Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The relationship of soluble ICAM-1, VCAM-1, P-selectin and E-selectin to cardiovascular disease risk factors in healthy men and women

Background : Clinical studies have shown that elevated serum concentrations of cell adhesion molecules such as inter-cellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), E-selectin (ESEL) and P-selectin (PSEL) may be independent risk factors for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Less is known of the relationship of these inflammatory markers with established CVD risk factors in healthy individuals, particularly women. Objective : The aim of this study was to examine cross-sectional relationships between the concentrations of soluble adhesion molecules (sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, sPSEL and sESEL) and smoking behaviour, body composition, blood pressure, serum lipids and physical activity in a large sample of healthy men and women, with special emphasis on interactions between smoking and other CVD risk factors. Subjects : The analysis included 592 healthy white adults aged 18-82 years. Results : There were no sex differences in the concentrations of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and sPSEL, but men had higher sESEL levels than women ( p < 0.0001). Male and female smokers had higher sICAM-1 and sESEL levels than non-smokers and soluble cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) were correlated with the pack-years of cigarette smoking ( r = 0.3 0.4, p < 0.0001, significant in women only). Significant independent associations were found between soluble CAMs and smoking, waist-hip ratio (WHR), blood pressure, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol. Furthermore, significant interaction effects were found in women, such that the relationship between CAMs and lipid concentrations and WHR were stronger in smokers than non-smokers. In conclusion, the concentration of soluble CAMs, particularly sICAM-1 and sESEL, reflect the level of established CVD risk factors in apparently healthy men and women, adding to the evidence that these factors contribute to CVD through their inflammatory effects on the vascular endothelium.
Analisa Pengaruh Citra Merek (Brand Image) Dan Kepercayaan Merek (Brand Trust) Terhadap Loyalitas Merek (Brand Loyalty) ADES PT. Ades Alfindo Putra Setia

This study aims to explain the variable brand image and brand trust that affect brand loyalty ADES PT. Ades Alfindo Putra Setia. This type of research in this study include causal research, which is a research finding and describing the relationship (cause and effect). The population of retailer ADES PT Ades Alfindo Putra Setia. Data collection techniques using observational methods by distributing questionnaires. Types and sources of data using primary data. The results of this study variables brand image is a significant positive effect on brand loyalty, brand trust affects brand loyalty, brand image and significant effect on brand trust.
Clindamycin Vaginal Cream Versus Oral Metronidazole in the Treatment of Bacterial Vaginosis: A Prospective Double‐Blind Clinical Trial

Bacterial vaginosis is common among patients seen by gynecologists. Several types of therapy have been proposed. The purpose of this prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial was to examine the efficacy of clindamycin vaginal cream for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis. Sixty patients with symptoms of bacterial vaginosis were randomized into the study, and 46 completed the protocol. Twenty-three patients received 2% clindamycin vaginal cream (5 g applied intravaginally at bedtime for 7 days), with placebo oral tablets twice daily for 7 days. The other 23 patients received oral metronidazole tablets (500 mg twice a day for 7 days) and placebo vaginal cream (5 g intravaginally for 7 days). The cure rates for the two regimens were comparable. Twenty-two (97%) of the patients treated with clindamycin vaginal cream had improvement or cure at the first follow-up visit versus 19 (83%) of those taking metronidazole. There was no statistically significant difference between the two results. Side effects for both regimens were comparable. We conclude that 2% clindamycin vaginal cream offers similar efficacy and safety to standard oral metronidazole therapy for bacterial vaginosis.
Reduced Amino Acid Specificity of Mammalian Tyrosyl-tRNA Synthetase Is Associated with Elevated Mistranslation of Tyr Codons*

Background: Translation of Tyr codons is highly prone to Phe misincorporation during amino acid limitation in CHO cells. Results: CHO TyrRS is error-prone and readily aminoacylates tRNATyr with Phe. Conclusion: Mammalian TyrRS has evolved to be significantly less accurate than its bacterial counterpart. Significance: Different evolutionary constraints determine the accuracy of translation quality control in eukaryotes and bacteria. Quality control operates at different steps in translation to limit errors to approximately one mistranslated codon per 10,000 codons during mRNA-directed protein synthesis. Recent studies have suggested that error rates may actually vary considerably during translation under different growth conditions. Here we examined the misincorporation of Phe at Tyr codons during synthesis of a recombinant antibody produced in tyrosine-limited Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Tyr to Phe replacements were previously found to occur throughout the antibody at a rate of up to 0.7% irrespective of the identity or context of the Tyr codon translated. Despite this comparatively high mistranslation rate, no significant change in cellular viability was observed. Monitoring of Phe and Tyr levels revealed that changes in error rates correlated with changes in amino acid pools, suggesting that mischarging of tRNATyr with noncognate Phe by tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase was responsible for mistranslation. Steady-state kinetic analyses of CHO cytoplasmic tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase revealed a 25-fold lower specificity for Tyr over Phe as compared with previously characterized bacterial enzymes, consistent with the observed increase in translation error rates during tyrosine limitation. Functional comparisons of mammalian and bacterial tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase revealed key differences at residues responsible for amino acid recognition, highlighting differences in evolutionary constraints for translation quality control.
Mutation of a Protease-sensitive Region in Firefly Luciferase Alters Light Emission Properties*

Luciferase (EC 1.13.12.7) from the North American firefly, Photinus pyralis, is widely used as a reporter enzyme in cell biology. One of its distinctive properties is a pronounced susceptibility to proteolytic degradation that causes luciferase to have a very short intracellular half-life. To define the structural basis for this behavior and possibly facilitate the design of more stable forms of luciferase, limited proteolysis studies were undertaken using trypsin and chymotrypsin to identify regions of the protein whose accessible and flexible character rendered them especially sensitive to cleavage. Regions of amino acid sequence 206–220 and 329–341 were found to be sensitive, and because the region around 206–220 had high homology with other luciferases, CoA ligases, and peptidyl synthetases, this region was selected for mutagenesis experiments intended to determine which of its amino acids were essential for activity. Surprisingly, many highly conserved residues including Ser198, Ser201, Thr202, and Gly203 could be mutated with little effect on the luminescent activity of P. pyralisluciferase. One mutation, however, S198T, caused several alterations in enzymatic properties including shifting the pH optimum from 8.1 to 8.7, lowering the K m for Mg-ATP by a factor of 4 and increasing the half-time for light emission decay by a factor of up to 150. While the S198T luciferase was less active than wild type, activity could be restored by the introduction of the additional L194F and N197Y mutations. In addition to indicating the involvement of this region in ATP binding, these results provide a new form of the enzyme that affords a more versatile reporter system.
Comparative Analyses of Smear Layer Removal Using Four Different Irrigant Solutions in the Primary Root Canals - A Scanning Electron Microscopic Study.

INTRODUCTION A clinician's path to success is a clean root canal system with three dimensional seal. Mechanical instrumentation of root canals alone leaves behind a smear layer covering the dentinal walls. Instrumentation must always be supported by use of irrigants which are considered as an essential prerequisite for root canal debridement. AIM The aim of this in vitro study was to compare the efficacy of four irrigating solutions in removing the smear layer in primary root canals after hand instrumentation. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total number of 40 human primary incisors were decoronated and split longitudinally. The specimens were divided randomly into four groups (n=10): Group I: 5.25% Sodium Hypochloride (NaOCl), Group II: 6% citric acid solution, Group III: smear clear and Group IV: 0.2% chitosan. Scanning electron microscopic analysis was performed to assess the presence or absence of smear layer at the coronal, middle and the apical portion of each canal. The data was analysed using Stastical Package For Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19.0 Armonk, NY IBM Corp soft ware. RESULTS The pictures from the scanning electron microscopy showed that Group II exhibited better efficacy in removing smear layer without altering the normal dentinal structures with lowest mean scores (p<0.001) followed by Group III, Group IV and Group I. The presence of debris was more evident in the apical third rather than in the middle and the coronal part of the root canal. CONCLUSION A 6% citric acid removed the smear layer more efficiently than other test irrigants in primary root canals.
Pipeline vectorization for reconfigurable systems

This paper presents pipeline vectorization, a method for synthesizing hardware pipelines in reconfigurable systems based on software vectorizing compilers. The method improves efficiency and ease of development of reconfigurable designs, particularly for users with little electronics design experience. We propose several loop transformations to customize pipelines to meet hardware resource constraints, while maximising available parallelism. For ran-time reconfigurable systems, we apply hardware specialization to increase circuit utilization. Our approach is especially effective for highly repetitive computations in DSP and multimedia applications. Case studies using FPGA-based platforms are presented to demonstrate the benefits of our approach and to evaluate trade-offs between alternative implementations. The loop tiling transformation, for instance, has been found to improve performance by 30 to 40 times above a PC-based software implementation, depending on whether run-time reconfiguration is used.
Pneumocystis jirovecii in pleural infection: a nucleic acid amplification study

Pleural infection is associated with 20% mortality in the 80 000 new cases per year in the UK and USA. Streptococcus species cause ∼50% of community-acquired bacterial pleural infection.1 Staphylococcus aureus and anaerobes are isolated in 8% and 20% of cases, respectively, and 12% of pleural infections yield polymicrobial cultures. However, even using culture and nucleic acid amplification techniques (NAATs), 26% of cases remain microbiologically obscure. The negative microbiology may be due to previous antibiotic treatment, varying pathogen prevalence in different pleural fluid locules (already known to vary biochemically2) or the presence of organisms that are difficult to detect using conventional techniques. One such possible organism is Pneumocystis jirovecii , which requires specialist diagnostic techniques (eg, Grocott–Gomori methenamine silver staining or NAATs). P jirovecii has been identified in sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from both immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals—it has been isolated from BAL fluid using NAATs …
The Market for Electric Vehicles: Indirect Network Effects and Policy Design

The market for plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) exhibits indirect network effects due to the interdependence between EV adoption and charging station investment. Through a stylized model, we demonstrate that indirect network effects on both sides of the market lead to feedback loops that could alter the diffusion process of the new technology. Based on quarterly EV sales and charging station deployment in 353 metro areas from 2011 to 2013, our empirical analysis finds indirect network effects on both sides of the market, with those on the EV demand side being stronger. The federal income tax credit of up to $7,500 for EV buyers contributed to about 40% of EV sales during 2011–13, with feedback loops explaining 40% of that increase. A policy of equal-sized spending but subsidizing charging station deployment could have been more than twice as effective in promoting EV adoption.
Perspective: Ranking of the World's Top Innovation Management Scholars and Universities

This paper extends Jeffrey Thieme's article “The World's Top Innovation Management Scholars and Their Social Capital,” published in 2007 in JPIM, in which he made a ranking of the world's top innovation managements scholars. This paper makes four contributions. First, this paper includes data on innovation management from articles published in two leading innovation management journals and eight top management and marketing journals during past 20 years (1991–2010). Second, this paper classifies 1229 articles into 29 categories, revealing hot topics and future research directions. Third, this paper ranks 1718 innovation management scholars over a period of 20 years from 1991 to 2010. Fourth, this is the first time that 625 universities have been ranked in terms of their current faculty research capabilities in the field of innovation management. The empirical data from the past 20 years show that the world's top 10 innovation management scholars are: Michael Song (University of Missouri-Kansas City), Roger J. Calantone (Michigan State University), Erik Jan Hultink (Delft University of Technology), Mark E. Parry (University of Missouri-Kansas City), Kwaku Atuahene-Gima (China Europe International Business School), C. Anthony Di Benedetto (Temple University), Abbie Griffin (University of Utah), William E. Souder (Retired), Barry L. Bayus (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), and Christoph H. Loch (INSEAD). The world's top 10 innovation management universities are: University of Missouri-Kansas City, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, INSEAD, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Northeastern University, Texas A&M University, Stanford University, and Delft University of Technology.
Analytical and Experimental IP Encapsulation Efficiency Comparison of GSE, MPE, and ULE over DVB-S2

Transmitting variable-length network layer (IP) packets over satellite links with fixed frame lengths (or lengths depending on the ACM transmission mode) requires (IP) encapsulation. For DVB-S links with fixed-size 188-byte TS packets, MPE and ULE encapsulations are available. DVB-S2 provides a compatibility mode to pack TS packets into the longer base band frames (BBFrames). Thus MPE and ULE are also available for S2, as well as a native generic stream encapsulation (GSE), avoiding the double overhead of TS and BBFrame encapsulation. The present paper gives a short overview on the available encapsulation protocols for DVB-S2, and then provides a mathematical efficiency calculation model for these encapsulations, in order to allow for performing theoretical efficiency simulations. Comparison graphs of the efficiency values are presented, using both the efficiency models and measurements from real satellite traffic.
Aesthetic Dermatologic Treatments: Consensus from the Experts.

The number of aesthetic dermatology procedures carried out in the United States each year continues to increase. In 2013, more than 11 million surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures were carried out in the United States with total associated costs of more than $12 billion, $5 billion of which was spent on nonsurgical procedures.1 Nonsurgical cosmetic dermatology encompasses a variety of procedures known to be safe and effective. These procedures, including therapy with energy-based devices, neurotoxins, and dermal fillers, are increasingly utilized in combination approaches to improve outcomes. Although there is no national registry of procedures or efforts to promote the gathering of data on aesthetic procedures, a recent prospective cohort study (n=20,339 cosmetic procedures) evaluated the total incidence of procedure-related adverse events and found that such adverse events occurred in less than one percent of all cosmetic patients and most of these were minor and transient.2 During the 2015 Aesthetic & Medical Dermatology Symposia in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, six dermatology thought leaders convened for a roundtable meeting to discuss aesthetic treatments in dermatology. The primary objective of this meeting was to bring together a panel of experts in aesthetics to discuss a number of topics, including how to make an initial assessment of a prospective cosmetic dermatology patient; managing patient expectations; and selecting treatments based on lost volume, skin laxity, and fine lines and wrinkles. Fine lines around the lips, loss of border around the lips, and deflation or volume loss in the lips were also covered. Additionally, the panel discussed selecting products, combination therapy, aesthetic dermatology for the HIV patient, and psychosocial aspects of aesthetic dermatology. The roundtable discussion and this supplement were supported by Galderma.
Prognostic significance of pre-treatment neutrophil: lymphocyte ratio in Japanese patients with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND The neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been reported to reflect systemic inflammation and to have independent prognostic value for patients with various cancers. In this study, we analyzed the association between NLR and clinicopathological factors and verified the significance of NLR as a prognostic factor for Japanese patients with breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 167 Japanese female patients with stage I-III breast cancer were retrospectively recruited into this study. Associations with clinicopathological factors and NLR were assessed, and disease-free survival and breast cancer-specific survival were estimated. RESULTS In multivariate analysis, lymph node metastases and NLR were significantly associated with disease-free survival and breast cancer-specific survival. NLR was significantly higher in patients with lower body-mass index. CONCLUSION Preoperative NLR may be an independent prognostic factor for survival in Japanese patients with breast cancer. Reduction of body mass index has been implicated in NLR elevation, particularly in postmenopausal women.
Dual topoisomerase I/II inhibitors in cancer therapy.

While the majority of topoisomerase (topo) inhibitors show selectivity against either topo I or topo II, a small class of compounds can act against both enzymes. These can be divided into three classes. The first and largest class comprise drugs that bind to DNA by intercalation and include the clinically-evaluated acridine DACA, the benzopyridoindole intoplicine, the indenoquinolinone TAS-103, the benzophenazine XR11576, and the pyrazoloacridine NSC 366140. The second category comprises hybrid molecules, prepared by physically linking separate inhibitors of topo I and topo II, or by linking pure topo inhibitors to other DNA-interactive carriers. While several derivatives (e.g., camptothecin-epipodophyllotoxin and ellipticine-distamycin hybrids) have been prepared, there have been no detailed studies. The third category are less well defined as a structural class, but apparently recognize structural motifs that are present in both topo I and II enzymes. These include a series of benzoisoquinolinium quaternary salts such as NK 109, and more interestingly modified versions of classical topo I or topo II inhibitors; e.g., the modified camptothecin BN 80927 and the modified epipodophyllotoxin tafluposide (F-11782). There is as yet no detailed understanding of the factors that result in selective or dual inhibition, but structure-activity studies in several classes show that structural changes can influence topo I/II selectivity. DNA intercalation mode also appears to play a part. The basis for the high antitumor activity of some topo inhibitors is not yet understood but may depend on the complex pattern of activities that include both inhibition and poisoning of the two enzymes.
Decreased grip strength, muscle pain, and atrophy occur in rats following long‐term exposure to excessive repetitive motion

Work‐related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) are caused by the overuse of muscles in the workplace. Performing repetitive tasks is a primary risk factor for the development of WMSD. Many workers in highly repetitive jobs exhibit muscle pain and decline in handgrip strength, yet the mechanisms underlying these dysfunctions are poorly understood. In our study, rats performed voluntary repetitive reaching and grasping tasks (Task group), while Control group rats did not perform these activities. In the Task group, grip strength and forearm flexor withdrawal threshold declined significantly from week 2 to week 6, compared with these values at week 0 (P < 0.05). Relative muscle weight and muscle fiber cross‐sectional area of flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) muscles decreased significantly in the Task group, compared with the Control group, at 6 weeks (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). Nerve growth factor, glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor, and tumor necrosis factor α‐expression in FDS muscles were not significantly different in Control and Task groups at 3 and 6 weeks. At 6 weeks, the Task group had elevated MuRF1 protein levels (P = 0.065) and significant overexpression of the autophagy‐related (Atg) proteins, Beclin1 and Atg5–Atg12, compared with in the Control group (both P < 0.05). These data suggested that long‐term exposure to excessive repetitive motion causes loss of grip strength, muscle pain, and skeletal muscle atrophy. Furthermore, this exposure may enhance protein degradation through both the ubiquitin‐proteasome and autophagy‐lysosome systems, thereby decreasing skeletal muscle mass.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Infants Exposed to Cocaine Prenatally: A Preliminary Report

ewe causes sympathetic stimulation with increased maternal mean arterial pressure and uterine vascular resistance and decreased uterine blood flow resulting in dose-dependent fetal hypoxemia, hypertension and tachycardia.3 Human newborns exposed to cocaine in utero demonstrate an increase in mean arterial blood pressure and cerebral blood flow velocity on the first day of life,’ suggesting an increased potential for cranial vascular injury. Further, infants exposed to cocaine prenatally may demonstrate cerebral infarction’ or transient EEG abnormalities com-
Strategic reactions of national brand manufacturers towards private labels: An empirical study in The Netherlands

In recent years, the quality of private label products and their market shares have grown to such an extent that most consumer goods manufacturers, brand leaders included, can not afford to ignore them. Private labels are, however, not just another generic competitor. The retailer that sells them is also an important account, and the issue includes the question: to produce private label or not? Several authors have recently suggested a number of effective strategies for leading national brand manufacturers against private labels. However, the empirical evidence for the strategies identified is scarce. Using a sample of 101 Dutch national brand manufacturers, we get a better understanding of the sets of strategies companies use. Using an inductive approach, we find four dominant profiles that are linked to performance and are discussed.