Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Benefits and strengths of the disproportionality analysis for identification of adverse drug reactions in a pharmacovigilance database.

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) represent an important medical issue: they result in 3–7% of all hospital admissions and are associated with a substantial increase in morbidity and mortality. Numerous methods can be used to investigate ADRs. Each has its strengths and weakness. The insufficiencies of basic (experimental) pharmacology as well as clinical trials for studying ADRs are well known. Animal physiology often differs from that of humans. Clinical trials, although necessary, do not allow definite conclusions, because they are built to evaluate efficacy more than safety. Thus, spontaneous notifications remain the cornerstone for ADRs despite their mandatory limitations (under-reporting, selective reporting, lack of denominator etc.). Intensive studies could allow quantification of a specific problem of drug safety (i.e. drug admission into hospital for ADRs). For some years, several pharmacoepidemiological methods have been used to identify and also to quantify ADRs. Among thesse methods, case–control or cohort studies are most widely used. However, their setting up requires specific organization, delay, money and also use of large databases, which are not often specifically built for evaluation of ADRs. In the present issue of the journal, clinical pharmacologists and pharmacoepidemiologists from Poitiers University Hospital (France) have used another method, working from the French PharmacoVigilance database. They used disproportionality analysis for identification of memory disorders associated with drugs [1]. The present paper discusses the benefits and strengths of this method.
Inhibition of angiogenesis-driven Kaposi's sarcoma tumor growth in nude mice by oral N-acetylcysteine.

The thiol N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), an analogue and precursor of reduced glutathione, has cancer chemopreventive properties attributable to its nucleophilicity, antioxidant activity, and a variety of other mechanisms. We demonstrated recently that NAC has anti-invasive, antimetastatic, and antiangiogenic effects in in vitro and in vivo test systems. In the present study, s.c. transplantation of KS-Imm cells in (CD-1)BR nude mice resulted in the local growth of Kaposi's sarcoma, a highly vascularized human tumor. The daily administration of NAC with drinking water, initiated after the tumor mass had become established and detectable, produced a sharp inhibition of tumor growth, with regression of tumors in half of the treated mice along with a markedly prolonged median survival time. The production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and certain proliferation markers (proliferating cell nuclear antigen and Ki-67) were significantly lower in Kaposi's sarcomas from NAC-treated mice than from control mice. Treatment of KS-Imm cells with NAC in vitro resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of chemotaxis and invasion through inhibition of gelatinase-A (matrix metalloproteinase-2, MMP-2) activity without altering MMP-2 or MMP-9 mRNA levels. NAC also significantly inhibited VEGF production but did not affect proliferation markers in vitro. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis indicated that total VEGF mRNAs were reduced by 10 mM NAC. Taken together, these findings provide evidence that NAC, the safety of which even at high doses has been established in almost 40 years of clinical use, in addition to its chemopreventive action, has a strong antiangiogenic potential that could be exploited for preventing cancer progression as well as used in cancer adjuvant therapy.
Perspectives of disabled young people with degenerative conditions on making choices with parents and peers

English government policy advocates providing greater choice-making opportunities for service users and their families. However, there is a gap in our knowledge about the role family, especially parents, and also friends play in the choice-making processes of disabled young people. Drawing on data from an English longitudinal study, this article begins to address this gap by exploring disabled young people's shared choice-making with parents and peers. Using qualitative data from 27 interviews with disabled young people with degenerative conditions, it demonstrates that young people want to participate in making choices about their own lives but choices are often made with other people, especially parents and peers. Processes of choice-making are diverse. Parents and/or peers are involved at different stages and in varying degrees with young people depending on personal circumstances. For example, circumstances such as young people's age and experience and the type of choice and its perceived seriousness. Recognizing this complexity and the importance of a holistic approach to choice-making, the article concludes with some practice suggestions.
Eukaryote to gut bacteria transfer of a glycoside hydrolase gene essential for starch breakdown in plants

Lateral gene transfer (LGT) between bacteria constitutes a strong force in prokaryote evolution, transforming the hierarchical tree of life into a network of relationships between species. In contrast, only a few cases of LGT from eukaryotes to prokaryotes have been reported so far. The distal animal intestine is predominantly a bacterial ecosystem, supplying the host with energy from dietary polysaccharides through carbohydrate-active enzymes absent from its genome. It has been suggested that LGT is particularly important for the human microbiota evolution. Here we show evidence for the first eukaryotic gene identified in multiple gut bacterial genomes. We found in the genome sequence of several gut bacteria, a typically eukaryotic glycoside-hydrolase necessary for starch breakdown in plants. The distribution of this gene is patchy in gut bacteria with presence otherwise detected only in a few environmental bacteria. We speculate that the transfer of this gene to gut bacteria occurred by a sequence of two key LGT events; first, an original eukaryotic gene was transferred probably from Archaeplastida to environmental bacteria specialized in plant polysaccharides degradation and second, the gene was transferred from the environmental bacteria to gut microbes.
Collective Purchase: Moving Local and Organic Foods beyond the Niche Market

The authors draw attention to the creative possibilities offered by collective purchase as a mechanism to move local and organic foods beyond the niche market. The food-buying group and cooperative style of food purchasing has received only scant reference in the alternative food and ethical consumption literatures, but it offers much in terms of historical context and future lessons for growth in the sector. ‘We can do it better’ is an experimental ethic of the 1960s and 1970s counterculture, but it resonates strongly with the present-day ‘alternatives’ associated with the local and organic food movement. The authors use Gibson-Graham's notion of ‘diverse economies’ to examine selected buying groups and food cooperatives in North America, Europe, and Japan. The results reveal a highly pixilated and evolving mix of motivations and ethics. The ‘ideology first, practicalities later’ approach appears to be a powerful influence, symbolising the ‘becomingness’ of ethical purchasing in these contexts.
Antecedents of Tourists’ Loyalty to Mauritius

This article evaluates a theoretical model based on hypothesized relationships among four constructs, namely, destination image, place attachment, personal involvement, and visitors’ satisfaction as antecedents of loyalty. These relationships are explored for a sample of 705 international visitors staying in hotels on the island of Mauritius. Confirmatory factor analysis is used initially to ascertain the dimensions of the various constructs but also to assess the convergent and discriminant validity of the measurement items. The structural model indicates that destination image, personal involvement and place attachment are antecedents of visitors’ loyalty but this relationship is mediated by satisfaction levels. The findings offer important implications for tourism theory and practice.
The E2F Family of Transcription Factors from Arabidopsis thaliana

The E2F transcription factors are key components of the cyclin D/retinoblastoma/E2F pathway. Here we demonstrate thatArabidopsis thaliana contains six functional AtE2F genes that are all expressed in cell suspension culture but show different patterns of expression during cell cycle progression. According to their structural and functional features, the six AtE2Fs can be divided into two distinct groups; although the three members of the first group, AtE2Fa, AtE2Fb and AtE2Fc, possess all the conserved domains found in other plant and animal E2Fs, the remaining AtE2Fs are novel proteins, which reveal a duplication of the DNA binding domain but lack any other conserved region. Furthermore, the AtE2Fs of the first group are functional transcription factors that in association with AtDP proteins can recognize specifically an E2F cis-element and can transactivate an E2F-responsive reporter gene in plant cells. In contrast, the AtE2Fs of the second group can bind specifically the E2F site without interacting with DP partners but cannot activate gene expression and, instead, are able to inhibit E2F-dependent activation of gene expression in Arabidopsis cells. These findings suggest distinctive roles for the plant E2F proteins and point to a complex concerted regulation of E2F-dependent gene expression in plant cells.
On the relationship between fund holdings and cash dividend policy of listed companies

Dividend policy is one of the key financial policies of a listed company which plays an important role in the company's management decisions. China's dividend policy reform provides us with a great opportunity to shed some light on the dividend policy of listed companies using data of A-share listed companies listed in Shenzhen and Shanghai Stock Exchanges in the period 2007-2012. We analyze the status of listed companies' cash dividend policy in China, and empirically analyze whether fund-holdings or a proportion of the fund-holdings affects cash dividend policy. Results show that, relatively there is no fund-holdings in listed companies, and when there is a company engaged in it, tends to pay cash dividends instead. A proportion of fund-holdings is positively correlated to the level of cash dividends paid, that is, the higher proportion of cash dividends is, the higher the level of cash dividends paid by the listed companies.
Eff ects of a fi xed combination of perindopril and indapamide on macrovascular and microvascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (the ADVANCE trial): a randomised controlled trial

ADVANCE Collaborative Group* Summary Background Blood pressure is an important determinant of the risks of macrovascular and microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes, and guidelines recommend intensive lowering of blood pressure for diabetic patients with hypertension. We assessed the eff ects of the routine administration of an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor-diuretic combination on serious vascular events in patients with diabetes, irrespective of initial blood pressure levels or the use of other blood pressure lowering drugs. Methods The trial was done by 215 collaborating centres in 20 countries. After a 6-week active run-in period, 11 140 patients with type 2 diabetes were randomised to treatment with a fi xed combination of perindopril and indapamide or matching placebo, in addition to current therapy. The primary endpoints were composites of major macrovascular and microvascular events, defi ned as death from cardiovascular disease, non-fatal stroke or non-fatal myocardial infarction, and new or worsening renal or diabetic eye disease, and analysis was by intention-to-treat. The macrovascular and microvascular composites were analysed jointly and separately. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00145925. Findings After a mean of 4·3 years of follow-up, 73% of those assigned active treatment and 74% of those assigned control remained on randomised treatment. Compared with patients assigned placebo, those assigned active therapy had a mean reduction in systolic blood pressure of 5·6 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure of 2·2 mm Hg. The relative risk of a major macrovascular or microvascular event was reduced by 9% (861 [15·5%] active vs 938 [16·8%] placebo; hazard ratio 0·91, 95% CI 0·83–1·00, p=0·04). The separate reductions in macrovascular and microvascular events were similar but were not independently signifi cant (macrovascular 0·92; 0·81–1·04, p=0·16; microvascular 0·91; 0·80–1·04, p=0·16). The relative risk of death from cardiovascular disease was reduced by 18% (211 [3·8%] active vs 257 [4·6%] placebo; 0·82, 0·68–0·98, p=0·03) and death from any cause was reduced by 14% (408 [7·3%] active vs 471 [8·5%] placebo; 0·86, 0·75–0·98, p=0·03). There was no evidence that the eff ects of the study treatment diff ered by initial blood pressure level or concomitant use of other treatments at baseline.
Motivations, experiences and outcomes of playing videogames

The current research examined gaming within a leisure context to examine the motivational and experiential value of the activity, to better understand the range of outcomes of playing videogames. Flow theory was used as a theoretical framework for examining positive gaming experiences, and how these were associated with gaming motivations, and potential positive psychological and affective outcomes. The research utilised a mixed-methodological approach with samples of gamers. These included focus groups, an experiment and online questionnaires. The findings showed that immersion and achievement-orientated gaming motivations predicted flow in gaming, and could also predict some dimensions of psychological well-being. Flow in gameplay interacted with increases in positive mood and activation. This suggests that the processes involved in gaming are influential to positive gaming outcomes. Specific game aspects were influential to the nature of gaming experiences, although these were largely dependent on game-type. The findings also showed that social gaming contexts were influential towards gaming experiences, and the associated affective outcomes. This suggests the dynamic nature of gaming experiences, and the importance of acknowledging the wider social contexts in which gaming occurs. Aspects of personality (i.e. trait aggression and competitiveness) influenced negative mood after gameplay, suggesting the importance of considering internal factors when examining gaming outcomes. Further, because gaming motivations, experiences and the associated effects were largely individual and game-specific, this highlights the need for future research to adopt more idiographic approaches. Based on the findings, the research presents a Process Model of Gameplay to examine the dynamic nature of gameplay processes for a range of outcomes. The current research highlights the effectiveness of considering gaming within the wider context of leisure, to identify gaming processes as a way of examining the influence of gaming motivations and experiences on positive outcomes of the activity.
Autonomous Control for Micro-Flying Robot and Small Wireless Helicopter X.R.B

This paper presents autonomous control for micro-flying robot (muFR) and small helicopter X.R. B. In case of natural disaster like earthquake, a MAV is very effective for surveying the site and environment in dangerous area or narrow space, where human cannot access safely. In addition, it is a help to prevent secondary disaster. This paper is concerned with autonomous hovering control, guidance control of muFR, and automatic takeoff and landing control of X.R. B
Attachment Style as a Predictor of Positive Event-Related Brain Potentials in a Social-Stimulation Task

Psychology has attempted over the past decades to consider the ways that humans construct their interpersonal relationships. One of the dominant methods of doing so is by investigating the attachment style of individuals. The current research considers the way that individual differences in attachment style might affect attentional allotment in social situations, as measured by electroencephalographic (EEG) methods and the Late Positive Potential wave (LPP). We hypothesized that highly attachment-anxious and highly attachment-avoidance subjects would demonstrate decreased LPP peaks in response to negative target images when those images were in a sequence of ambiguous images, due to a violation of expectancy. Using a computer-based image-presentation task, 40 subjects responded to both sequences of three images and images presented solo. The Experiences in Close Relationships and Adult Attachment Questionnaire were used to assess attachment style on the continua of Anxiety and Avoidance. Data were subjected to a repeated-measures ANOVA, with factors of image type (negative, positive, random, and neutral), context (in-sequence or solo), and site (Fz, Cz, and Pz). Analyses demonstrated no major distinction by attachment style, and no effect of expectancy violation. Rather, subjects seemed to respond to emotionality of images. Future research may attempt to differentiate further between expectancy and emotionality, and differentiate individuals based on attachment style. Attachment and the LPP 3
Degradation and Transformability of DNA from Transgenic Leaves

ABSTRACT The fate of transplastomic (chloroplast genome contains the transgene) tobacco plant DNA in planta was studied when the plant leaves were subjected to decay conditions simulating those encountered naturally, including grinding, incubation with cellulase or enzymes produced by Erwinia chrysanthemi, and attack by the plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum. Direct visualization of DNA on agarose gels, gene extraction yield (the number of amplifiable aadA sequences in extracted plant DNA), and the frequency that recipient bacteria can be transformed by plant DNA were used to evaluate the quality and quantity of plant DNA and the transgene. These measurements were used to monitor the physical and biological degradation of DNA inside decaying plant tissues. Our results indicate that while most of the DNA will be degraded inside plant cells, sufficient DNA persists to be released into the soil.
Viewpoints for requirements elicitation: a practical approach

The paper introduces an approach to multi perspective requirements engineering (PREview) which has been designed for industrial use and discusses our practical experience in applying PREview. We have developed a flexible model of viewpoints and using examples from an industrial application, show how this can be used to organise system requirements derived from radically different sources. We show how 'concerns', which are key business drivers of the requirements elicitation process, may be used to elicit and validate system requirements. They are decomposed into questions which must be answered by system stakeholders. We briefly describe the process of using PREview which has been designed to allow incremental requirements elicitation. Finally, we discuss some practical considerations which emerged when the approach was applied in industry.
Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Intraarterially Enhanced Ultrasonography with Co2 Microbubbles

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced US with CO2 microbubbles (EU) for HCCs. Detectability was compared with DSA, dynamic CT, and Lipiodol CT. Material and Methods: Forty-seven histologically proven HCCs detected with US were evaluated with EU, DSA, and dynamic CT. In 23 patients (35 lesions), Lipiodol CT was also performed. The size of the tumors ranged from 8 to 71 mm (average 28.1 mm); 24 lesions were smaller than 20 mm and 23 lesions were larger than 20 mm. Results: Overall detection was possible in 40 of 47 lesions (85%) by EU, in 32 of 47 (68%) by DSA, in 33 of 47 (74%) by dynamic CT, and in 27 of 35 (77%) by Lipiodol CT. In tumors smaller than 20 mm, detection was possible in 21 of 24 lesions (88%) by EU, 14 of 24 (58%) by DSA, 14 of 24 (58%) by dynamic CT, and 11 of 17 (65%) by Lipiodol CT. Conclusion: EU has significant diagnostic value for detection of HCCs, particularly tumors smaller than 20 mm.
The Contact Hypothesis and Intergroup Relations 50 Years on: Introduction to the Special Issue

This article introduces the special issue on intergroup contact. We remind readers of the visit to South Africa, 50 years ago, of Gordon Allport and his associate, Thomas Pettigrew, and review work on one of Allport's central contributions to social psychology, the ‘contact hypothesis’. This hypothesis proposes that contact between groups will, under the right conditions, reduce prejudice and promote better intergroup relations. Although there is considerable support for the hypothesis, we note that much recent work in South Africa points to the infrequency of interracial contact, and the spontaneous self-segregation of interactants in conditions that are ostensibly optimal for intergroup contact. We discuss the contributions that individual articles in the special issue make to the wider question of intergroup contact, as well as to the specific questions of self-segregation and contact avoidance.
Developmental changes in the membrane current pattern, K+ buffer capacity, and morphology of glial cells in the corpus callosum slice

Recent studies indicated that glial cells in tissue culture can express a variety of different voltage-gated channels, while little is known about the presence of such channels in glial cells in vivo. We used a mouse corpus callosum slice preparation, in which after postnatal day 5 (P5) more than 99% of all perikarya belong to glial cells (Sturrock, 1976), to study the current patterns of glial cells during their development in situ. We combined the patch-clamp technique with intracellular labeling using Lucifer yellow (LY) and subsequent ultrastructural characterization. In slices of mice from P6 to P8, we predominantly found cells expressing delayed-rectifier K+ currents. They were similar to those described for cultured glial precursor cells (Sontheimer et al., 1989). A-type K+ currents or Na+ currents were not or only rarely observed, in contrast to cultured glial precursors. LY labeling revealed that numerous thin processes extended radially from the perikaryon of these cells, and ultrastructural observations suggested that they resemble immature glial cells. In slices of older mice (P10-13), when myelination of the corpus callosum has already commenced, many cells were characterized by an almost linear current- voltage relationship. This current pattern was similar to cultured oligodendrocytes (Sontheimer et al., 1989). Most processes of LY-filled cells with such a current profile extended parallel to each other. Electron microscopy showed that these processes surround thick, unmyelinated axons. We suggest that cells with oligodendrocyte-type electrophysiology are promyelinating oligodendrocytes. In contrast to cultured oligodendrocytes, membrane currents of promyelinating oligodendrocytes in the slice decayed during the voltage command. This decay was due not to inactivation, but to a marked change in the potassium equilibrium potential within the voltage jump. This implies that, in the more mature corpus callosum, small membrane polarizations in a physiological range can lead to extensive changes in the K+ gradient across the glial membrane within a few milliseconds.
Multilevel DC–DC Power Conversion System With Multiple DC Sources

A multilevel DC-DC power conversion system with multiple DC sources is proposed in this paper. With this conversion system, the output voltage can be changed almost continuously without any magnetic components. With this magnetic-less system, very high temperature operation is possible. Power loss and efficiency analysis is provided in the paper. Comparison results show that the system does not require more semiconductors or capacitance than the traditional boost converter. Experimental results are provided to confirm the analysis and control concept.