Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Investigation on the incidence of diabetes in chronic hepatitis C patients and their HCV genotypes].

OBJECTIVE To investigate the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and its relation to HCV genotypes, and to confirm whether diabetes is an exohepatic manifestation of CHC. METHODS Sandwich hybridization microplate assays and fluorescence quantification PCR technology were used to detect HBV DNA, HCV RNA and HCV genotypes of 308 chronic hepatitis C patients and 305 chronic hepatitis B patients. The incidence of diabetes in these patients was compared and analyzed with that in 310 controls. RESULTS The incidence of diabetes in patients with chronic hepatitis C was 32.79%, higher than that in patients with chronic hepatitis B (9.84%) and in the control group (8.39%). Serum levels of ALT and TBIL in hepatitis C patients with diabetes were higher than those without diabetes. Infection rate of HCV 1b in hepatitis C patients with diabetes was the highest (40.59%), and when compared with that of those without diabetes the difference was very significant. CONCLUSION Incidence of diabetes mellitus in patients with chronic hepatitis C is high, especially those infected with HCV 1b, and the liver functions of these patients are more severely damaged.
The paradoxical processes of feminization in the professions: the case of established, aspiring and semi-professions

The past three decades have been characterized by dramatic labour market developments including the mass entry of women to exclusively male domains. Professional work is particularly indicative of this trend where growth in female membership has fuelled optimistic predictions of shattered glass ceilings and gender equality. This article seeks to challenge these predictions and to explore the associated assumptions linked with the feminization of work in the UK. It does so by focusing on three professional groups: law, teaching and management which, despite some substantial differences, present a common and recurrent theme in the gendered processes of professional projects that marginalize, downgrade and exploit women and women's work. It is argued that the fluidity of such processes lead to a series of paradoxes as the professions are increasingly dependent on the contribution of their female members and yet numerical feminization, without truly including women, serves to undermine and even reverse professional projects.
The influence of a film on destination image and the desire to travel: a cross-cultural comparison

The objective of this study was to measure the immediate impacts of a film on the perceptions of viewers from different countries. The film chosen for this experiment was the Motorcycle Diaries in which South America was featured prominently in the film. Using established scales from the tourism and marketing literature, viewers from the USA, Canada and Spain were surveyed before and after seeing the film, and results showed that the film did change the viewers' perceptions of South America. After watching the film, a large percentage of the respondents expressed a desire to visit the countries seen in the film, with Canadians showing a significantly higher desire to visit South America than the US and Spanish participants. Those who were motivated to travel by the film were especially influenced by the scenery, landscape and the cultural attractions of the destination as depicted in the movie. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessment of the accuracy of low-cost store-and-forward teledermatology consultation.

BACKGROUND Telemedicine has the potential to revolutionize the delivery of dermatologic care to underserved areas. OBJECTIVE Our purpose was to compare diagnoses from two types of dermatology consultations: telemedicine using store-and-forward (SAF) technology, and traditional face-to-face (FTF) office visits. METHODS Skin conditions were imaged with a consumer-grade digital camera. A standardized template was used to collect historical data. Information was stored in a secured database for access by 2 or 3 board-certified dermatologists. Results from the FTF visit were used to assess the accuracy of the SAF diagnoses. RESULTS A total of 106 dermatologic conditions in 92 patients were included. Concordance between FTF and SAF diagnoses was high, ranging from 81% to 89% for all 3 dermatologists. Clinically relevant disagreement occurred in only 4% to 8% of cases. Remaining disagreements did not affect patient care. Diagnostic confidence and image quality affected agreement. When cases of high confidence were analyzed separately, agreement increased to 88% to 100%. This increase was substantiated by means of a chi-square test between the high confidence and low confidence groups, which demonstrated statistical significance (P <. 005) for all dermatologists. Similarly, when cases of above average image quality were considered, agreement increased to 84% to 98%. Again this difference was substantiated by means of a chi-square test between adequate and poor images, with statistical significance for two dermatologists (P <.001). Accuracy was comparable between disease types with the exception of benign neoplasms, which demonstrated agreement of 22% to 46%. CONCLUSION These data support the use of existing digital technology to construct an accurate SAF teledermatology system. The inexpensive camera and widely available computer equipment make this an extremely affordable system. Furthermore, participating dermatologists appear well aware of system limitations, as reflected in the increased agreement for high confidence cases. Additional investigation of the accuracy of teledermatology for benign neoplasms is warranted.
The impact of paternalistic leadership on innovation: an integrated model

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of paternalistic leadership on innovation.Design/methodology/approach – This paper conceptualizes an integrated model that combines the dual‐core model and ambidextrous model of innovation. Using a sample of 159 Chinese high‐tech enterprises, some hypotheses are tested.Findings – The results show: authoritarianism has a directly negative effect on exploitative innovation and positively moderates the effectiveness of exploitative innovation; benevolence has a directly positive effect both on exploratory innovation and exploitative innovation; benevolence negatively moderates the effectiveness of exploratory innovation and positively moderates the effectiveness of exploitative innovation.Research limitations/implications – This paper adopts the cross‐sectional study design, while innovation and formation of the implementation are relatively long‐term, dynamic processes. Thus, longitudinal design is a direction worth trying in follow‐up studies. Be.
Effect of Nicardipine Prolonged-Release Implants on Cerebral Vasospasm and Clinical Outcome After Severe Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind Phase IIa Study

Background and Purpose— The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of nicardipine prolonged-release implants (NPRIs) on cerebral vasospasm and clinical outcome after severe subarachnoid hemorrhage. Methods— Thirty-two patients with severe subarachnoid hemorrhage and undergoing aneurysm clipping were included into this single center, randomized, double-blind trial. Sixteen patients received NPRIs implanted into the basal cisterns in direct contact to the exposed proximal blood vessels; in 16 control patients, the basal cisterns were opened and washed out only without leaving implants. Angiography was performed preoperatively and at day 8±1. Computed tomography imaging was analyzed for the incidence of territorial infarcts unrelated to surgery. Patient outcome was assessed using the modified Rankin and National Institute of Health Stroke scales. Results— The incidence of angiographic vasospasm in proximal vessel segments was significantly reduced after implantation of NPRIs (73% control versus 7% NPRIs). Significant differences occurred also for the majority of distal vessel segments. Computed tomography scans revealed a lower incidence of delayed ischemic lesions (47% control versus 14% NPRIs). The NPRI group demonstrated more favorable modified Rankin and National Institute of Health Stroke scales as well as a significantly lower incidence of deaths (38% control versus 6% NPRIs). Conclusions— Implantation of NPRIs reduces the incidence of cerebral vasospasm and delayed ischemic deficits and improves clinical outcome after severe subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Assessing the State-level Burden of Carbon Emissions Abatement

This paper addresses a question central to the way climate change policy impacts are discussed in the United States: What are the economic costs for individual states of carbon abatement proposals? We present a dynamic general equilibrium model of a single U.S. state facing carbon limits. We consistently incorporate the competitive impacts resulting from carbon abatement in other states and regions. Specifically we assess the impacts on Colorado of the 1997 Kyoto agreement. Our analysis suggests that the competitive impacts which affect a state’s terms-of-trade are of crucial importance when assessing the economic costs of an international agreement for a given state. We also illustrate the benefits, at the state level, of participating in an international agreement that includes opportunities for international trade in emissions permits.
Fiscal Policy, Labor Unions, Competitiveness and Monetary Institutions: Their Long Run Impact on Unemployment, Inflation and Welfare

OBJECTIVES AND MOTIVATION: This paper considers the impact of interactions between competitiveness, fiscal policy and monetary institutions in the presence of unionized labor markets on economic outcomes and welfare in the long run. Two main classes of questions are investigated. First, what is the impact of exogenously given labor taxes and unemployment benefits on the choice of monetary policy by the central bank, on the choice of nominal wages by unions, on the choice of prices by monopolistically competitive firms and through them on unemployment, inflation and welfare? A related question is, how does the level of competitiveness on goods’ market affect the economy and welfare? Second, how are labor taxes and redistribution chosen by a (Stackelberg leader) fiscal authority whose objectives are a weighted average of social welfare and of catering to the interests of political supporters, and how does the general equilibrium induced by this choice affect welfare? The framework of the paper is motivated by the European scene in which the fraction of the labor force covered by collective agreements dominates wage setting in the labor market. “PLAYERS” AND PAYOFFS: The model economy features labor unions that maximize the expected real income of union members over states of employment and of unemployment, a central bank that strives to minimize the combined costs of inflation and of unemployment, and a continuum of monopolistically competitive firms, each of which maximizes its profits. The last part of the paper also features a fiscal authority that sets taxes and redistribution so as to maximize a combination of social welfare and of benefits to particular constituencies. Utility from consumption is characterized by means of a CES, Dixit-Stiglitz, utility function and (as in Sidrauski type models) money appears in the utility function. METHODOLOGY AND “PLAYERS” STRATEGIES: The first question is investigated within a three stage game in which labor unions move first and commit to nominal wages and the central bank moves second and chooses the money supply. In the third and last stage each of a large number of monopolistically competitive firms picks its price. To deal with the second class of questions the game is expanded to feature a preliminary stage in which government chooses labor taxes and redistribution anticipating the subsequent responses of the other players. General equilibrium is characterized and used to find the impact of various economic and institutional parameters.
Clozapine, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular risks and mortality: results of a 10-year naturalistic study.

OBJECTIVE The goal of this 10-year naturalistic study was to examine, in clozapine-treated patients, the change in cardiovascular risk factors following clozapine initiation and the mortality estimates from cardiovascular disease. METHOD Data were collected from medical records from January 1992 to December 2003 and included age, gender, race, diagnosis, family history of diabetes, and age at clozapine initiation for clozapine-treated patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (DSM-IV criteria). Clozapine dosage and laboratory results were recorded at 12-month intervals. RESULTS At the time of clozapine initiation, the mean +/-? SD age of the 96 patients studied was 36.5 +/- 7.9 years; 28% (N = 27) were women. The Kaplan-Meier estimate for 10-year mortality from cardiovascular disease was 9%. African American and Hispanic American patients exhibited elevated risk of cardiovascular disease-related mortality (odds ratio [OR] = 7.2, p = .09; OR = 11.3, p = .04, respectively) compared to white patients. Body mass index (BMI) significantly increased the odds ratio of mortality (OR = 1.2, p < .01). The Kaplan-Meier estimate for new-onset diabetes mellitus was approximately 43%, and Hispanic American (OR = 4.3, p = .027) and African American (OR = 11.5, p = .0001) patients showed elevated risks of developing diabetes mellitus compared to white patients. Additionally, BMI (OR = 1.11, p = .0006), total cholesterol level (OR = 1.006, p = .04), and serum triglyceride level (OR = 1.002, p = .04) modestly increased the odds ratio for the development of diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSIONS These results support the hypothesis that clozapine-treated patients appear to be at risk for death from cardiovascular disease secondary to clozapine-associated medical disorders such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.
Nuclear Gene Indicates Coat-Color Polymorphism in Mammoths

By amplifying the melanocortin type 1 receptor from the woolly mammoth, we can report the complete nucleotide sequence of a nuclear-encoded gene from an extinct species. We found two alleles and show that one allele produces a functional protein whereas the other one encodes a protein with strongly reduced activity. This finding suggests that mammoths may have been polymorphic in coat color, with both dark- and light-haired individuals co-occurring.
Kinase-Independent Functions for Itk in TCR-Induced Regulation of Vav and the Actin Cytoskeleton1

The Tec family kinase Itk is an important regulator of Ca2+ mobilization and is required for in vivo responses to Th2-inducing agents. Recent data also implicate Itk in TCR-induced regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. We have evaluated the requirements for Itk function in TCR-induced actin polarization. Reduction of Itk expression via small interfering RNA treatment of the Jurkat human T lymphoma cell line or human peripheral blood T cells disrupted TCR-induced actin polarization, a defect that correlated with decreased recruitment of the Vav guanine nucleotide exchange factor to the site of Ag contact. Vav localization and actin polarization could be rescued by re-expression of either wild-type or kinase-inactive murine Itk but not by Itk containing mutations affecting the pleckstrin homology or Src homology 2 domains. Additionally, we find that Itk is constitutively associated with Vav. Loss of Itk expression did not alter gross patterns of Vav tyrosine phosphorylation but appeared to disrupt the interactions of Vav with SLP-76. Expression of membrane-targeted Vav, Vav-CAAX, can rescue the small interfering RNA to Itk-induced phenotype, implicating the alteration in Vav localization as directly contributing to the actin polarization defect. These data suggest a kinase-independent scaffolding function for Itk in the regulation of Vav localization and TCR-induced actin polarization.
Pitx1 is necessary for normal initiation of hindlimb outgrowth through regulation of Tbx4 expression and shapes hindlimb morphologies via targeted growth control

The forelimbs and hindlimbs of vertebrates are morphologically distinct. Pitx1, expressed in the hindlimb bud mesenchyme, is required for the formation of hindlimb characteristics and produces hindlimb-like morphologies when misexpressed in forelimbs. Pitx1 is also necessary for normal expression of Tbx4, a transcription factor required for normal hindlimb development. Despite the importance of this protein in these processes, little is known about its mechanism of action. Using a transgenic gene replacement strategy in a Pitx1 mutant mouse, we have uncoupled two discrete functions of Pitx1. We show that, firstly, this protein influences hindlimb outgrowth by regulating Tbx4 expression levels and that, subsequently, it shapes hindlimb bone and soft tissue morphology independently of Tbx4. We provide the first description of how Pitx1 sculpts the forming hindlimb skeleton by localised modulation of the growth rate of discrete elements.
Modularity, component outsourcing, and inter‐firm learning

Modularization of product architectures is a strategy for managing complex design activities and production systems, and associated supply chain issues. It has wide-reaching implications, from design engineering to business strategy. With standardized interface specifications, component outsourcing is possible, both with respect to the division of tasks in functional specification and detailed engineering of a product architecture. However, failure at the system level could still take place if interface compatibility issues of the outsourced component with the rest of the system are not understood. Outsourcing creates a certain degree of supplier-buyer interdependence and possibilities for inter-firm learning. A study of Chrysler Jeeps WIPERs suggested that learning-by-failure from one product architecture cultivated closer cooperation between the supplier and Chrysler to solve technical problems as well as to be innovative in searching for the best technological solutions for future product architecture designs.
Therapeutic administration of bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stromal cells reduces airway inflammation without up‐regulating Tregs in experimental asthma

Prophylactic administration of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) derived from adipose (AD‐MSC) and bone marrow tissue (BM‐MSC) in ovalbumin‐induced asthma hinders inflammation in a Treg‐dependent manner. It is uncertain whether MSCs act through Tregs when inflammation is already established in asthma induced by a clinically relevant allergen.
Lung cancer mortality among U.S. uranium miners: a reappraisal.

This report examines lung cancer mortality among a cohort of white underground uranium miners in the Colorado plateau and is based on mortality follow-up through December 31, 1977. The analytic methods represent a miner's annual age-specific lung cancer mortality rate as the (unspecified) rate among nonsmoking men born at the same time and with no mining history, multiplied by the relative risk factor R. This factor depends on the miner's total exposures to radon daughters [in working level months (WLM) and to cigarettes (in packs), accumulated from start of exposure until 10 years before his current age. Among those examined, the relative risk function giving the highest likelihood of the data was R = (1 + 0.31 X 10(-2) WLM)(1 + 0.51 X 10(-3) packs). This multiplicative function specifies that ratios of mortality rates for miners versus nonminers with similar age and smoking characteristics do not depend on smoking status. By contrast, differences between miners' and nonminers' mortality rates are substantially higher for smokers than for nonsmokers. The data rejected (P = .01) several additive functions for R that specify relative risk as a sum of components due to radiation and to cigarette smoking. Cumulative exposures to both radiation and cigarettes gave better fits to the data than did average annual exposure rates. Age at start of underground mining had no effect on risk, after controlling for age at lung cancer death, year of birth, and cumulative radiation and smoking exposures.
Oral glucocorticoid treatment decreases interleukin‐10 receptor expression on peripheral blood leucocyte subsets

Glucocorticoids (GCS) are capable of stimulating the secretion of interleukin (IL)‐10 by leucocytes; however, the potential of GCS to modulate leucocyte susceptibility to IL‐10‐mediated actions has not yet been studied. In the current paper, we performed a detailed cross‐sectional analysis of IL‐10 receptor (IL‐10R) expression by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, monocytes and neutrophils. Next, we analysed the effects of short‐term oral GCS treatment on surface IL‐10R expression by various leucocyte subpopulations in asthmatic patients. All leucocyte subsets studied presented with substantial levels of surface IL‐10R. The highest levels of IL‐10R were found on monocytes, predominantly with CD142+CD16+ and CD14+CD16+ phenotypes, and on CD4+CD25high T cells. In contrast, levels of IL‐10R on CD8+ T cells, NK cells and neutrophils were significantly lower and similar to each other in intensity. GCS treatment resulted in a significant decrease of IL‐10R expression on all analysed peripheral blood leucocyte subsets. Our data suggest that down‐regulation of IL‐10R could counterbalance the otherwise suppressive action of GCS.
R&D and technology purchase through licence agreements: complementary strategies and complementary assets

This paper reports on a major UK-wide investigation into the role of inward technology licensing and in-house R&D as alternative and complementary strategies in new product and process development.The role of licensing in the technology strategy of the firm can be viewed as the ‘buy’ in the context of ‘make or buy’ technology decisions. Such technology purchases may be made for a number of reasons including insufficient in-house resources or gaps in R&D provision stemming from small scale, risk, low investment in research or diversification away from existing research competencies. However, technology markets might have substantial information imperfections and transaction costs. The tasks of finding a technology provider, transferring the technology inwards and absorbing it into commercially successful new products and processes, can inhibit the use of licensing agreements for technology acquisition. This research, using a sample of 128 manufacturing companies (including both licensees and non-licensees), examines some key propositions around the use of technology licensing. Data was collected on technology strategies, complementary assets, internal organisation and market structure. Analysis of the data suggests that strategies of ‘buy and make’ are complements rather than alternatives, and that extensive use of licensing requires substantial complementary assets to be in place. The nature of product-market positioning was found to be a significant driver of technology strategy, with firms that pursue product differentiation being the most likely to license. Whilsta priori it might be expected that internal organisation would influence technology strategy, this study was only able to provide weak support for this.
The Moral Costs of Nastiness

We introduce two variants of the one-shot joy-of-destruction minigame (mini-JOD). Two players are endowed with the same amount of money. They simultaneously decide whether or not to reduce the payoff of the other player at an own cost. In one treatment there was a probability that Nature would destroy the opponent’s money anyway. We test whether this feature reduces the moral costs of being nasty, and find that destruction rates rise significantly, despite the absence of strategic reasons.