Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Age And Chemotherapy on Gentamicin Pharmacokinetics and Dosing in Pediatric Oncology Patients

We attempted to determine the effects of prior antineoplastic chemotherapy and age on gentamicin pharmacokinetics in children (age 1–18 yrs) with cancer and in controls, and to establish a protocol for gentamicin dosing and monitoring to ensure rapid attainment of therapeutic serum concentrations in these patients. In a prospective controlled study, patients with fever who were receiving empiric gentamicin for confirmed or suspected infections were separated into three groups: 29 with cancer who were receiving a continuing chemotherapy protocol with nonnephrotoxic antineoplastic agents; 23 with cancer who were receiving a continuing chemotherapy protocol with nephrotoxic antineoplastic agents; and 25 control patients who did not have cancer. Three blood samples (one predose, two postdose concentrations), collected between the third and sixth gentamicin doses from each patient, were analyzed by the Emit assay. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated and gentamicin dosages recommended based on the Sawchuk‐Zaske method of serum level interpretation. When normalized by body weight, there was no significant difference in clearance, volume of distribution, and half‐life between the control group and either group of patients with cancer. However, when normalized by body surface area, patients receiving prior nephrotoxic chemotherapy appeared to have a lower mean clearance (98.2 ml/min/1.73 m2) than those exposed to nonnephrotoxic chemotherapy (117.4 ml/min/1.73 m2) and controls (113.3 ml/min/1.73 m2; ANCOVA p=0.033). When kinetic parameters were normalized by body weight, the effect of advancing age yielded a decrease in both clearance (p<0.001) and volume of distribution (p=0.02), and an increase in gentamicin half‐life (p<0.001). When normalized by body surface area, age had no significant effect on clearance (p=0.579). There was no significant difference in gentamicin daily dose requirements (mg/kg) between the chemotherapy groups, which may be due to the lack of significant effects of chemotherapy on gentamicin's volume of distribution and clearance normalized by body weight. The final maintenance doses (mg/kg/day mean ± SD) for patients with cancer were 10.8 ± 1.8 for those age 1–5 years, 8.9 ± 1.1 for those age 6–12 years, and 7.9 ± 1.9 for those age 13–18 years. However, when normalized by body surface area, the age‐dependent doses became remarkably similar for children in all three age groups (ANOVA p=0.932), approximately 250 mg/m2/day. We recommend that pediatric patients with cancer who require treatment for fever and neutropenia be given higher than standard gentamicin dosages to achieve therapeutic serum concentrations promptly. In particular, initial empiric doses of 10 mg/kg/day are appropriate for those age 1–5 years.
Put-call parity violations and return predictability: Evidence from the 2008 short sale ban

We show that the 2008 short-sale ban significantly enhanced the return predictability of put-call parity violations and attribute the significant increase in violations to stock over-valuation. The top quantile put-call parity violation portfolio under-performs the lowest quantile portfolio by a risk-adjusted daily return of 2.8% during the ban period. Panel regression analysis documents that a significant increase in return predictability during the ban is more pronounced for stocks with liquid options, further corroborating our results. Our findings are robust to a number of controls aimed at alleviating concerns that other concurrent policy changes and events might be driving our results.
The development in very young children of tacit knowledge concerning visual perception.

The purpose of this study of early social-cognitive development was to assess the very young child's behaviorally expressed knowledge of people's visual-attentional acts and abilities. Boys and girls (N = 60) 1, 1 1/2, 2, 2 1/2, and 3 years of age were tested in their homes with their mother's help. Three sorts of tasks were used: 1. Percept production. The child's task was to produce a visual percept in the other. Examples include pointing to objects ("productive pointing") and a wide variety of object-showing problems. 2. Percept deprivation. The opposite, exemplified by a variety of object-hiding problems. 3. Percept diagnosis. The child's task was to determine what the other was already visually attending to, either by looking where his or her finger was pointed ("receptive pointing") or where his eyes were directed. It was found that the majority of 1-year-olds produced and comprehended pointing, and would sometimes hold out a toy to show it, but did little else. The 3-year-olds were at ceiling on virtually all tasks. At 1 1/2 years, children usually showed a picture by holding it flat so that both they and the other could see it. Jrom 2 on, they usually turned it toward the other in the adult fashion. Very few children of any age showed egocentrically--i.e., orienting the picture so only they could see it. By age 2, the children solved what were presumably novel showing problems for them: e.g., successfully showing to another a picture pasted on the inside bottom of a hollow cube. Hiding ability emerged later than showing ability but seemed well established by age 3. The role of the other's eyes in seeing appeared to be quite well understood at least by age 2-2 1/2. As examples, children of this age took the other's hands away from her or his eyes before trying to show her something, and could usually tell where she was looking from her eye orientation alone. These age trends presumably reflect important developments in the area of social interaction and communication, as well as with respect to cognition about percepts.
Small DNA-free liposomes stimulate transfection of streptomyces protoplasts

DNA of the bacteriophage phi C31 was rendered DNase resistant by entrapment in liposomes. Liposome-entrapped phi C31 DNA transfected Streptomyces protoplasts in the presence of 50% polyethylene glycol (PEG), providing a potential alternative route to conventional PEG-mediated transfection of protoplasts. However, probably partially because of low entrapment of DNA, this system did not result in an effective increase in transfection efficiency over the conventional transfection procedure. A more effective use of liposomes for stimulating transfection was provided by the discovery that supernatants obtained during the washing of DNA-free liposome preparations stimulated PEG-mediated transfection of protoplasts. This effect appeared to involve small (0.1- to 0.3-micrometer diameter) poorly sedimented liposomes. It was most effective (more than 100-fold stimulation) with positively charged liposome supernatants and high (about 50% [wt/vol]) PEG concentrations. Stimulation of transfection was also observed with cloning ligation mixtures containing phi C31 DNA as the vector. Transformation by plasmids (but not by chromosomal DNA fragments) was also significantly more efficient in these conditions than in conventional protoplast transformation.
A Kinematic Information-Theoretic Transmission Scheme for Goal-Directed Movements.

We build on the variability of human movements by focusing on how the stochastic variance of the limb position varies over time. This implies analyzing a whole set of trajectories rather than a single one. We show, using real data previously acquired by two independent studies, that two distinct phases appear. The first phase, where the positional variance increases steadily, is followed by a second phase where it decreases toward zero. During the second phase, the problem of aiming can be reduced to a Shannon-like communication problem where information is transmitted from a "source" (determined by the position at the end of the first phase), to a "destination" (the movement's endpoint) over a "channel" perturbed by Gaussian noise, with the presence of a noiseless feedback link. We take advantage of a scheme by Elias, which provides a simple yet optimal solution to this problem and show that the rate C of decrease of variance during the second component is at best exponential. This result is observed on real data and C is found to be constant across instructions and task parameters, resulting in the unambiguously defined throughput that characterizes goal-directed movements via a simple measure in bit/second. The well-know Fitts' law is also derived in the case where the second phase dominates movement time, obtained for movements that require high precision.
Depression among African American nursing home patients with dementia.

The authors compared 218 black and 68 white nursing home patients with dementia for differences in the prevalence, recognition, and treatment of depression. There were no racial differences in depressive symptoms, but whites were significantly more likely to receive a diagnosis of "possible depression" and there were few racial differences in clinical, social, or demographic factors associated with depression. Depression was often unrecognized and undertreated in both racial groups; several depression instruments developed for use in dementia had good reliability and validity among blacks; and there were no significant differences in depressive symptoms or diagnosis between U.S.-born and Caribbean-born black patients. The absence of any appreciable interracial or intraracial differences in depression symptoms or diagnoses may reflect uniformity in nursing home selection criteria or lessening of mood differences that may have existed before admission.
Speculative devices for photo display

In this paper, we describe three purposefully provocative, digital photo display technologies designed for home settings. The three devices have been built to provoke questions around how digital photographs might be seen and interacted with in novel ways. They are also intended for speculation about the expressive resources afforded by digital technologies for displaying photos. It is hoped interactions with the devices will help researchers and designers reflect on new design possibilities. The devices are also being deployed as part of ongoing home-oriented field research.
Visual Evoked Responses and IQ Scores at School Age

Visual evoked responses (VERS) were obtained in 119 school‐children, aged seven to eight years. Five latency measurements were related to Bender and Wechsler Intelligence Scores for Children in multiple regression analysis, considering also race and sex. Clearly the latency of the VER peaks did not contribute to a prediction of the IQ scores, nor did sex at this age. Race was present in all significant multiple correlations, but its influence in our sample was significant only for predicting verbal IQ, and not performance IQ. None of the visual evoked responses correlated significantly with psychological measurements alone.
Collaborative Study for the Calibration of a Proposed Reference Preparation for Thromboplastin , Human Recombinant , Plain On behalf of the Subcommittee on Control of Anticoagulation

Stocks of the International Reference Preparation (IRP) for thromboplastin, human, plain, coded BCT/253 and held by the World Health Organization (WHO) are nearly exhausted and must be replaced. For practical reasons the choice of the replacement candidate was restricted to two available human recombinant preparations which were coded as X/95 and Y/95 and calibrated in an international collaborative study involving 19 laboratories from Europe, Australia, Canada and Argentina. To minimize the differences between routes of calibration, the two candidates were calibrated against the existing WHO-IRP from human, rabbit and bovine origin and the final ISI was the resultant average value. On the basis of predefined criteria (i.e., withinand betweenlaboratory precision of the calibration and the conformity to the calibration model), X/95 was the preferred candidate. The assigned ISI (SE of the mean) value is 0.940 (0.0060) and the interlaboratory coefficient of variation 4.7%.
Impacts of new technologies on media usage and social behaviour in domestic environments

Technological infrastructure at home is changing continuously and is becoming increasingly interconnected. Media devices, including the TV set, provide access to the Internet and offer manifold opportunities to consume media on demand. Additionally, personal devices, such as smartphones, also enable flexible consumption and sharing of media. Questions about how these technologies change the user's media usage and how these changes affect the social structure of a household, however, remain largely unanswered. In order to gain insight into the adoption of new technologies into daily routines, we explored these changes in respect of people's media usage in a qualitative long-term Living Lab study. We will present findings regarding personal routines, flexible integration of new devices into existing practices, influences on households as social systems and related issues in device access and collective use. We will highlight potentials and conflicts regarding device shifts and roles; restrictions in device access; social influences in the living room; and individual changes in media consumption.
The relationships of biochemical endpoints to histopathology and population metrics in feral flatfish species collected near the municipal wastewater outfall of Orange County, California, USA

In July 2000, 330 individuals of three flatfish species were collected from reference locations and nine sites surrounding the outfall of the Orange County (CA, USA) Sanitation District (OCSD) municipal wastewater discharge. Species included hornyhead turbot (Pleuronichthys verticalis), English sole (Pleuronectes vetulus), and bigmouth sole (Hippoglossina stomata). Livers of sampled animals were examined for the expression of vitellogenin (in males), cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A), and DNA damage (comet assay). Biliary fluorescent aromatic compounds (FACs) were also measured. Comparisons with tissue and sediment contaminant residues, liver histopathology, and population estimates were assessed to determine whether relationships exist between levels of biological organization. The CYP1A results indicated exposure to planar aromatic hydrocarbons at one nearshore site. Regression analysis of all English sole CYP1A to total sediment polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (r2 = 0.97; p < 0.05) indicated a significant correlation. Widespread exposure to estrogens was observed at all sites without correlation to the abundance of the three species examined. Fluorescent aromatic compounds demonstrated no correlation to CYP1A expression. Overall, histopathology and biochemical endpoints did not indicate significant adverse effects in fish at the OCSD outfall.
Mitochondrial genome of Plateau zokor Myospalax baileyi

Plateau zokors Myospalax baileyi are subterranean rodents and endemic to the cold and hypoxic (2800–4300 m above sea level) climate of the farm, prairie, alpine prairie, and meadow habitats across the Tibetan plateau. The complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of M. baileyi has been determined. Our results showed that the total length of the mitogenome was 16,351 bp, and had a gene content of 13 protein coding, 22 tRNAs and 2 rRNAs. Except for the seven tRNA and Nd6 genes, all other mt genes are encoded on the heavy strand. The overall base composition of the heavy strand is 33.65% A, 29.65% T, 24.42% C, and 12.28% G, with an AT content of 63.3%.
[Polymorphisms of HCMV US28 gene of the clinical isolates from children].

BACKGROUND To study the polymorphism of human cytomegalovirus US28 gene in children and investigate the relationship between the polymorphism and pathogenesis. METHODS The FQ-PCR was carried out to determine the DNA quantity of clinical isolate and then the segmental PCR and HMA-SSCP were performed to test the mutation of US28 gene. The typical isolates from different diseases were selected to clone and sequence, then the results were analyzed. RESULTS The nucleic acid mutation is frequent among the sequence of US28, those mutations focus on the two ends of US28, but most of them are sense mutation. The important functional groups of US28 are highly conserved. The amino acid mutation of some isolates resulted in the change of secondary structure, but the phylogenetic tree analysis did not show any clear association between the pathogenesis and the distribution of clinical isolates. The comparison of US28 sequences from AIDS patients with the sequences from children in our study showed that both sequences have their own specific high mutation points. CONCLUSION There is polymorphism among the HCMV-US28 gene of clinical isolates from children. There observed no clear relationship was between the pathogenesis and the distribution of clinical isolates.
Modulation of TMEM16A channel activity by the von Willebrand factor type A (VWA) domain of the calcium-activated chloride channel regulator 1 (CLCA1)

Calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs) are key players in transepithelial ion transport and fluid secretion, smooth muscle constriction, neuronal excitability, and cell proliferation. The CaCC regulator 1 (CLCA1) modulates the activity of the CaCC TMEM16A/Anoctamin 1 (ANO1) by directly engaging the channel at the cell surface, but the exact mechanism is unknown. Here we demonstrate that the von Willebrand factor type A (VWA) domain within the cleaved CLCA1 N-terminal fragment is necessary and sufficient for this interaction. TMEM16A protein levels on the cell surface were increased in HEK293T cells transfected with CLCA1 constructs containing the VWA domain, and TMEM16A-like currents were activated. Similar currents were evoked in cells exposed to secreted VWA domain alone, and these currents were significantly knocked down by TMEM16A siRNA. VWA-dependent TMEM16A modulation was not modified by the S357N mutation, a VWA domain polymorphism associated with more severe meconium ileus in cystic fibrosis patients. VWA-activated currents were significantly reduced in the absence of extracellular Mg2+, and mutation of residues within the conserved metal ion-dependent adhesion site motif impaired the ability of VWA to potentiate TMEM16A activity, suggesting that CLCA1-TMEM16A interactions are Mg2+- and metal ion-dependent adhesion site-dependent. Increase in TMEM16A activity occurred within minutes of exposure to CLCA1 or after a short treatment with nocodazole, consistent with the hypothesis that CLCA1 stabilizes TMEM16A at the cell surface by preventing its internalization. Our study hints at the therapeutic potential of the selective activation of TMEM16A by the CLCA1 VWA domain in loss-of-function chloride channelopathies such as cystic fibrosis.
The Role of Non‐Technological Innovations in Services: The Case of Food Retailing

A growing proportion of innovation, especially in consumer‐based industries, is linked to both aesthetic and symbolic components, yet there is still wide uncertainty as to how consumers respond to the design of products and whether their product choices are consistent across product categories. We draw attention to instances whereby less technology‐intensive initiatives can convey innovation in services industries. The focus is on the case of Eataly, a food retailer in which, it is argued, non‐technological innovations have shaped the firm's core values and triggered consumer interest towards a supermarket where, besides physical goods, experience has become the object of transaction. By emphasizing the importance for retailers of focusing not only on single products, but also on other dimensions of the firm's organization, we intend to contribute to the literature that explores changing facets of innovation in service industries.
Assessing change over time in patients with low back pain.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This study compared the ability of the Roland-Morris (RM), Oswestry (OSW), and Jan van Breemen Institute (JVB) pain and function questionnaires to detect change over time. SUBJECTS The sample consisted of 88 patients with mechanical low back pain who were referred by physicians to the outpatient physical therapy department of a teaching hospital. METHODS Questionnaires were completed by the subjects at their initial visit and 4 to 6 weeks later. Clinically important change was estimated by having the subject and the clinician independently complete two rating scales. Sensitivity to change was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS The ROC curve areas for the RM (0.79), OSW (0.78), and JVB pain (0.79) questionnaires were significantly greater than for the JVB function questionnaire (0.66). Blank and multiple responses per item were present on approximately 20% of the OSW questionnaires and 14% of the JVB questionnaires. Words rather than checks were evident on 3% of the RM questionnaires. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION Based on the latter finding, we believe the RM questionnaire may be the preferred instrument for assessing change over time in patients with low back pain.
National income and its distribution in preindustrial Poland in a global perspective

This paper presents estimates of the level of per capita GDP and of the distribution of income of preindustrial Poland. This is based on a reconstruction of a social table of the Voivodeship of Cracow for 1578. Our evidence indicates that income in Poland was distributed more equally than in contemporary Holland. However, the extraction rate in the Voivodeship was much higher than in the North Sea area. Furthermore, income inequality in the countryside of the Voivodeship was higher than inequality in Cracow. This can be linked to the demesne economy based on serfdom that was prevalent in the agricultural sector. Moreover, on the basis of trends in real wages and urbanisation levels, we project Polish GDP forwards and backwards in time. Our results indicate that by as early as the 15th century, Polish per capita GDP was below that of other Western European countries. This persisted despite a moderate growth of the Polish economy in the 16th century. Subsequently, due to a strong contraction, Poland in the 17th century became even poorer than Asian economies for which similar estimates are available. In the 18th century Poland recovered slightly but continued to lag behind the rest of Western Europe.
Prices and Price/Quality Relationships: A Longitudinal Analysis

Though price and quality are recognized as important tactical and strategic variables for a marketing manager, few empirical data are available on the behavior of price or the correspondence between price and quality over time. The authors report results for three hypotheses derived from product life cycle theory, dynamic pricing policy, and economic information theory about price trends, price convergence, and the correspondence between price and quality among brands in 62 durable product forms. Results strongly confirm the hypotheses that prices converge as well as decrease in real terms. The decline in price variation apparently results from a narrowing of prices by all relevant competitors. Brands entering or exiting a category counterbalance one another and are nearly as likely to be priced below as above a category mean. Reduced correspondence between price and quality levels over time suggests that as pricing flexibility declines, competition may occur in the form of promotional expenditures rather than relative quality improvements. Implications of these findings for marketing strategy and consumer welfare are discussed.