Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CORRELATION BETWEEN EXTERNAL EXPOSURE AND ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING 131I THYROID CANCER THERAPY

The uptake and clearance of 131I activity for inpatients undergoing cancer therapy were determined from routine external dose survey measurements. A bi-exponential behavior was found, with the two time constants representing the iodine dynamics in the thyroid on one hand and in the rest of the body on the other. The external dose at 1 m from the patient was correlated to the activity in the thyroid remnant and inside the body, the averaged value being 52.8 ± 11.4 &mgr;Sv GBq−1 h−1. The temporal evolution of activity in the body, the urinary system and the thyroid remnant area were determined taking into account the clearance from thyroid and whole body (effective retention constants averages 0.23 ± 0.14 d−1 and 1.46 ± 0.34 d−1) and the uptake in thyroid (3.15 ± 3.36%). Applications of this study in the public and environmental radiation protection areas are presented.
Attitudes of Prospective Human Resource Personnel towards Distance Learning Degrees

This study investigated the attitudes of Prospective Human Resource Personnel toward degrees obtained by distance learning in comparison to those obtained through conventional degree program. Using a cross-sectional survey design, a total of 215 postgraduates students who had been or had potentials to be involved in the hiring process in their organizations participated in this study. Research findings showed less favorable attitudes to degrees obtained via distance learning. Results also showed significant differences in perceived employment utility between comparable degrees obtained via distance learning and those obtained via conventional degree program. Gender, work experience, age and knowing distance learning graduates did not have significant effects on respondents’ attitudes. Type of education (HND vs B.Sc ) however had a significant effect on perceived utility of degree for gaining employment and achieving success on the job.
Questioning the ‘big assumptions’. Part II: recognizing organizational contradictions that impede institutional change

Background Well‐designed medical curriculum reforms can fall short of their primary objectives during implementation when unanticipated or unaddressed organizational resistance surfaces. This typically occurs if the agents for change ignore faculty concerns during the planning stage or when the provision of essential institutional safeguards to support new behaviors are neglected. Disappointing outcomes in curriculum reforms then result in the perpetuation of or reversion to the Status quo despite the loftiest of goals.
Analysis of the Pore of the Unusual Major Intrinsic Protein Channel, Yeast Fps1p*

Fps1p is a glycerol efflux channel fromSaccharomyces cerevisiae. In this atypical major intrinsic protein neither of the signature NPA motifs of the family, which are part of the pore, is preserved. To understand the functional consequences of this feature, we analyzed the pseudo-NPA motifs of Fps1p by site-directed mutagenesis and assayed the resultant mutant proteins in vivo. In addition, we took advantage of the fact that the closest bacterial homolog of Fps1p, Escherichia coli GlpF, can be functionally expressed in yeast, thus enabling the analysis in yeast cells of mutations that make this typical major intrinsic protein more similar to Fps1p. We observed that mutations made in Fps1p to “restore” the signature NPA motifs did not substantially affect channel function. In contrast, when GlpF was mutated to resemble Fps1p, all mutants had reduced activity compared with wild type. We rationalized these data by constructing models of one GlpF mutant and of the transmembrane core of Fps1p. Our model predicts that the pore of Fps1p is more flexible than that of GlpF. We discuss the fact that this may accommodate the divergent NPA motifs of Fps1p and that the different pore structures of Fps1p and GlpF may reflect the physiological roles of the two glycerol facilitators.
Human regulatory T cells and their role in autoimmune disease

Summary: As self‐recognition is fundamental to the efficient operation of the immune system, a number of mechanisms have evolved to keep this potential pathologic self‐reactivity in check. Thus, even though the majority of strongly self‐reactive T cells are deleted in the thymus during T‐cell maturation, a number of mature T cells that recognize self‐antigens can be found in the peripheral circulation in healthy individuals as well as in patients with autoimmune disease. These self‐reactive cells are kept in a non‐responsive state in healthy individuals while they appear to be involved in the etiology of a number of autoimmune diseases in patients. The primary role of a relatively recently identified T‐cell population, referred to as natural CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells, is to modulate the activity of these self‐reactive cells. Although it is still unclear how these regulatory cells function, they can inhibit the activation of other potentially pathologic T cells in in vitro assays. Using such assays, regulatory T cells isolated from patients with a number of autoimmune diseases have been shown to exhibit reduced inhibitory function as compared with those isolated from healthy individuals. In this review, we discuss human natural regulatory T cells, what is known about their function, and their associations with specific autoimmune diseases.
Pregnancy‐induced sympathetic overactivity: a precursor of preeclampsia *

Background Preeclampsia has been shown to constitute a state of sympathetic overactivity. However, it remains unclear if the sympathetic activity precedes preeclampsia or represents only a secondary phenomenon. To further investigate this issue, we performed a prospective study in pregnant women considered to be at increased risk for preeclampsia owing to preeclampsia during a preceding pregnancy.
Thoracic Stent Graft Implantation for Aortic Coarctation with Patent Ductus Arteriosus via Retroperitoneal Iliac Approach in the Presence of Small Sized Femoral Artery

Endovascular stent graft implantation is a favorable method for complex aortic coarctation accompanied by patent ductus arteriosus. Herein, an 18-year-old woman with complex aortic coarctation and patent ductus arteriosus was successfully treated by endovascular thoracic stent graft via retroperitoneal approach. The reason for retroperitoneal iliac approach was small sized common femoral arteries which were not suitable for stent graft passage. This case is the first aortic coarctation plus patent ductus arteriosus case described in the literature which is treated by endovascular thoracic stent graft via retroperitoneal approach.
Effect of heat stress on acid-base balance in Polish Merino sheep

Abstract. Effect of heat stress on changes in acid-base balance, physiological parameters and cortisol level were evaluated in Polish Merino sheep. Fifteen sheep were exposed to high temperature conditions (30 °C) in order to induce heat stress. All environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity and air movement were monitored. A decrease of partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in blood and concentration of total CO2 (tCO2) and an increase of pO2 were observed. The cortisol level also significantly increased. In the next stage of the experiment the soothing effect of air movement was examined. An increased air movement led to reduction of thermal stress. An increase in pCO2 and decrease in cortisol level were observed. The study showed that heat stress leads to changes in acid base balance and cortisol secretion. Air movement has a soothing effect on heat stress in Polish Merino sheep.
Working Through the Patent Problem

Interviews with personnel from firms, universities, and other organizations indicate that biomedical research typically proceeds despite challenges posed by a growing number of patents on research tools. Respondents address these challenges with licensing, inventing around patents, going offshore, the development and use of public databases and research tools, court challenges, and simply using the technology without a license (i.e., infringement), often informally invoking a de facto broad "research exemption. "
Effect of chirality on buckling behavior of single-walled carbon nanotubes

In this paper, molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) are performed on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in order to study the effects of chirality on their buckling behavior under axial compression. In the MDS, the Tersoff-Brenner potential is used to describe the interaction of carbon atoms in the SWCNTs. The sensitivity of the buckling strains and buckling modes with respect to the chirality of SWCNT is investigated by modeling SWCNTs with different chiral angles, varying from 0° to 30°, but keeping the length-to-diameter ratio constant. The carbon nanotubes are also analyzed using a continuum cylindrical shell model based on the theory of nonlocal elasticity so as to assess its validity in predicting the buckling strains when compared with the results that are obtained by MDS. The differences between the buckling strains at the continuum scale and that at the nanoscale are also studied. The present analysis and results are helpful in understanding the buckling behaviors of axially compressed carbo.
Multiple DNA Extractions Coupled with Stable-Isotope Probing of Anthracene-Degrading Bacteria in Contaminated Soil

ABSTRACT In many of the DNA-based stable-isotope probing (SIP) studies published to date in which soil communities were investigated, a single DNA extraction was performed on the soil sample, usually using a commercial DNA extraction kit, prior to recovering the 13C-labeled (heavy) DNA by density-gradient ultracentrifugation. Recent evidence suggests, however, that a single extraction of a soil sample may not lead to representative recovery of DNA from all of the organisms in the sample. To determine whether multiple DNA extractions would affect the DNA yield, the eubacterial 16S rRNA gene copy number, or the identification of anthracene-degrading bacteria, we performed seven successive DNA extractions on the same aliquot of contaminated soil either untreated or enriched with [U-13C]anthracene. Multiple extractions were necessary to maximize the DNA yield and 16S rRNA gene copy number from both untreated and anthracene-enriched soil samples. Sequences within the order Sphingomonadales, but unrelated to any previously described genus, dominated the 16S rRNA gene clone libraries derived from 13C-enriched DNA and were designated “anthracene group 1. ” Sequences clustering with Variovorax spp. , which were also highly represented, and sequences related to the genus Pigmentiphaga were newly associated with anthracene degradation. The bacterial groups collectively identified across all seven extracts were all recovered in the first extract, although quantitative PCR analysis of SIP-identified groups revealed quantitative differences in extraction patterns. These results suggest that performing multiple DNA extractions on soil samples improves the extractable DNA yield and the number of quantifiable eubacterial 16S rRNA gene copies but have little qualitative effect on the identification of the bacterial groups associated with the degradation of a given carbon source by SIP.
Product Choice and the Importance of Aesthetic Design Given the Emotion-laden Trade-off between Sustainability and Functional Performance

This paper investigates the trade-off decision that consumers face when choosing between a product that is perceived to be more sustainable (i.e., more socially and environmentally responsible) and another product that instead is perceived to offer superior functional performance. Prior research has demonstrated that consumers often believe that there is a trade-off between sustainability and performance, and in some cases, this trade-off may be real and not just perceived. The objectives of the current research are to understand the mediators and moderators of this trade-off choice and to illustrate one specific way in which to use this understanding to promote the consumption of relatively more sustainable products despite a perceived performance trade-off. Two separate studies were conducted. The first employed a student-based sample, whereas the second employed a nationally representative online sample. In both studies, participants were presented with a choice between two consumer products. One product was depicted as having superior sustainability characteristics (and average functional performance), and the other product was depicted as having superior functional performance (and average sustainability characteristics). Participants were asked to imagine that they were leaning toward choosing one product over the other, and then rated the degree to which they were feeling a set of possible emotions. Following these ratings, participants chose one of the products. The results suggest that consumers presented with such a trade-off will tend to choose the product with superior functional performance over the product with superior sustainability characteristics, due to feelings of distress, until a minimum threshold of functional performance is achieved. The current research also shows that choice given this trade-off depends upon the degree to which consumers value sustainability that, in turn, is mediated by consumers’ feelings of confidence and guilt. Further, based on an understanding of the emotions mediating choice in this context, the authors demonstrate how the effective use of product aesthetic design can improve the relative choice likelihood of sustainable products. Specifically, the authors demonstrate that superior aesthetic design has a disproportionately positive effect on the choice likelihood of sustainability-advantaged (versus performance-advantaged) products due to the effect that superior aesthetic design has on overcoming the potential lack of confidence in sustainable products. These findings highlight the specific value of aesthetic product design in the context of marketing sustainable products and suggest that it is especially important for firms interested in marketing sustainable products to also develop market-leading product aesthetic design capabilities.
Various Shapes of Soft Palate: A Lateral Cephalometric Study

Objective: Though the soft palate presents with varied morphology, very few studies have described its diversity. The aim of our study was to investigate various shapes of soft palate in normal individuals. Methods: The study comprised of 80 individuals requiring orthodontic treatment but without any speech abnormality, whose age ranged from 9 to 31 years. Velar shape was examined on digital lateral cephalograms and was allocated to one of the six patterns as described by You M et al. The difference in proportion of each type and also difference between genders were studied. Results: The normal soft palate can be classified into six types based on its shape. Type 2—rat-tail shape is most common in both the genders. There is no significant difference in proportion of various shapes of soft palate between genders. Conclusion: Soft palate may have variable morphology. Knowledge of varied spectrum of velar morphology may help in successful functional and structural repair in cleft palate cases, and shed some light towards the causes of obstructive sleep apnea and related disorders.
Self-care ability among home-dwelling older people in rural areas in southern Norway.

INTRODUCTION The growing number of older people is assumed to represent many challenges in the future. Self-care ability is a crucial health resource in older people and may be a decisive factor for older people managing daily life in their own homes. Studies have shown that self-care ability is closely related to perceived health, sense of coherence and nutritional risk. AIM The aim of this study was to describe self-care ability among home-dwelling older individuals living in rural areas in southern Norway and to relate the results to general living conditions, sense of coherence, screened nutritional state, perceived health, mental health and perceived life situation. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was carried out in rural areas in five counties in 2010. A mailed questionnaire, containing background variables, health-related questions and five instruments, was sent to a randomly selected sample of 3017 older people (65+ years), and 1050 respondents were included in the study. Data were analysed with statistical methods. RESULTS A total of 780 persons were found to have higher self-care ability and 240 to have lower self-care ability using the Self-care Ability Scale for the Elderly. Self-care ability was found to be closely related to health-related issues, self-care agency, sense of coherence, nutritional state and mental health, former profession, and type of dwelling. Predictors for high self-care ability were to have higher self-care agency, not receiving family help, having low risk for undernutrition, not perceiving helplessness, being able to prepare food, being active and having lower age. CONCLUSIONS When self-care ability is reduced in older people, caregivers have to be aware about how this can be expressed and also be aware of their responsibility for identifying and mapping needs for appropriate support and help, and preventing unnecessary and unwanted dependency.
Young Firms' Growth in High-Tech Sectors: The Role of Founders' Human Capital

The aim of this paper is to analyze empirically the relation between the human capital of the founding team and the growth of new technology-based firms through the estimates of econometric models. For this purpose, we take advantage of a new data set relating to a sample composed of 391 young Italian firms that operate in high-tech industries in both manufacturing and services. In particular, due to a detailed description of the personal characteristics of firms’ founders, we are able to disentangle the “wealth” and “entrepreneurial ability” effects of human capital. We also investigate the nature of the synergies that eventually arise from the presence within the founding team of complementary industry-specific professional skills.
Sympathetic nervous system overactivity in hypertensive patients with chronic renal failure--role of upright body position.

OBJECTIVE The renal functional consequences of an activated sympathetic nervous system and plasma atrial natriuretic hormone (ANP) in various renal diseases are not well described. We hypothesize that norepinephrine (NE) and ANP have antagonizing effects on renal hemodynamics in diseased kidneys. MATERIAL AND METHODS Plasma NE, ANP. glomerular filtration rate (GFR), effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured in the upright position in healthy controls (n = 9) and hypertensive patients with reduced GFR (n =11). The same parameters were compared between healthy controls (n = 6) and hypertensive patients with reduced GFR (n = 6) in upright and supine positions. RESULTS Upright plasma NE and ANP were significantly elevated in the patients compared with the controls (4.4 +/- 0.4 vs 2.1 +/- 0.2 nmol/l (p < 0.001) and 1.3. 5 +/- 2.1 vs 6.9 +/- 1.0 nmol/l (p < 0.01) respectively). With change from upright to supine position plasma NE decreased in the controls (2.2 +/- 0.3 vs 1.7 +/- 0.3 nmol/l) (p < 0.01) and patients (3.8 +/- 0.4 vs 2.6 +/- 0.4) (p < 0.01). Supine ANP increased in controls (5.5 +/- 1.0 vs 8.3 +/- 1.1) (p < 0.01) but not in patients (14.3 +/- 3.8 vs 16.1 +/- 3.8 nmol/l) (p > 0.10). Plasma NE correlated positively with MAP (p < 0.001) and negatively with GFR (p < 0.01) in the upright but not supine position. A positive correlation between NE and ANP was observed in upright (p < 0.001) but not in supine position. ANP correlated negatively with GFR in the upright (p < 0.01) but not supine position. No position dependent changes were seen in GFR and ERPF, but supine filtration fraction (FF) increased insignificantly in the patient group (0.23 +/- 0.02 vs 0.24 +/- 0.02) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION Hypertensive patients with reduced GFR have elevated levels of plasma NE and ANP in the upright body position. When the upright and supine positions are compared, plasma NE declines in the supine position in controls and hypertensive renal failure patients. and plasma ANP levels are elevated only in the upright position in hypertensive renal failure patients where the sympathetic nervous system is activated. A significant positive relationship between plasma NE and ANP was observed only in the upright position. The upright body position seems superior to recumbency in the characterization of these hormonal changes in hypertensive chronic renal failure patients.
Dental Amalgam Fillings and the Amount of Organic Mercury in Human Saliva

We studied differences in the amounts of organic and inorganic mercury in saliva samples between amalgam and nonamalgam human study groups. The amount of organic and inorganic mercury in whole saliva was measured in 187 adult study subjects. The mercury contents were determined by cold–vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. The amount of organic and inorganic mercury in paraffin–stimulated saliva was significantly higher (p<0.001) in subjects with dental amalgam fillings (n = 88) compared to the nonamalgam study groups (n = 43 and n = 56): loge (organic mercury) was linearly related to loge (inorganic mercury, r2 = 0.52). Spearman correlation coefficients of inorganic and organic mercury concentrations with the number of amalgam–filled tooth surfaces were 0.46 and 0.27, respectively. Our results are compatible with the hypothesis that amalgam fillings may be a continuous source of organic mercury, which is more toxic than inorganic mercury, and almost completely absorbed by the human intestine.
Oxytocin versus dinoprostone vaginal insert for induction of labor after previous cesarean section: a retrospective comparative study

Abstract Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of two methods for induction of labor after previous cesarean section. Methods: To compare 247 women with a previous cesarean section who were induced with a dinoprostone vaginal insert and 279 women with a previous cesarean section induced with oxytocin, between 2001 and 2008. We evaluated vaginal delivery rate, maternal morbidity and newborn morbidity and mortality. Results: The overall rate of vaginal delivery was 65.2%. We did not find significant differences between induction with dinoprostone vaginal insert and oxytocin in the rate of cesarean section performed (35.6% vs. 34.1%, P=0.71). There were nine cases of uterine rupture (rate of 1.7%), of which four occurred with dinoprostone vaginal insert and five when using oxytocin (P=0.89). We found no significant differences in neonatal outcomes. Conclusions: Both tested methods appear to be equally safe and effective for induction of labor in women with a previous cesarean section.
Decomposing Fees Paid to Audit Firms -- Assessing Knowledge Spillovers and Independence

We extend prior studies (e.g., Whisenant et al., 2003; Krishnan and Yu, 2011; Chan et al., 2012) by explicitly utilizing a stringent decomposition of total fee paid for audit services and other services in a sample of listed non-financial Danish companies. When controlling for the joint determination of fees pertaining to the statutory audit and non-audit services, we find support for the existence of positive knowledge spillover from non-audit to audit and the possible independence problems related to this economic bonding. In terms of the non-audit components, the knowledge spillover argument holds for tax services provided. Some support is also found for other services provided, but not for the provision of audit-related services. We also consider the implication of new regulation of the provision of non-audit services in EU countries. From the perspective of maintaining independence, there will be no apparent conflict with continued allowance to provide audit-related services. Prohibiting most tax services and a wide array of other services could have detrimental effect on potential knowledge spillover benefits, while our findings also suggest that the potential for economic bonding could be constrained.