due to sudden death following ventricular arrhythmia. Risks of cardiovascular events are increased in people with LVSD or heart failure. METHODS AND OUTCOMES We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of non-drug treatments, and of drug and invasive treatments for heart failure? What are the effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in people at high risk of heart failure? What are the effects of treatments for diastolic heart failure? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library and other important databases up to January 2007 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically, please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). RESULTS We found 72 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions. CONCLUSIONS In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: amiodarone, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, anticoagulation, antiplatelet agents, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, cardiac resynchronisation therapy, digoxin (in people already receiving diuretics and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors), eplerenone, exercise, implantable cardiac defibrillators, multidisciplinary interventions, non-amiodarone antiarrhythmic drugs, positive inotropes (other than digoxin), and spironolactone.
Idiopathic Tinnitus Concomitant With Eye Closure

Objective To describe 2 patients presenting with idiopathic tinnitus concomitant with eye closure. Study Design Clinical capsule report. Setting University hospital. Patients Two patients presented with intermittent tinnitus synchronous with eye closing or blinking. Otoscopic examination revealed inward movement of tympanic membranes concomitantly with eye blinking or eye closure in 1 patient. Neither patient had facial nerve disease or myoclonus. Interventions Compliance in impedance audiometry was recorded. Results Compliance in impedance audiometry was reduced during eye blinking and eye closure in both cases. The tinnitus was attributed to muscular tinnitus via stapedial muscle contraction during eye closure. Conclusion These are the rare 2 reported patients presenting with idiopathic muscular tinnitus concomitant with eye closure. The reductive change of compliance in impedance audiometry during tinnitus coincident with eye closure is a feature of this form of tinnitus. We suggest evaluation of compliance change in impedance audiometry to be a key examination in patients with stapedial muscular tinnitus concomitant with eye closure.
Asymptotic Theory of Information-Theoretic Experimental Design

We discuss an idea for collecting data in a relatively efficient manner. Our point of view is Bayesian and information-theoretic: on any given trial, we want to adaptively choose the input in such a way that the mutual information between the (unknown) state of the system and the (stochastic) output is maximal, given any prior information (including data collected on any previous trials). We prove a theorem that quantifies the effectiveness of this strategy and give a few illustrative examples comparing the performance of this adaptive technique to that of the more usual nonadaptive experimental design. In particular, we calculate the asymptotic efficiency of the information-maximization strategy and demonstrate that this method is in a well-defined sense never less efficientand is generically more efficientthan the nonadaptive strategy. For example, we are able to explicitly calculate the asymptotic relative efficiency of the staircase method widely employed in psychophysics research and to demonstrate the dependence of this efficiency on the form of the psychometric function underlying the output responses.
Renal transplantation for end‐stage renal disease following bone marrow transplantation: A report of six cases, with and without immunosuppression

Background. Over 12 000 bone marrow transplantations (BMT) are performed in the USA each year. This procedure is associated with significant morbidity including acute and chronic renal failure (CRF). CRF after BMT is usually secondary to radiation nephropathy and/or cyclosporine (CsA) toxicity. Survival on dialysis therapy for patients with radiation nephropathy is poor and renal transplantation may be a preferable form of renal‐replacement therapy.Methods. We report our experience with renal transplantation in 6 patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) following BMT: 4 as a result of radiation nephropathy; one secondary to hemolytic–uremic syndrome; and 1 as a result of antitubular basement membrane nephritis. Ages at the time of BMT ranged from 26 to 40 yr. ESRD developed after a mean period of 94 months (range 42–140 months) after BMT. The kidney source was from a living donor in 5 patients, and a cadaveric donor (CAD) in 1 patient. In 3 recipients, the bone marrow and kidney were from the same donor. They are managed without any immunosuppressive therapy. The other 3 were initiated on triple therapy (prednisone, mycophenolate mofetil/azathioprine and cyclosporine/tacrolimus). Results. These patients have been followed for up to 31 months (range 3–30 months) after kidney transplant, and 5 out of 6 are alive with functioning bone marrow and renal transplants. Their plasma creatinines range from 70 to 160 μmol/L (mean 97 μmol/L). One patient died following metastatic squamous cell cancer of the genital tract.Conclusions. 1) Renal transplant is a feasible alternative for patients with ESRD following BMT; 2) if bone marrow and kidney are from the same donor, the recipient requires little or no maintenance immunosuppression; 3) short‐term results show good survival, but long‐term follow‐up is needed; 4) infections and malignancy post‐renal transplantation were seen in recipients who needed immunosuppression; and 5) reduction in immunosuppression may be needed in such post‐BMT patients who undergo kidney transplants.
Regulation of glomerular heparanase expression by aldosterone, angiotensin II and reactive oxygen species.

BACKGROUND Inhibition of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) provides renoprotection in adriamycin nephropathy (AN), along with a decrease in overexpression of glomerular heparanase. Angiotensin II (AngII) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to regulate heparanase expression in vivo. However, it is unknown whether this is also the case for aldosterone. Therefore, we further assessed the role of aldosterone, AngII and ROS in the regulation of glomerular heparanase expression. METHODS Six weeks after the induction of AN, rats were treated with vehicle (n = 8), lisinopril (75 mg/L, n = 10), spironolactone (3.3 mg/day, n = 12) or the combination of lisinopril and spironolactone (n = 14) for 12 weeks. Age-matched healthy rats served as controls (n = 6). After 18 weeks, renal heparanase and heparan sulfate (HS) expression were examined by immunofluorescence staining. In addition, the effect of aldosterone, AngII and ROS on heparanase expression in cultured podocytes was determined. RESULTS Treatment with lisinopril, spironolactone or their combination significantly blunted the increased glomerular heparanase expression and restored the decreased HS expression in the GBM. Addition of aldosterone to cultured podocytes resulted in a significantly increased heparanase mRNA and protein expression, which could be inhibited by spironolactone. Heparanase mRNA and protein expression in podocytes were also significantly increased after stimulation with AngII or ROS. CONCLUSIONS Our in vivo and in vitro results show that not only AngII and ROS, but also aldosterone is involved in the regulation of glomerular heparanase expression.
Exposure to Cigarette Smoke In Utero: Comparison of Reports from Mother and Daughter

Background: Smoking during pregnancy has been associated with asthma, obesity, and decreased cognitive functioning in the offspring. To study the role of in utero smoking exposure in offsprings' adult health outcomes, it may be necessary to rely upon reports by the offspring themselves. Methods: We studied 34,949 mother-daughter pairs participating in the Nurses' Health Study II for whom data on the daughter's early passive cigarette smoke exposure had been obtained from both mother and daughter. We calculated sensitivity and specificity of daughter's early exposure to smoke (using mother's report as the gold standard), as well as &kgr; statistics. Mother and daughter reports were also analyzed as risk factors for asthma and birthweight to demonstrate face validity. Results: Sensitivity of daughters' reported prenatal exposure ranged from 74% to 85%, while specificity was between 90% and 95% (&kgr; = 0.72–0.81). Daughter's reported childhood exposure as a proxy for mother's report of smoking during pregnancy had a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 88%. Results were similar for daughter's report of father's smoking during her childhood. Maternal smoking during pregnancy is consistently associated with reductions in offspring birthweight, and with asthma risk in offspring. The daughter's risk of being very low (<1500 g) or low birthweight (<2500 g) or of having asthma were similar when exposure was defined according to mother's report, daughter's report of fetal smoke exposure, and daughter's report of mother's smoking during childhood. Conclusions: Daughter's report of mother's smoking prenatally and in childhood are good proxy measures for mother's own report of smoking during pregnancy.
PDGF-regulated rab4-dependent recycling of alphavbeta3 integrin from early endosomes is necessary for cell adhesion and spreading.

BACKGROUND It has been postulated that the regulation of integrin vesicular traffic facilitates cell migration by internalizing integrins at the rear of the cell and transporting them forward within vesicles for exocytosis at the leading edge to form new contacts with the extracellular matrix. The rab family of GTPases control key targeting events in the endo/exocytic pathway; therefore, these GTPases may be involved in the regulation of cell-matrix contact assembly. RESULTS The endo/exocytic cycle of alphavbeta3 and alpha5beta1 integrins was studied using mouse 3T3 fibroblast cell lines. In serum-starved cells, internalized integrins were transported through rab4-positive, early endosomes and arrived at the rab11-positive, perinuclear recycling compartment approximately 30 min after endocytosis. From the recycling compartment, integrins were recycled to the plasma membrane in a rab11-dependent fashion. Following treatment with PDGF, alphavbeta3 integrin, but not alpha5beta1, was rapidly recycled directly back to the plasma membrane from the early endosomes via a rab4-dependent mechanism without the involvement of rab11. This rapid recycling pathway directed alphavbeta3 to numerous small puncta distributed evenly across the dorsal surface of the cell, and the integrin only became localized into focal complexes at later times following PDGF addition. Interestingly, inhibition of PDGF-stimulated alphavbeta3 recycling using dominant-negative rab4 mutants compromised cell adhesion and spreading on vitronectin (a ligand for alphavbeta3), but adhesion to fibronectin (a ligand for alpha5beta1 and alphavbeta3) was unchanged. CONCLUSIONS We propose that growth factor-regulated, rab4-dependent recycling of alphavbeta3 integrin from early endosomes to the plasma membrane is a critical upstream event in the assembly of cell-matrix contacts.