Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metabolic alterations in sepsis and vasoactive drug–related metabolic effects

The main clinical characteristics of sepsis and septic shock are derangements of cardiocirculatory and respiratory function. Additionally, profound alterations in metabolic pathways occur leading to hypermetabolism, enhanced energy expenditure, and insulin resistance. The clinical hallmarks are hyperglycemia, hyperlactatemia, and enhanced protein catabolism. These metabolic alterations are even more pronounced during sepsis as a result of cytokine release and subsequent induction of inflammatory pathways. Increased oxygen demands from mitochondrial oxygen utilization and oxygen consumption related to oxygen radical formation may contribute to hypermetabolism. In addition, mitochondrial dysfunction with impaired cellular respiration may be present. Mainstay therapeutic interventions for hemodynamic stabilization are adequate volume resuscitation and vasoactive agents, which, however, have additional impact on metabolic activity. Therefore, beyond hemodynamic effects, specific drug-related metabolic alterations need to be considered for optimal treatment during sepsis. This review gives an overview of the typical metabolic alterations during sepsis and septic shock and highlights the impact of vasoactive therapy on metabolism.
A qualitative study of the relationship between interorganizational internet communication and purchasing performance

We develop a conceptual framework that integrates three key dimensions of interorganizational internet communication, such as formality, frequency and diversity, their two antecedents, perceived internet security risks and norms of internet information sharing and one consequence, purchasing performance. The linkages between these constructs were empirically tested through a series of interviews with purchasing managers. The results reveal that the frequency and diversity of internet communication play an important role in enhancing purchasing performance; formality exerts a minimal impact on the performance and perceived internet security risks significantly affect norms of internet information sharing, and in turn frequency and diversity.
Bone health and osteoporosis: the role of vitamin K and potential antagonism by anticoagulants.

BACKGROUND Vitamin K's effects extend beyond blood clotting to include a role in bone metabolism and potential protection against osteoporosis. Vitamin K is required for the gamma-carboxylation of osteocalcin. Likewise, this gamma-carboxylation also occurs in the liver for several coagulation proteins. This mechanism is interrupted by coumarin-based anticoagulants in both the liver and bone. METHODS A thorough review of the literature on vitamin K, osteocalcin and their role in bone metabolism and osteoporosis, as well as the potential bone effects of anticoagulant therapy was conducted. CONCLUSIONS Epidemiological studies and clinical trials consistently indicate that vitamin K has a positive effect on bone mineral density and decreases fracture risk. Typical dietary intakes of vitamin K are below the levels associated with better BMD and reduced fracture risk; thus issues of increasing dietary intakes, supplementation, and/or fortification arise. To effectively address these issues, large-scale, intervention trials of vitamin K are needed. The effects of coumarin-based anticoagulants on bone health are more ambiguous, with retrospective studies suggesting that long-term therapy adversely affects vertebral BMD and fracture risk. Anticoagulants that do not affect vitamin K metabolism are now available and make clinical trials feasible to answer the question of whether coumarins adversely affect bone. The research suggests that at a minimum, clinicians should carefully assess anticoagulated patients for osteoporosis risk, monitor BMD, and refer them to dietitians for dietary and supplement advice on bone health. Further research is needed to make more efficacious decisions about vitamin K intake, anticoagulant therapy, and bone health.
The implementation of EG regional programmes in Greece: A critical review

Abstract The effectiveness of the implementation process in EC regional programmes has been subject to more attention in recent years. In the meantime, some inhibiting factors that influence the level of success and failure of the implementation of regional programmes have been revealed, while others are still being researched. The obstacles in implementing the Integrated Mediterranean Programme of Eastern Central Greece (IMP‐ECG) were found to include a widespread lack of know‐how in the integrated planning techniques which had to be applied, the dominance of a traditional centrist administrative apparatus, the inadequate supervision and monitoring of the programmes and, lastly, the invincible power of clientelism with its adverse effects on the intended objectives of the programme. Unquestionably the experience of the IMP‐ECG can justifiably be used as a lesson to improve the quality of implementation of current and forthcoming EC regional programmes.
Is health care really a luxury? A demand and supply approach

Many studies have found strong and positive relationship between per capita income and health care expenditure. These studies usually adopt the assumptions that (1) the relationships among the variables are constant; and/or (2) the supply-side market for health care could be treated by using standard demand functions models. To take into account of the supply side of health care, we use the demand and supply approach with the cointegration model to re-examine this issue. By using Taiwan health care expenditure data, our results show that the real income elasticity is smaller than unity and the health care expenditures are primarily for ‘curing’ rather than ‘caring’.
Influence of antecedent soil moisture conditions on the synoptic meteorology of the Black Saturday bushfire event in southeast Australia

The dynamics and large‐scale drivers of heat wave (HW) events in Australia are well documented. However, the influence of soil moisture in modulating HWs is largely unexplored. We focus here on a recent significant HW event in southeast Australia that preceded the Black Saturday bushfires (3–7 February 2009). During this period, the southeast of Australia experienced unprecedented warm conditions, which, in conjunction with high fuel load and mesoscale weather conditions, led to devastating bushfires. We examine how different initial soil moisture conditions with lead times of 5, 10, and 15 days prior to the event would have altered its overall dynamics at the continental scale. We show that at short lead times (5 days), the influence of perturbing soil moisture is mostly linear. Decreasing (increasing) soil moisture increases (decreases) maximum temperatures, associated with an intensification of the upper‐level anticyclone. The effect of increasing soil moisture is more nonlinear than decreasing soil moisture with increasing lead time; namely, increasing soil moisture can also lead to an increase in maximum temperature over some parts of the domain, rather than a decrease everywhere. At lead times of up to 15 days, the imposed perturbation in soil moisture, mostly confined to the Tropics, is essentially lost such that the impact on maximum temperatures on the day of the event cannot be related to the sign of the imposed perturbation in soil moisture. Our results highlight the importance of accurate soil moisture estimates in capturing the intensity and spatial extent of HW events in southeast Australia, but only at relatively short lead times.
Mothers' and nurses' perceptions of the needs of women experiencing preterm labor.

OBJECTIVE To describe and compare mothers' and nurses' perceptions of the needs of women experiencing preterm labor. DESIGN A descriptive/comparative approach was used. SETTING A tertiary-care teaching facility. PARTICIPANTS Convenience sample of 14 postpartum mothers and 25 registered nurses. MAIN OUTCOMES Subjects responded to 56 statements about the needs of women in preterm labor. RESULTS No statistically significant differences were found between mothers and nurses in their total responses to questionnaire items, but some significant isolated differences existed. CONCLUSION The nurse who identifies and satisfies these needs is likely to be more effective in meeting nursing-care goals.
Progress and Gaps in Understanding the Electrophysiological Properties of Morphologically Normal Cells from the Cardiac atrioventricular Node

The atrioventricular node (AVN) is a small but critically important component of the cardiac electrical conduction system and is located at the junction between right atrium and right ventricle of the heart. It plays important roles in normal and abnormal impulse propagation. Mathematical models of the conduction properties of the AVN have been made, but detailed in silico reconstruction of AVN electrophysiology lags behind that of other cardiac regions. One important facet of detailed reconstruction of AVN electrical activity is the development of comprehensive, ionic conductance-based models of single cell electrophysiology. With a view to facilitating the construction of such models, this article reviews progress made regarding single AVN cell electrophysiological data during the last decade, predominantly focusing on that derived from morphologically normal AVN cells. Properties and potential roles of a range of currents are discussed: including L-type and T-type calcium currents (ICa,L and ICa,T respectively), background current, hyperpolarization-activated current (If), delayed and transient outward potassium currents (IKr and Ito, respectively), sodium–calcium exchanger current (INaCa), the sustained inward current (Ist) and acetylcholine-activated potassium current (IKACh).
Growth through mergers and acquisitions: how it won#t be a loser's game

Purpose – During the 1990s we have seen an unprecedented wave of mergers and acquisitions (M&As). Despite managerial over‐optimism, research consistently showed that 50‐75 percent of M&As fail to live up to expectations. The article, drawing from both academic evidence and accumulated experience of companies that seem to have mastered the game of M&As, aims to offer managers and understandable and practical set of tips on what to seek and what to avoid when making such major strategic moves.Design/methodology/approach – The article draws from relevant research evidence.Findings – Although there is no “one size fits all” solution to the effective management of M&As, past research has offered us an extensive body of knowledge. The article draws attention not only to mistakes that take place after the merger, but also to mistakes that usually take place before the merger. It seems that in many cases the seeds of an unsuccessful merger have been sown well before the deal is signed.Practical implications – The.
Kinetics of in vivo bone deposition by bone marrow stromal cells within a resorbable porous calcium phosphate scaffold: An X‐ray computed microtomography study

Resorbable ceramic scaffolds based on Silicon stabilized tricalcium phosphate (Si‐TCP) were seeded with bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) and ectopically implanted for 2, 4, and 6 months in immunodeficient mice. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the scaffold material was performed by X‐ray synchrotron radiation computed microtomography (microCT) with a spatial resolution lower than 5 µm. Unique to these experiments was that microCT data were first collected on the scaffolds before implantation and then on the same scaffolds after they were seeded with BMSC, implanted in the mice and rescued after different times. Volume fraction, mean thickness and thickness distribution were evaluated for both new bone and scaffold phases as a function of the implantation time. New bone thickness increased from week 8 to week 16. Data for the implanted scaffolds were compared with those derived from the analysis of the same scaffolds prior to implantation and with data derived from 100% hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffold treated and analyzed in the same way. At variance with findings with the 100% HA scaffolds a significant variation in the density of the different Si‐TCP scaffold regions in the pre‐ and post‐implantation samples was observed. In particular a post‐implantation decrease in the density of the scaffolds, together with major changes in the scaffold phase composition, was noticeable in areas adjacent to newly formed bone. Histology confirmed a better integration between new bone and scaffold in the Si‐TCP composites in comparison to 100% HA composites where new bone and scaffold phases remained well distinct. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2007; 98: 271–281. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Safety of Strong, Static Magnetic Fields

Issues associated with the exposure of patients to strong, static magnetic fields during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are reviewed and discussed. The history of human exposure to magnetic fields is reviewed, and the contradictory nature of the literature regarding effects on human health is described. In the absence of ferromagnetic foreign bodies, there is no replicated scientific study showing a health hazard associated with magnetic field exposure and no evidence for hazards associated with cumulative exposure to these fields. The very high degree of patient safety in strong magnetic fields is attributed to the small value of the magnetic susceptibility of human tissues and to the lack of ferromagnetic components in these tissues. The wide range of susceptibility values between magnetic materials and human tissues is shown to lead to qualitatively differing behaviors of these materials when they are exposed to magnetic fields. Mathematical expressions are provided for the calculation of forces and torques. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2000;12:2–19. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Housing Policy, Wealth Formation and the Singapore Economy

This paper evaluates the contribution of housing policy in Singapore to financial sector development, housing wealth formation and macro-economic performance, both retrospectively and prospectively. It provides an overview of past housing policies and traces the linkages to the financial sector. Housing policy as effected through the Housing and Development Board and the Central Provident Fund (CPF) hampered the development of the commercial housing loans sector and domestic financial markets, but contributed to the overall growth and stability of the housing loans market and associated financial institutions. Housing policy and the trend of housing asset inflation contributed significantly to the formation of both gross and net housing wealth. Economic growth has not suffered from the heavy emphasis on housing investment although various policies that resulted in exogenous shifts in housing demand contributed to increased housing price volatility in the short term. The structure of the housing loans market has also allowed the CPF contribution rate to be more effectively used as an instrument for macro-economic stabilisation.
An economic analysis of the timing of childbirth

Summary In this paper we present a new ‘home economics’ model of the timing of the first birth. The child-timing decision is treated as a multi-period planning problem in which the date of first birth influences both the mean and the dispersion of the household's intertemporal income distribution. Couples are assumed to use capital markets and the timing of childbirth to smooth life-cycle consumption. Optimal timing is shown to depend upon the rate at which job skills depreciate during unemployment, the wife's pre-marital work experience, the opportunity costs of completing a family, and the mean and dispersion of the husband's intertemporal earnings profile. The theory is tested with statistics drawn from the National Longitudinal Surveys. The results strongly support those theoretical hypotheses that can be tested and offer insights into timing patterns. If the upsurge in women's labour force participation and educational involvement continue, our work implies that there will be a marked economic incent.
Contribution of the Rv2333c efflux pump (the Stp protein) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis to intrinsic antibiotic resistance in Mycobacterium bovis BCG.

OBJECTIVES To characterize the efflux pump encoded by the gene Rv2333c from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and assess its contribution to intrinsic antibiotic resistance using Mycobacterium bovis BCG as a model organism. METHODS Firstly, the Rv2333c gene was expressed from a multicopy plasmid in M. bovis BCG. Secondly, the gene was inactivated in the chromosome of M. bovis BCG. Antibiotic susceptibility tests and tetracycline uptake/efflux experiments were carried out with the strains mentioned above. RESULTS When the Rv2333c gene was inactivated in the M. bovis BCG chromosome, there was a decrease in the MIC values of spectinomycin and tetracycline, and an increase in [3H]tetracycline accumulation. When the Rv2333c gene was cloned into a multicopy plasmid, there was an increase in the MIC values of spectinomycin and tetracycline, and a decrease in [3H]tetracycline accumulation. These results indicate that both antibiotics are substrates of the Rv2333c efflux pump, which has been named Stp, for Spectinomycin Tetracycline efflux Pump. CONCLUSIONS The Rv2333c efflux pump (Stp protein) of M. tuberculosis contributes to intrinsic spectinomycin and tetracycline resistance.
Socio-economic characteristics and allocative efficiency of upland rice farmers in Ogun State, Nigeria.

The paper analysed the relationship between allocative efficiency and a set of socio-economic variables. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 165 rice farmers from six local government areas (LGAs) from the 10 rice-producing LGAs in Ogun State. The paper considered a Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier cost function applied to farm-level data of upland rice farmers in Ogun State to empirically determine the level of allocative inefficiency, using a single-stage model. The theoretical model predicts a positive relationship among cost of production, capital and output of paddy rice. The study showed a positive and significant relationship between allocative efficiency and farmers’ age, access to technical assistance and extension services. Policy measures aimed at increasing rice farmers’ access to technical assistance and extension services will go a long way toward boosting rice production in the study area.
Excitation of Afferent Cardiac Sympathetic Nerves is Modulated by Nitroglycerin

Abstract We examined the effect of nitroglycerin on stimulation of sympathetic nerve fibers arising from receptor sites in the left ventricular wall during acute coronary artery occlusion. Sympathetic afferent nerve activity was recorded in single and multifiber nerve preparations dissected from slips of T3 white rami communicantes. Acute left anterior descending or left circumflex coronary artery occlusion produced an increase in segmental myocardial length and excitation of afferent cardiac sympathetic nerve fibers in the region of the myocardium supplied by the occluded artery. Intravenous administration of nitroglycerin in doses up to 100 μg/kg and sodium nitroprusside (50 μg/min) reduced systolic bulge during coronary occlusions and suppressed excitation of these myelinated and unmyelinated afferent fibers. Local intracoronary injection of nitroglycerin (100 μg) produced neither a change in systemic blood pressure nor a change in excitation of the afferent nerve fibers during coronary occlusion. Systemic administration of nitroglycerin sufficient to lower blood pressure and reduce epicardial systolic lengthening in the ischemic zone is associated with inhibition of firing of cardiac afferent sympathetic nerves.
The Quasi-split Effect, Active Insiders and the Italian Market Reaction to Equity Rights Issues

The positive market reaction at the announcement of most European rights issues can be explained by two major factors which distinguish them from a US public offering: active insiders, and a quasi-split effect which signals a large increase in the dividend yield. An analysis of 428 Italian rights offerings and an event study involving 82 observations in the 1980-1994 period show that Italian insiders are completely "active" and almost 85% of the equity rights issues result in a dividend yield increase, which corresponds to the quasi-split effect in approximately 40% of the issues. The dividend yield rises, on average, by a significant +61% after a combined rights offering and by a significantly lower +20% following a fully-paid rights issue. The market reaction to the announcement is significantly positive for combined rights offerings (+2.77%) and positive, but not significant, for the whole sample (+0. 79%). The dividend increase signaled by the quasi-split effect explains almost 30% of the abnormal returns' cross-sectional variation and it is the only significant explanatory variable.
How Industries Migrate When Agglomeration Economies Are Important

The Economics of QWERTY suggests that historical accidents can trap economies in inefficient equilibria. This paper suggests that such accidents do not have the force that proponents claim. The paper presents a mechanism that may unravel a locational advantage caused by an historical accident. In the model, there are agglomeration benefits from concentrating industry in a particular location because it enables a large variety of local suppliers to emerge. Firms differ by the extent to which they purchase from local suppliers. Low-tier firms purchase little; high-tier firms purchase more. When the industry migrates, the lowest-tier products move first.
Pharmacological therapeutics targeting the secondary defects and downstream pathology of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

ABSTRACT Introduction: Since the identification of the dystrophin gene in 1986, a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has yet to be discovered. Presently, there are a number of genetic-based therapies in development aimed at restoration and/or repair of the primary defect. However, growing understanding of the pathophysiological consequences of dystrophin absence has revealed several promising downstream targets for the development of therapeutics. Areas covered: In this review, we discuss various strategies for DMD therapy targeting downstream consequences of dystrophin absence including loss of muscle mass, inflammation, fibrosis, calcium overload, oxidative stress, and ischemia. The rationale of each approach and the efficacy of drugs in preclinical and clinical studies are discussed. Expert opinion: For the last 30 years, effective DMD drug therapy has been limited to corticosteroids, which are associated with a number of negative side effects. Our knowledge of the consequences of dystrophin absence that contribute to DMD pathology has revealed several potential therapeutic targets. Some of these approaches may have potential to improve or slow disease progression independently or in combination with genetic-based approaches. The applicability of these pharmacological therapies to DMD patients irrespective of their genetic mutation, as well as the potential benefits even for advanced stage patients warrants their continued investigation.