Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Lung Cancer Risk in Current Smokers: The Seoul Male Cancer Cohort Study

Authors evaluated pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) history as a risk factor for lung cancer in current male smokers in a prospective, population-based cohort study. The subjects were the 7,009 males among the participants in the Seoul Male Cancer Cohort Study for whom there was full information on PTB history and smoking habits. With a 16-yr follow-up, 93 cases of lung cancer occurred over the 99,965 person-years of the study. The estimated relative risk (RR) of PTB history of current smokers in lung cancer after adjusting for three confounders - intake of coffee and tomatoes, and age at entry - was 1.85 (95% CI: 1.08-3.19). The observed joint RRs and attributable risks (ARs) across strata of three confounders were greater than the expected, indicating a positive interaction. Thus a history of PTB in current smokers may be another risk factor for lung cancer. Based on a synergic interaction, a heavy male smoker with a PTB history would be expected to belong to the group at high risk of lung cancer.
The influence of SV40 immortalization of human fibroblasts on p53-dependent radiation responses.

The simian virus 40 large tumor antigen (SV40 Tag) has been ascribed many functions critical to viral propagation, including binding to the mammalian tumor suppressor p53. Recent studies have demonstrated that SV40-transformed murine cells have functional p53. The status of p53 in SV40-immortalized human cells, however, has not been characterized. We have found that in response to ionizing radiation, p53-dependent p21 transactivation activity is present, albeit reduced, in SV40-immortalized cells and that this activity can be further reduced with either dominant negative p53 expression or higher SV40 Tag expression. Furthermore, overexpression of p53 in SV40-immortalized ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) cells restores p53-dependent p21 induction to typical A-T levels. All SV40-immortalized cell lines exhibited an absence of G1 arrest. Moreover, all SV40-immortalized cell lines exhibited increased apoptosis relative to primary cells in response to ionizing radiation, suggesting that SV40 immortalization results in a unique phenotype with regard to DNA damage responses.
The influence of academic achievement in pupils' academic self-concept construction during the transition to lower secondary education

The purpose of this study was to assess pupils’ academic self-concept before and after the transition to lower secondary education (LSE) and showing changes in this indicator during this period. To assess pupils’ academic self-concept in Albanian language and Math were combined data from three different sources: children's self-beliefs about their capabilities, the grades received in the two main subjects during the two study periods, and the third source was pupils competency assessment by teachers of the respective subjects. As a survey instrument it was used that of Gniewosz et al. (2011). The study aims to answer these research questions: How does pupils’ academic self-concept change when they pass to LSE? Do achievements in Albanian language and Math influence pupils’ self-concept? What role do teachers’ perceptions play in the construction of pupils’ self-concept abilities? Questionnaires of pupils and teachers were filled through self-reporting. Measurements were conducted twice: at the end of fifth grade and at the end of first semester of the sixth grade. Results of the study will be referred to the theoretical framework of reference and differential of information 'sources for student self-concept construction. Tests showed that there was high correlation between verbal and mathematical achievement. Correlations between language grades and Language self-concept were strong and positive, while in Math this relation was low. The relations between grades and self-concept in Language before and after the transition, were more influenced by teachers’ perceptions, while in Math this effect was not significant. Pupils’ self-concept in Math were not affected neither by grades nor by teachers’ perceptions, suggesting that learners may have used other sources of
Analysis of safety and tolerability data obtained from over 1,500 patients receiving topiramate for migraine prevention in controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE Topiramate is an effective and generally well-tolerated migraine preventive therapy, as shown in three large, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled registration trials. Based upon efficacy/tolerability, topiramate 100 mg/day (50 mg BID) is the recommended target dose for most patients with migraine. To further assess the safety and tolerability of topiramate for migraine prevention, we analyzed safety data from 1,580 patients who participated in the three pivotal registration trials or an earlier pilot, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. METHODS The safety population consisted of all patients who took >or=1 dose of study medication during the double-blind phase (topiramate 50 mg/day [N = 235], 100 mg/day [N = 386], 200 mg/day [N = 514], or placebo [N = 445]). Safety assessments included adverse event (AE) reports, physical examination, and clinical laboratory tests. RESULTS Paresthesia was the most common topiramate-associated AE (35%, 51%, and 49% of patients receiving topiramate 50 mg/day, 100 mg/day, or 200 mg/day, respectively [6% on placebo]). The most common topiramate-associated AE were generally mild or moderate in severity and occurred at consistently higher rates during the titration period, compared with the maintenance period of the double-blind phase. AEs leading to withdrawal from the recommended dose of topiramate 100 mg/day included paresthesia (8%), fatigue (5%), nausea (2%), and difficulty with concentration (2%). Serious AEs were infrequent, occurring in 2% of 1,135 topiramate-treated patients and 3% of 445 placebo-treated patients. Patients on topiramate experienced significant decreases in mean body weight compared with placebo. CONCLUSIONS Topiramate is generally safe and reasonably well tolerated for the prevention of migraine in adults. The most common topiramate-associated AEs were mild or moderate in severity and occurred more frequently during titration to target doses.
Civil Society and the Europeanization of Greek–Turkish Cooperation

Drawing on interviews with Greek and Turkish policymakers and civil society leaders, this article analyzes how the context provided by Turkey's EU membership candidacy has facilitated and strengthened Greek–Turkish cooperation. I argue that Turkey's EU membership candidacy has empowered the domestic actors in favour of promoting Greek–Turkish cooperation, and allowed them to use the EU to legitimize their cooperative policies and activities. Thereby, since the Helsinki decisions, Greek–Turkish cooperation has gained an EU dimension, which has made a reversal in bilateral relations much less likely.
Accounting, contracts and trust in supply relationships

Purpose – The paper investigates the operation of the trust‐formal control dynamic in collaborative supply relationships.Design/methodology/approach – A case study of an Australian metal manufacturer (IronBiz) and its collaborative supply relationships is conducted.Findings – Relationships between formal controls (comprising accounting controls and contracts) and trust are developed based on the empirical observations from the case study conducted and prior literature.Research limitations/implications – The main limitations of the paper include: an empirical examination of the buyer organisation only in dyadic supply relationships; the limited generalisability associated with the methodology and field site chosen.Originality/value – In contrast to the continued popularity of collaborative arrangements as a form of organisation, gaps in the literature still exist as to the dynamics of trust creation and the relationship between trust and formal controls. This paper focuses on the trust‐formal control dynam.
The impact of group coaching on leadership effectiveness for South African women managers

2 DECLARATION 3 DEDICATION 4 LIST OF TABLES 9 LIST OF FIGURES 10 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 12 1.1 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY 12 1.2 CONTEXT OF THE STUDY 12 1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT 13 1.3. 1 MAIN PROBLEM 13 1.3. 2 SUB-PROBLEMS 13 1.3. 3 RESEARCH QUESTION 1 14 1.3. 4 RESEARCH QUESTION 2 14 1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 14 1.5 DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 15 1.6 DEFINITION OF TERMS 15 1.7 ASSUMPTIONS 17 1.8 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND ISSUES 17 2 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 19 2.
Women's Income and Household Expenditure Patterns: Gender or Flow? Evidence from Niger

be targeted for credit and small enterprise programs not only because their income boosts household income, but also because it meets global societal objectives such as increased spending on food and children's goods. Some researchers, however, have speculated that the observed impact of female income share on household expenditure patterns does not reflect gender-differentiated preferences, but rather reflects the differential "lumpiness" (seasonality) of male and female income flows. That is, women may earn income in flows that ensure a higher propensity to purchase certain items.
Enhancing compliance not a prerequisite for effective eradication of Helicobacter pylori: the HelP study

OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to compare cure rates of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, compliance, and side effects in patients given 10 days of omeprazole 20 mg b.d. , amoxycillin 500 mg t.d. s. , and metronidazole 400 mg t.d. s. (OAM) or 10 days OAM plus compliance enhancing measures.METHODS:A total of 119 H. pylori-positive patients were prospectively randomized to receive either 10 days OAM or 10 days OAM plus compliance enhancing measures (medication in a dose dispensing unit, medication chart, an information sheet about H. pylori treatment, and phone call 2 days after starting therapy). H. pylori eradication was assessed by 13C-UBT at least 4 wk after cessation of therapy, compliance by phone interview on the last day of therapy and returned pill count, and side effects by phone interview and returned side effects form.RESULTS:In 113 patients attending 13C-UBT H. pylori was eradicated in 51 of 57 patients (89.5%) after 10 days OAM and in 48 of 56 (85.7%) after 10 days OAM plus compliance enhancing measures (p= 0.54). In both groups 97% of medications were taken. Side effects were common (82% of patients). Both side effects (p= 0.001) and ulcer versus nonulcer at endoscopy (p= 0.016) were independent predictors of treatment failure; side effects also predicted noncompliance (p= 0.02). CONCLUSIONS:Ten days of OAM was effective for H. pylori eradication in our clinical population. Patient compliance was excellent and attempts to increase compliance had no impact on outcome or compliance. Side effects were very common and were significantly associated with treatment failure and decreased compliance.
Exercise and Inflammation in Pediatric Crohn’s Disease

Abstract We examined inflammatory cells, cytokines and growth factors in response to acute bouts of moderate intensity continuous exercise and high intensity intermittent exercise in youth with Crohn’s disease and in healthy matched-controls. 15 patients and 15 controls performed 30 min of cycling at 50% of peak mechanical power (PMP) and 6 bouts of 4×15-s of cycling at 100% PMP. Blood was collected at rest, at the mid-point, at the end of exercise and at 30 and 60 min into recovery. In patients with CD, both types of exercise increased immune cells and GH and decreased IGF-I. Moderate intensity exercise induced a greater increase in leukocytes (p<0.05), neutrophils (p<0.05), lymphocytes (p<0.001), monocytes (p<0.05), IL-6 (p<0.05), IL-17 (p<0.05) and GH (p<0.05) and a similar decrease in IGF-I, compared with high intensity exercise. TNF-α did not change significantly with either exercise. Responses in patients were similar compared with controls; however, in patients monocytes remained elevated significantly longer in response to MICE. Youth with Crohn’s disease can engage in distinctly different types of exercise without a significant acute exacerbation of inflammation.
Diffusion tensor imaging study of the middle cerebellar peduncles in patients with schizophrenia

Recent evidence from neuroimaging studies suggests that neural dysfunction is involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a technique that has the potential to detect subtle disruptions of neural connectivity. Fractional anisotropy (FA), which is measured by DTI, is a measure of the directionality of diffusion anisotropy. Decrease in FA indicates abnormalities of white matter due to increased water diffusion accompanied by an increase in extracellular space. In the literature, previous studies reported that patients with schizophrenia showed widespread lower FA in the white matter. These findings suggest that patients with schizophrenia have microstructural lesions in the cerebral white matter. We used DTI to determine whether neural connectivity was disturbed in the middle cerebellar peduncles in schizophrenic subjects. We found a significant FA reduction in the middle cerebellar peduncle in patients with schizophrenia. Therefore, neural disconnectivity between the cerebellum and cerebrum was considered present in patients with schizophrenia and may be involved in the pathology of schizophrenia. This review provides current findings regarding DTI study on the cerebellar peduncle in patients with schizophrenia.
Directed epitope delivery across the Escherichia coli outer membrane through the porin OmpF

The porins OmpF and OmpC are trimeric β-barrel proteins with narrow channels running through each monomer that exclude molecules > 600 Da while mediating the passive diffusion of small nutrients and metabolites across the Gram-negative outer membrane (OM). Here, we elucidate the mechanism by which an entire soluble protein domain (> 6 kDa) is delivered through the lumen of such porins. Following high-affinity binding to the vitamin B12 receptor in Escherichia coli, the bacteriocin ColE9 recruits OmpF or OmpC using an 83-residue intrinsically unstructured translocation domain (IUTD) to deliver a 16-residue TolB-binding epitope (TBE) in the center of the IUTD to the periplasm where it triggers toxin entry. We demonstrate that the IUTD houses two OmpF-binding sites, OBS1 (residues 2–18) and OBS2 (residues 54–63), which flank the TBE and bind with Kds of 2 and 24 μM, respectively, at pH 6.5 and 25 ºC. We show the two OBSs share the same binding site on OmpF and that the colicin must house at least one of them for antibiotic activity. Finally, we report the structure of the OmpF-OBS1 complex that shows the colicin bound within the porin lumen spanning the membrane bilayer. Our study explains how colicins exploit porins to deliver epitope signals to the bacterial periplasm and, more broadly, how the inherent flexibility and narrow cross-sectional area of an IUP domain can endow it with the ability to traverse a biological membrane via the constricted lumen of a β-barrel membrane protein.
Involvement of host cellular multivesicular body functions in hepatitis B virus budding

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major human pathogen that chronically infects ≈350 million people, causing liver disease and liver cancer. HBV virions bud into an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated intracellular compartment, but the mechanisms of HBV assembly, budding, and release remain poorly understood. Budding of retroviruses and some other enveloped RNA viruses from plasma membranes requires host functions involved in protein sorting into late endosomal multivesicular bodies (MVBs). To determine whether budding of DNA-containing HBV virions at intracellular membranes also involves MVB functions, we used immunofluorescence to show that, in human hepatoma cells, HBV envelope protein colocalizes with MVB proteins AIP1/ALIX and VPS4B. We also found that a dominant negative (DN) AIP1 mutant inhibited production and/or release of enveloped virions without significant effects on intracellular nucleocapsid formation, whereas DN VPS4B inhibited both nucleocapsid production and budding. By contrast, DN AIP1 and VPS4 had no effect on the efficiency of release of enveloped, nucleocapsid-lacking HBV subviral particles, which are produced in vast excess over virions, and dramatically increased the release of unenveloped, naked nucleocapsids by an apparently nonlytic route. Thus, host MVB functions are required for efficient budding and release of enveloped HBV virions and may be a valuable target for HBV control. Moreover, HBV enveloped virions, enveloped subviral particles, and unenveloped nucleocapsids are all released by distinct pathways with separate host factor requirements.
DIFERENCIAS SALARIALES ENTRE EL EMPLEO A TIEMPO COMPLETO Y PARCIAL

El principal objetivo de este trabajo es estimar las diferencias salariales entre los trabajadores a tiempo completo y a tiempo parcial, descompo- niendo dichas diferencias entre los factores que mas contribuyen a expli- carlas. A partir de los microdatos del Panel de Hogares de la Union Eu- ropea y utilizando una muestra ampliada para el ano 2000 y otra para el periodo 1995-2000, se estiman de forma separada para hombres y muje- res una ecuacion de salarios para cada tipo de jornada ambas corregidas por el sesgo de seleccion a traves del metodo de estimacion en dos eta- pas de Heckman. Los resultados obtenidos indican que una gran parte de la diferencia salarial entre el empleo a tiempo completo y a tiempo par- cial es explicada por las diferencias en sus caracteristicas, en particular por las diferencias en experiencia laboral, estado civil y antiguedad en la empresa para los hombres, y en ocupacion, tipo de contrato y nivel edu- cativo para las mujeres. Sin embargo, las diferencias en los rendimientos contribuyen a reducir el diferencial salarial para los hombres y las muje- res, lo que implica rechazar la existencia de una discriminacion salarial hacia el trabajador a tiempo parcial. Palabras clave: Empleo a tiempo parcial, diferencias salariales, sesgo de seleccion.
The Cash Flow/investment Relationship: Evidence from U.S. Manufacturing Firms

This paper explores reasons for the strong relationship between cash flow and capital investment spending. The equilibrium level of Tobin's q is used to distinguish between liquidity constraints arising from asymmetric information and managerial over-investment of free cash flow. Results suggest that both the Jensen (1986) free cash flow and the Myers and Majluf (1984) pecking order hypotheses are potential explanations for the investment/cash flow relationship. Free cash flow behavior appears to arise most strongly in large, low-dividend firms when they invest in tangible assets. Pecking order behavior appears to arise in smaller, low-dividend firms and in firms making less tangible investments.
Willingness to Pay in China's New Cooperative Medical System

Household survey data from China is used to analyze the determinants of households' willingness to pay to participate in the New Cooperative Medical System (NCMS). Wealthier households, households with at least one member who has been treated as an inpatient, and households in counties where NCMS is already established are willing to pay more for the program. Households who carry other forms of insurance, however, have a lower willingness to pay for the NCMS. We also find that the participation fee could be increased substantially to increase the size of the risk pool while scarcely affecting participation rates.
A Review of MIS Research and Disciplinary Development

Abstract:The current study focuses on the development of MIS as a field of research and inquiry and examines its intellectual evolution. These issues are addressed through a systematic examination and analysis of 908 MIS articles published between 1968 and 1988 in eight core journals. The articles were analyzed for themes, topics. and research approach. The findings identify popular research topics. the dominant research perspective, and the relationship between MIS research and practice. The popular research topics consist of: IS management, information systems types and characteristics, and development and operation of systems. The dominant research perspective employed in almost all of the empirical articles included in the study can be characterized as a traditional approach reflecting a positivist orientation.
The information gap in annual reports

Following radical restructuring of the electricity industry in New Zealand since 1987, the government adopted a “light‐handed” regulatory regime that used market‐based methods involving competition and transparent accountability. This accountability is in part discharged through the provision of information in the corporate annual report. To assess the quality of that communication, a disclosure index was developed and applied to the annual reports of the 33 electricity retail and distribution companies which comprise the entire industry in New Zealand. The index was developed using the ideas and opinions of 15 experts representing broad stakeholder groups. This paper compares the resulting scores for the extent and quality of each index item with the level of importance of those items as stated by the panel. Many items are not adequately disclosed, resulting in an information gap between stakeholders’ expectations and the disclosures provided by the electricity companies. This paper identifies the items and the detail about them needed to close that gap.
Anti-inflammatory Efficiency of Ankaferd Blood Stopper in Experimental Distal Colitis Model

Background/Aim: Ankaferd blood stopper (ABS) is a herbal extract that enhances mucosal healing. In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficiency of ABS in the treatment of experimental distal colitis. Materials and Methods: Twenty one male albino rats were divided into three groups: Sham control (Group 1), colitis induced by acetic acid and treated with saline (Group 2), colitis induced by acetic acid and treated with ABS (Group 3). At end of the 7th day of induction, all the rats were lightly anesthetized with intramuscular ketamine (8 mg/kg) and thereafter laparotomy and total colectomy were performed. The distal colon segment was assessed macroscopically and microscopically. In addition malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and nitric oxide (NO) levels of the colonic tissue and changes in body weight were measured. Results: The MDA and NO levels of the colonic tissues and weight loss were significantly higher in Group 2 compared to Group 1 and Group 3. Microscopic and macroscopic damage scores were significantly higher in Group 2 and Group 3 than Group 1 (P: 0.001, P: 0.004, respectively). Although the microscopic and macroscopic damage scores in Group 3 were slightly lower than Group 2, the difference was not statistically significant. The SOD levels of the colonic tissues were not different between the three groups. Conclusion: Weight alterations and high-levels of the colonic tissue MDA and NO suggested that ABS might have anti-inflammatory effects on experimental distal colitis. However, this suggestion was not supported by histopathological findings.