Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exhaled nitric oxide, susceptibility and new-onset asthma in the Children’s Health Study

A substantial body of evidence suggests an aetiological role of inflammation, and oxidative and nitrosative stress in asthma pathogenesis. Exhaled nitric oxide fraction (FeNO) may provide a noninvasive marker of oxidative and nitrosative stress, and aspects of airway inflammation. We examined whether children with elevated FeNO are at increased risk for new-onset asthma. We prospectively followed 2,206 asthma-free children (age 7–10 yrs) who participated in the Children’s Health Study. We measured FeNO and followed these children for 3 yrs to ascertain incident asthma cases. Cox proportional hazard models were fitted to examine the association between FeNO and new-onset asthma. We found that FeNO was associated with increased risk of new-onset asthma. Children in the highest FeNO quartile had more than a two-fold increased risk of new-onset asthma compared to those with the lowest quartile (hazard ratio 2.1, 95% CI 1.3–3.5). This effect did not vary with the child’s history of respiratory allergic symptoms. However, the effect of elevated FeNO on new-onset asthma was most apparent among those without a parental history of asthma. Our results indicate that children with elevated FeNO are at increased risk for new-onset asthma, especially if they have no parental history of asthma.
Binary and Millisecond Pulsars

We review the main properties, demographics and applications of binary and millisecond radio pulsars. Our knowledge of these exciting objects has greatly increased in recent years, mainly due to successful surveys which have brought the known pulsar population to over 1800. There are now 83 binary and millisecond pulsars associated with the disk of our Galaxy, and a further 140 pulsars in 26 of the Galactic globular clusters. Recent highlights include the discovery of the young relativistic binary system PSR J1906+0746, a rejuvination in globular cluster pulsar research including growing numbers of pulsars with masses in excess of 1.5 M⊙, a precise measurement of relativistic spin precession in the double pulsar system and a Galactic millisecond pulsar in an eccentric (e = 0.44) orbit around an unevolved companion.
European Patenting and the Size of Inventors

This paper presents the results of a survey on a regional sample of Italian inventors who, over the period 1991-2005, have submitted patent applications to the European Patent Office. The inventors' features and patenting activities are mainly examined according to the size of the firms they are working in. Compared to those coming from medium-large companies, `small inventors' (encompassing employees or owners of small firms and independent inventors) have a lower educational level, ascribe less importance to codified sources of knowledge and are less productive in terms of patent applications. However, by using forward citations and other indicators, it emerges that there is no difference in the average quality of patented inventions of the two groups. Nevertheless, one third of small inventors evaluates negatively its patenting experience, while it is true for only a tiny fraction of larger patentees. On the basis of further interviews, we find that the inventors' assessments are particularly influenced by their different capabilities to enforce intellectual property rights.
A Comparison of Lighted Stylet (Surch-Lite™) and Direct Laryngoscopic Intubation in Patients with High Mallampati Scores

BACKGROUND: A lighted stylet is an effective alternative to a direct laryngoscope and has been reported to be particularly useful in patients with difficult airways. A high Mallampati class indicates poor visibility of the oropharyngeal structures. Because a lighted stylet does not require direct oropharyngeal visualization, we hypothesized that the lighted stylet would be easier to use than a direct laryngoscope in patients with a high Mallampati score. To examine our hypothesis, we performed a prospective, randomized study comparing a lighted stylet (Surch-Lite™) with direct laryngoscopy in patients with high Mallampati scores. Success rate, time required for intubation, and hemodynamic changes were compared. METHODS: Mallampati Class III patients were enrolled and were randomly assigned to the Surch-Lite group (Group SL) or the direct laryngoscopy group (Group DL). Patients' tracheas were intubated with the randomly selected intubation device after induction of general anesthesia. Heart rate (HR) and mean arterial blood pressure were measured immediately before and every 30 s after intubation for 5 min. The time to intubation and success rate were recorded. Postoperative pharyngolaryngeal complaints were also assessed. RESULTS: Thirty patients were enrolled in each group. The success rate on the first attempt was significantly higher in Group SL (29 of 30) than in Group DL (24 of 30). The difference between maximal HR and baseline HR was significantly higher in Group DL (25 ± 13 bpm) than in Group SL (16 ± 10 bpm). The change in mean arterial blood pressure was also higher in Group DL (38 ± 14 mm Hg) than in Group SL (20 ± 13 mm Hg). The time to intubation was significantly shorter in Group SL (12 ± 6 s) than in Group DL (17 ± 12 s). Postoperative pharyngolaryngeal complaints were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The Surch-Lite showed a higher success rate on the first intubation attempt and produced an attenuated hemodynamic response to endotracheal intubation of patients with high Mallampati score. Thus, the Surch-Lite is an effective alternative to direct laryngoscopy in these patients.
Methamphetamine - Effects on Human Performance and Behavior.

Methamphetamine is a popular recreational drug that has also had some historical use as a therapeutic agent. Its effect profile is complex, with stimulant, alerting effects during acute low-dose administration, progressively more disorienting effects on cognition, reasoning, and psychomotor ability with increased dosing and duration of use, and a depressant-like profile during withdrawal, often compounded by delusions and psychotic episodes, especially after high-dose or chronic use. This manuscript reviews the synthetic, structural, and analytical chemistry of the drug; the pharmacology of its central and peripheral effects; its pharmacokinetics following various routes of administration and dosage regimens; and its pharmacodynamics in both acute and chronic administration and therapeutic and recreational doses, noting in particular its effects on judgment, decision making, risk-taking, cognition and psychomotor performance, and violence. Finally, the review considers the issue of how these various effects can impact driving ability and can contribute to impairment. From the material reviewed it is concluded that the use of methamphetamine in anything other than low-dose, therapeutic administration with medical oversight raises the likelihood of some impairment of performance in complex psychomotor tasks such as driving.
Very Late Pathological Responses to Cobalt–Chromium Everolimus‐Eluting, Stainless Steel Sirolimus‐Eluting, and Cobalt–Chromium Bare Metal Stents in Humans

Background The “very late” clinical outcomes for durable polymer drug‐eluting stents and bare metal stents (BMSs) have been shown to be dissimilar in clinical studies. Conceptually, the long‐term vascular compatibility of BMSs is still regarded to be superior to drug‐eluting stents; however, no pathologic study to date has specifically addressed this issue. We evaluated the very late (≥1 year) pathologic responses to durable polymer drug‐eluting stents (cobalt–chromium [CoCr] everolimus‐eluting stents [EESs] and stainless steel sirolimus‐eluting stents [SS‐SESs]) versus BMSs (CoCr‐BMSs). Methods and Results From the CVPath stent registry, we studied a total of 119 lesions (40 CoCr‐EESs, 44 SS‐SESs, 35 CoCr‐BMSs) from 92 autopsy cases with a duration ranging from 1 to 5 years. Sections of stented coronary segments were pathologically analyzed. Inflammation score and the percentage of struts with giant cells were lowest in CoCr‐EESs (median inflammation score: 0.6; median percentage of struts with giant cells: 3.8%) followed by CoCr‐BMSs (median inflammation score: 1.3 [P<0.01]; median percentage of struts with giant cells: 8.9% [P=0.02]) and SS‐SESs (median inflammation score: 1.7 [P<0.01]; median percentage of struts with giant cells: 15.3% [P<0.01]). Polymer delamination was observed exclusively in SS‐SESs and was associated with increased inflammatory and giant cell reactions. The prevalence of neoatherosclerosis with CoCr‐EESs (50%) was significantly less than with SS‐SESs (77%, P=0.02) but significantly greater than with CoCr‐BMSs (20%, P<0.01). Conclusions CoCr‐EESs, SS‐SESs, and BMSs each demonstrated distinct vascular responses. CoCr‐EESs demonstrated the least inflammation, near‐equivalent healing to BMSs, and lower neointimal formation. These results challenge the belief that BMSs have superior biocompatibility compared with some polymeric coated drug‐eluting stents and may have implications for future stent design.
Performance of Seasoned Equity Offerings in a Risk Adjusted Environment

This study will show that firms issuing seasoned equity have unique beta characteristics and that the beta itself has a very strong impact on the extent of post-issue underperformance. We develop a benchmark that accounts for such unique characteristic, and will subsequently measure the extent of the underperformance in light of a number of time definitions, including the 'real long-run' established to be in excess of the standard five-year time frame adopted by many writers. We shall further examine the impact of many extraneous factors on the attributes of post-issue performance. Finally, we will test whether the extent of initial issue underpricing bears an impact on the subsequent underperformance, which would then act as a mitigator of the issuing costs.
Factors influencing the airport customer experience: a case study of Auckland International Airport's customers

The aim of this study was to investigate the factors influencing the airport customer experience. Much current research and management effort on airports focuses on efficiency, effectiveness, speed of processing and rankings on international league tables. These measures seem to reward those airports which can best move the largest number of passengers and their luggage. The writer of this study believed that the ‘experience’ of the ‘airport customer’ (passengers and those meeting or farewelling them) is not being given sufficient prominence at a time when it is recognised that the ‘experience economy’ can add value and create customer loyalty. New Zealand’s largest airport was the case study location for this research, and 120 interviews were undertaken in the airport environment with people who were experiencing the airport, either as arriving or departing passengers, or those greeting or farewelling them. In addition, 10 interviews were undertaken with airport management to explore their perceptions of the airport customer experience. All interviews with airport customers were undertaken in the land-side food court area of the international terminal. A plan of the airport is provided in Appendix 2 to assist the reader in understanding the layout of the airport. The guided conversations were focused on encouraging participants to share their perspective of the airport customer experience in order to build on what is already known from the quantitative surveys of passengers which are the more common form of research into airports. Together with the above data, the writer also kept a detailed research diary with observations made over the course of the data gathering phase. Hermeneutics guided the interpretive process which resulted in a number of overarching themes or notions which form the basis of this study’s findings. These include processes, people, physical environment and ‘placeness’. However, the research also uncovered what the writer has termed a ‘personal travel philosophy’. There was a significant number of people who, despite delays and other obstacles to their travel plans, appeared to be remarkably content with their lot at the airport, and this term is used to describe that group. The research concludes with a proposed model of the airport customer experience addressing five aspects – physical environment, processing, people, placeness and personal travel philosophy – and provides recommendations for airport management and opportunities for further academic research both in airports and in congruous areas
The Effects of Capital Structure Decisions on FirmPerformance: Evidence from Turkey

The capital structure decisions of firms have a crucial importance on firms’ financial performance. The capital structure concept is generally described as the combination of debt and equity that make the total capital of firms. The selection of capital components and use of these components play an important role during the determining of financial strategies. Therefore, it is difficult to choose ideal proportion of debt and equity. A good equilibrium of debt and equity can affect the financial performance of company and the value of company. The profitability of an enterprise is directly affected by capital structure decision. Capital structure is the one of the most puzzling issues on corporate finance literature. Beginning with the Modigliani and Miller’s (1958) research, there have been a number of studies which have investigated the relationship between capital structure and financial performance. Modigliani and Miller suggest that the value of a firm is independent from its capital structure in an efficient market when there is no tax factor. Thereby optimal capital structure cannot be reached according to Modigliani and Miller’s approaches. This approach has been taken a number of interests from scholars. The research came in for criticism since capital markets are quite different from efficient market which Modigliani and Miller’s study based on. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of capital structure decisions on firms’ profitability in manufacturing sector in Turkey. The data used in this research corresponds to the financial statements of manufacturing companies collected between 2002 and 2011. The regression analysis was employed by using financial ratios obtained from financial statements of firms within the scope of analysis. As a result, the capital structure components which have influence on firm performance have been determined and general assessment has been made. Keywords: Capital Structure, Firm Performance, Optimal Capital Structure, Profitability, Financial Leverage, Regression Analysis.
Combination of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin plus gemcitabine in heavily pretreated metastatic breast cancer patients: Long‐term results from a single institution experience

The combination of Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin (PLD) plus Gemcitabine (GEM) has been previously investigated in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). PLD is a doxorubicin formulation with prolonged circulation time and better tissue distribution. GEM is a nucleoside analog with nonoverlapping toxicity compared to PLD. The aim of our study was to assess efficacy, toxicity, and long‐term outcome of this combination. Patients with heavily treated MBC were retrospectively analyzed. Chemotherapy consisted of PLD 25 mg/m2 and GEM 800 mg/m2 day 1, on a three‐week schedule. Cardiac function was evaluated baseline and during treatment. Radiological response was graded according to RECIST criteria v1.1. Toxicity was scored according to CTCAE v4.0. Progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. From 2001 to 2014, 122 pts were included. Median age was 55 (range: 28‐84). Median previous treatment schedules in the metastatic scenario were 3 (range: 1‐15). Most patients received prior anthracyclines (85%). Median number of metastatic sites was 2 (range: 1‐7). Median number of cycles delivered was 5 (range: 1‐36). Overall response rate was 31% (5% complete responses; 26% partial responses). Stable and progressive diseases were observed in 32% and 26% of patients. Grade ≥3 neutropenia was observed in 29 patients (24%). Grade ≥3 hand‐foot syndrome was detected in 17 patients (14%), mostly since cycle 3 (88%). Median cumulative PLD dose was 125 mg/m2. At a median follow‐up of 101 months, median PFS and OS were 7 and 22 months, respectively. PLD‐GEM combination achieves remarkable long‐term outcomes with an acceptable toxicity profile in patients with MBC.
Improving vision in a patient with homonymous hemianopia.

A 54-year-old woman has a right occipital stroke that causes a complete left homonymous hemianopia. Six months after the stroke, her ophthalmologic and neurologic examinations are entirely normal except for the persistent hemianopia, which, on Humphrey perimetry, shows no macular sparing. She reports that her reading has slowed down and that because of her visual field defect, she has been forbidden by her doctor from driving a car.
Mobile Phones, Rent-to-Own Payments & Water Filters: Evidence from Kenya

Uptake of safe water products remains low, in spite of modest cost. We experimented with a sales offer that combined a free trial and rent-to-own payments for durable filters. Purchase rates doubled under this sales offer to 31% compared to a traditional lump-sum sales contract. To lower transaction costs we collected payments using Kenya's vast mobile banking network, MPESA. Mobile repayment rates were low; many filters were paid only when a vendor came in-person to request payment, which adds social pressure. While the rent-to-own offer is attractive, more work is needed to reduce transaction costs in rural and peri-urban Kenya.
Is that authentic or artificial? Understanding consumer perceptions of risk in e‐service encounters

Abstract. As companies race to digitize physical‐based service processes repackaging them as online e‐services, it becomes increasingly important to understand how consumers perceive the digitized e‐service alternative. We theorize that consumers often perceive e‐services as being artificial and non‐authentic, and that consumers must perform this assessment when deciding whether new e‐services are viable alternatives to traditional service methods. This research investigates whether consumer perceptions of artificiality increase perceptions of e‐service risk, which has been shown to hamper consumer acceptance in a variety of online settings. An empirical study operationalized perceived artificiality (PA) within a controlled laboratory experiment that manipulated the risk of a specific e‐service class (e‐payments). For a specific e‐service brand, PA is reduced when the web interface is viewed as easy to use; alternatively, PA is increased when consumers have relatively high risk perceptions about the overall e‐service class. Furthermore, consumers who were rated as information technology innovators had lower overall artificiality perceptions, however, exposure to negatively framed e‐service efficacy information removed this artificiality reducing effect. The theoretical linkages between PA and perceived risk, and the two antecedents – ease of use and e‐service class risk – were confirmed by survey results. The implications of these results for future research as well as the design and marketing of e‐services are examined.
Nurses' wishes, knowledge, attitudes and perceived barriers on implementing research findings into practice among graduate nurses in Austria.

AIMS To identify and describe nurses' wishes, needs, knowledge and attitudes to nursing research, as well as perceived barriers to and facilitators of research utilisation in nursing practice in Austria. BACKGROUND Research results are not always used in daily nursing practice, despite their potential to improve nursing care quality. A variety of factors impede their implementation and use. Nurses' wishes about research utilisation have scarcely been reported. No data are available yet from an Austrian perspective. DESIGN Descriptive and exploratory cross-sectional survey. METHODS The study was conducted in an Austrian university hospital in May 2007, including all graduate nurses (n=1825). One thousand and twenty-three nurses returned the self-reported questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was performed initially, then group comparisons (diploma <2001, ≥2001) were computed inferentially using the chi-square test. RESULTS Nurses' most frequently indicated wishes regarding research implementation were adequate information, structural availability and professional support. Special points of interest were topics concerning nursing phenomena and interventions. Nurses' needs related to education in nursing science/research and its implementations were indicated as being predominantly of an introductory manner. Overall, nurses' attitudes tended to the negative. The top three named barriers to research utilisation were lack of time (69·9%), lack of information/knowledge (45·4%) and lack of interest (25·9%). Ten statistically significant differences were found between nurses of the two compared diploma groups. CONCLUSIONS Participating nurses perceived a lack in sufficient education/information and adequate organisational support, impeding them to use research results in daily practice. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE The results provide important insights into the matter of nurses' needs regarding the use and/or implementation of research results in practice, as well as about the promotion of positive attitudes towards research and its utilisation. These findings are of special interest to nurse educators, employers and countries introducing nursing science to improve the clinical outcomes for patients.
Magnetostriction of Fe–Cr and Fe–Cr–B Alloys

The room temperature magnetostriction of polycrystalline Fe<sub>100-x</sub>Cr<sub>x</sub> alloys annealed at 800 °C was investigated as a function of Cr content varying from 10 to 30 at. % Cr. All alloys exhibited a single bcc α-Fe-Cr phase with a disordered A2 structure. With increasing Cr concentration, the grain shape became very elongated. The greatest total magnetostriction value of 70 × 10<sup>-6</sup> was obtained in the direction of the elongated grains for 30% of Cr. We also investigated the effect of B addition on the magnetostriction and structural properties of the alloy Fe<sub>80</sub>Cr<sub>20</sub>. Although the addition of B was expected to form the Fe<sub>2</sub>B phase, the B-added Fe-Cr alloy forms a ternary phase (Fe<sub>z</sub>Cr<sub>1-z</sub>)<sub>2</sub>B (0 <; z <; 0.55), a weak magnetic phase.
Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) gene polymorphism influences TNF‐α production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated whole blood cell culture in healthy humans

TNF‐α is involved in infectious and immuno‐inflammatory diseases. Different individuals may have different capacities for TNF‐α production. This might determine a predisposition to develop some complications or phenotypes of these diseases. The aims of our study were to assess the inter‐individual variability of TNF‐α production and to correlate this variability to a single base pair polymorphism located at position −308 in TNF gene. We studied 62 healthy individuals. TNF‐α production after LPS stimulation was evaluated using a whole blood cell culture model. The TNF gene polymorphism was studied by an allele‐specific polymerase chain reaction. Other cytokines produced in the culture, soluble CD14 concentrations and expression of CD14 on blood cells were also measured. Among the 62 individuals, 57 were successfully genotyped. There were 41 TNF1 homozygotes and 16 TNF1/TNF2 heterozygotes. TNF‐α production after LPS stimulation of whole blood cell culture was higher among TNF2 carriers than among TNF1 homozygotes (929 pg/ml (480–1473 pg/ml) versus 521 pg/ml (178–1307 pg/ml); P < 0.05). This difference was even more significant after correction of TNF‐α production for CD14 expression on blood cells. In conclusion, the single base pair polymorphism at position −308 in the TNF gene may influence TNF‐α production in healthy individuals.