Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Learning by Doing and the Locus of Innovative Capability in Biotechnology Research

Innovative capability, the knowledge a firm uses to innovate, is an input into and an output of the process of innovation. In this paper, I put forward the notion that innovative capability, similar to experience in production, accumulates by learning by doing and that innovation is characterized by a learning curve. Using patent data from 20,886 scientists working in 611 biotechnology firms in the U.S. and Canadian biotechnology industry from 1970 to 2007, I estimate a learning curve in innovation and determine the loci of innovative capability. Although knowledge stocks in the different loci accumulate over time in day-to-day firm activities, empirical results suggest that the individual is the primary repository of innovative capability and that experience working together in teams has a secondary influence on productivity. Contrary to prior learning curve research, accumulated firm experience has no direct effect on productivity. However, when individuals possess relevant domain knowledge and have experience working together, they benefit from knowledge spillovers within the firm. This suggests that knowledge stocks in the different loci are complementary to one another and that the comingling of these disparate bins of knowledge is an important facet of innovative capability.
Risk factors for toxicity in elderly patients given aminoglycosides once daily

OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk factors for aminoglycoside toxicity in the elderly. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Acute care teaching hospital serving predominantly veterans. PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive patients aged 70 years and over receiving aminoglycosides. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Thirteen (15%) of 88 patients developed aminoglycoside-related nephrotoxicity and 3 (3.4%) developed otovestibular toxicity. Multivariate analysis showed that increasing duration of aminoglycoside therapy was the only factor significantly associated with development of toxicity. Elevated baseline serum creatinine level (p=.02) and use of allopurinol (p=.03) were risk factors specifically for nephrotoxicity. Only 2 (3.9%) of 51 patients receiving aminoglycosides 7 or fewer days developed nephrotoxicity, as compared with 11 (30%) of 37 receiving the drugs for 8 to 14 days and 4 (50%) of 8 treated for more than 14 days. CONCLUSIONS: Although toxicity is common in elderly patients treated with aminoglycosides, limiting the duration of aminoglycoside therapy to less than a week can substantially reduce risk of toxicity.
Service quality , customer value and satisfaction relationship revisited for online wine websites

Purpose – Past research has examined the relationship between service quality, customer value and customer satisfaction in a traditional context. While most researches were limited to the study of relationships between global concepts, this paper attempts to go further and address the linkages between the different dimensions of these concepts in an online context for wine websites. Design/methodology/approach – In all, 2,813 Internet customers filled in an online questionnaire after completing a specified task on 28 selected websites selling wine directly to customers. Findings – The results highlight the impact of e-service quality dimensions (information, ease of use, design, security/privacy and reliability) on customer satisfaction via the dimensions of customer value (transactional, utilitarian and social value). Practical implications – From a managerial point of view, in order to increase customer value and satisfaction, online wine merchants should focus on the different dimensions of eservice quality and more particularly on ease of use (propose a user-friendly navigation interface, facilitate the Internet user's research by offering several search options (by price, region, grape variety, colour, occasion of consumption, etc.) and provide an internal search engine), reliability (indicate the level of stocks in real time, offer a variety of delivery methods and timescales, etc.), design (bottle video, .) and security/privacy (offer various methods of payment, provide information regarding the data protection policy, etc.). 6 AWBR International Conference │ Bordeaux Management School │ 9-10 June 2011 2
Absorption of Milk-Borne Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Into Portal Blood of Suckling Rats

BackgroundInsulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are potent mitogens that have been implicated in control of growth and development during the perinatal period. These hormones are also present in biologically significant quantities in mammalian milks. Although one site of action of these IGFs may be at the intestinal level, current information about whether they pass intact into the circulation is conflicting. MethodsTo test the hypothesis that milk-borne IGFs are absorbed into blood in receptor-active form, suckling rats were given either recombinant human (rh)125I-IGF-I or -II (4 × 106 counts per minute [cpm]), and the activity present in portal and cardiac blood was examined at 5, 10, 20, and 30 minutes after ingestion for presence of appropriate molecular weight peptides in these samples. In selected samples, purified radioactive samples were tested for their ability to bind competitively to crude membranes bearing IGF receptors. ResultsThe results of these studies indicate that rh125I-IGF-I is absorbed in receptor-active form into the portal circulation and that maximal amounts are present 20 to 30 minutes after ingestion. Estimation of the presence of intact hormone was made on the basis of the elution profile of samples when run on gel chromatography as well as reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Isolated samples from portal blood also bound competitively to placental membranes bearing IGF receptors. In contrast, rh125I-IGF-II could not be demonstrated in receptor-active form in portal blood. Chromatography showed appropriate sized peaks with greater activity in portal than cardiac samples, but competitive binding was not appreciated. ConclusionsIt is likely that at least milk-borne IGF-I is absorbed intact and may exert effects on liver and other peripheral tissues. In addition, this study lends further credence to the possibility of an enterohepatic circulation for IGF-I.
A case control study of a deprivation triangle: teenage motherhood, poor educational achievement and unemployment

Teenage motherhood has been linked with poor health, poor educational attainment, poor employment prospects and socio-economic deprivation. Much of the evidence has come from large surveys and the nature of these inter-relationships remains unclear. A case-control study was designed to compare the educational and employment experiences of teenage mothers with those of an age matched sample of peers from a similar social background and to test the feasibility of carrying out this type of research within primary care. Participants were identified from records in 36 GP practices in the Greater Belfast area. First time teenage mothers with one child aged 9-15 months at the time of interview were selected. Teenage mothers were matched with a control group of nulliparous teenagers in respect of age and postcode and registered with the same practice. Questionnaires were administered in their home or at their health centre. Data were analysed using SPSS for Windows Version 6. Teenage mothers were less likely than controls to have gained passes in school leaving examinations. None of the mothers was in full time education compared with 35% of the controls. Excluding those in education or training, more of the control group were employed at the time of study (82% v 11%). It is concluded that teenage mothers with one child report poorer educational attainment and employment status than their nulliparous peers from a similar social background with similar educational opportunities. Attention must be paid to these findings when planning policy to help teenage mothers and avoid perpetuation of a cycle of socio-economic deprivation.
SecA Is Not Required for Signal Recognition Particle-mediated Targeting and Initial Membrane Insertion of a Nascent Inner Membrane Protein*

In Escherichia coli, signal recognition particle (SRP)-dependent targeting of inner membrane proteins has been described. In vitrocross-linking studies have demonstrated that short nascent chains exposing a highly hydrophobic targeting signal interact with the SRP. This SRP, assisted by its receptor, FtsY, mediates the transfer to a common translocation site in the inner membrane that contains SecA, SecG, and SecY. Here we describe a further in vitroreconstitution of SRP-mediated membrane insertion in which purified ribosome-nascent chain-SRP complexes are targeted to the purified SecYEG complex contained in proteoliposomes in a process that requires the SRP-receptor FtsY and GTP. We found that in this system SecA and ATP are dispensable for both the transfer of the nascent inner membrane protein FtsQ to SecY and its stable membrane insertion. Release of the SRP from nascent FtsQ also occurred in the absence of SecYEG complex indicating a functional interaction of FtsY with lipids. These data suggest that SRP/FtsY and SecB/SecA constitute distinct targeting routes.
Calcaneal fractures: operative versus nonoperative treatment.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this report is to compare the late results after operative and nonoperative treatment of intra-articular calcaneal fractures. METHODS From 1982 to 1992 we treated 250 calcaneal fractures of which 193 were intra-articular. Because of a change in operative indication, most fractures were treated nonoperatively before 1989 and operatively thereafter. Follow-up was possible at an average of 5.1 years for 124 intra-articular calcaneal fractures. Out of these, two groups of 33 nonoperatively and 30 operatively treated cases were formed matching each other with regard to prognostic parameters. Results were assessed by a clinical score considering pain, gait, footwear, and return to work. Pre- and postoperative tuber joint angle measurements were evaluated for their prognostic significance. RESULTS In this series of patients, the only statistically significant advantage of operative therapy was concerning return to work. There was no correlation between tuber joint angle and end results. Only when the extremes of the spectrum (nonoperative and operative cases with tuber joint angle < 0 degrees vs. > 25 degrees) were tested against each other was a significant advantage in the group with near normal joint angles found. Thus, open reduction and internal fixation of intra-articular calcaneal fractures can only be expected to benefit those patients with near anatomic reconstruction.
Edible mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) lectin inhibits human retinal pigment epithelial cell proliferation in vitro

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) plays a major role in the development of the anomalous retinal scarring response termed proliferative vitreoretinopathy. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether agaricus bisporus lectin inhibited human RPE proliferation in vitro. Fluorescein isothiocyanate‐labeled agaricus bisporus lectin was used to study binding of lectin to cultured human RPE. The effect of a 24‐hour exposure of agaricus bisporus lectin on RPE proliferation was measured using (methyl‐3H)‐thymidine incorporation into DNA. Toxicity studies were assessed using morphologic evaluation, trypan blue exclusion, and a cell viability assay. Agaricus bisporus lectin bound to RPE cells and was inhibited by preincubation of lectin with asialomucin. Agaricus bisporus lectin caused a dose‐dependent inhibition of RPE proliferation (one‐way ANOVA, F = 94.470, p < 0.001) that was partially reversible on removal of the lectin. Compared with controls, cells remained viable and no morphological changes or trypan blue staining was noted in RPE exposed to agaricus bisporus lectin. Human RPE binds agaricus bisporus lectin and inhibits proliferation without apparent cytotoxicity. It therefore merits consideration as a potential antiproliferative agent in the prevention and treatment of proliferative vitreoretinopathy and other nonocular anomalous wound healing processes. (WOUND REP REG 2003;11:285–291)
Strontium Ranelate Treatment Improves Trabecular and Cortical Intrinsic Bone Tissue Quality, a Determinant of Bone Strength

Beside its influence on determinants of bone strength (geometry, microarchitecture), which is likely to be related to a cellular effect, strontium ranelate improves bone tissue quality as evaluated by nanoindentation, increasing elastic modulus, hardness, and dissipated energy in vertebrae of rats treated for 104 wk with daily dose from 0 to 900 mg/kg.
Occupational lifting during pregnancy and child's birth size in a large cohort study.

OBJECTIVES It has been suggested that the handling of heavy loads during pregnancy is associated with impaired fetal growth. We examined the association between quantity and frequency of maternal occupational lifting and the child's size at birth, measured by weight, length, ponderal index, small-for-gestational-age (SGA), abdominal circumference, head circumference, and placental weight. METHODS We analyzed birth size from the Danish Medical Birth Registry of 66 693 live-born children in the Danish National Birth Cohort according to the mother's self-reported information on occupational lifting from telephone interviews around gestational week 16. Data were collected in the period 1996-2002. We used linear and logistic regression models and adjusted for confounders. RESULTS In the fully adjusted models, most of the mean differences in birth size measures had values indicating a smaller size of offspring among women with occupational lifting versus women with no lifting, but the differences were very small, and there was a statistically significant trend only for placental weight showing lighter weight with increasing number of kilos lifted per day. In jobs likely to include person-lifting, we found increased odds of SGA among children of women who lifted 501-1000 kilos per day [odds ratio (OR) 1.34, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.98-1.83] and >1000 kilos per day (OR 1.51, 95% CI 0.83-2.76) compared to no lifting. In jobs with no person-lifting, occupational lifting was not associated with SGA. CONCLUSIONS Overall, we observed no strong support for an association between maternal occupational lifting and impaired size at birth. Our data indicated a potential association between lifting and SGA among offspring of women in occupations that are likely to include person-lifting. These results should, however, be interpreted with caution due to limited statistical power, and we suggest that future studies include detailed, individual information on job functions and ergonomic routines of lifting procedures.
Strain-Induced Reactivity in the Dynamic Covalent Chemistry of Macrocyclic Imines.

The displacement of molecular structures from their thermodynamically most stable state by imposition of various types of electronic and conformational constraints generates highly strained entities that tend to release the accumulated strain energy by undergoing either structural changes or chemical reactions. The latter case amounts to strain-induced reactivity (SIR) that may enforce specific chemical transformations. A particular case concerns dynamic covalent chemistry which may present SIR, whereby reversible reactions are activated by coupling to a high-energy state. We herewith describe such a dynamic covalent chemical (DCC) system involving the reversible imine formation reaction. It is based on the formation of strained macrocyclic bis-imine metal complexes in which the macrocyclic ligand is in a high energy form enforced by the coordination of the metal cation. Subsequent demetallation generates a highly strained free macrocycle that releases its accumulated strain energy by hydrolysis and reassembly into a resting state. Specifically, the metal-templated condensation of a dialdehyde with a linear diamine leads to a bis-imine [1+1]-macrocyclic complex in which the macrocyclic ligand is in a coordination-enforced strained conformation. Removal of the metal cation by a competing ligand yields a highly reactive [1+1]-macrocycle, which then undergoes hydrolysis to transient non-cyclic aminoaldehyde species, which then recondense to a strain-free [2+2]-macrocyclic resting state. The process can be monitored by (1) H NMR spectroscopy. Energy differences between different conformational states have been evaluated by Hartree-Fock (HF) computations. One may note that the stabilisation of high-energy molecular forms by metal ion coordination followed by removal of the latter, offers a general procedure for producing out-of-equilibrium molecular states, the fate of which may then be examined, in particular when coupled to dynamic covalent chemical processes.
Ischemic stroke risk in East Asian patients with CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1: systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Background: The use of anticoagulation for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1 has been debated, partially due to limited data on ischemic stroke risk and specific clinical trials in these patients. East Asian patients have a different stroke risk profile compared to non-East Asians. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of ischemic stroke risk in AF patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1 in East Asian countries. Methods: A comprehensive literature search for studies evaluating ischemic stroke risk related with AF with CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1 was conducted by two reviewers. We used a fixed-effect model first, then a random-effect model if heterogeneity was assessed with I2. Results: After pooling 6 studies, the annual rate of ischemic stroke in East Asian patients with AF and a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1 was 1.66% (95% CI: 0.71%-2.61%, I2 = 98.4%). There was a wide range in reported pooled rates between countries, from 0.59% to 3.13%. Significant difference existed not only in the community-based studies (Chinese: 2.10% vs. Japanese: 0.60%), but also from the hospital-based studies (Chinese: 3.55% vs. Japanese: 0.42%). Confining the analysis to those on no antithrombotic treatment had limited effect on the summary estimate (eg. Chinese: 4.28% vs. Japanese: 0.6%). In Chinese studies, ischemic stroke rate was lower in females than males (female: 1.40% vs. male: 1.79%). However, the low event rate in Japanese studies may reflect unrecorded anticoagulation status at follow-up. Conclusions: Some regional differences between East Asian countries were observed for ischemic stroke risk in patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1. This may reflect methodological differences in studies and unrecorded anticoagulation use at followup, but further prospective studies are required to ascertain ischemic stroke risks, as well as the differences and reasons for this between East Asians and non-East Asians.
Perceptions of caring for children with disabilities: Experiences from Moshi, Tanzania

Background Although there exist laws, policies and standards in Tanzania that serve to protect and improve the lives of children with disabilities, the individual human experiences and feelings of the carers and parents still remain the realities of caring for children with disabilities. There is a lack of qualitative studies examining experiences in a developing context. This research aimed to fill that gap. Objectives The objective of this research was to gain an insight into how having a child with a disability impacts upon participants lives and to examine both negative and positive experiences of care through the use of qualitative methods. Method This was a qualitative, exploratory study and followed a phenomenological method. Purposive convenience sampling methods were used to recruit 14 carers in Moshi, Tanzania. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with all 14 participants. Results Five main themes emerged from the data which shed light on the carers experiences, namely, objective challenges in terms of financial challenges, employment issues and demands of care; subjective challenges in the form of stigma, isolation and pity; positive experiences such as the child’s progress, respect and happiness; material and financial needs; and coping mechanisms which included beliefs, support and attitudes. Conclusion The findings of this research were that objective challenges are common and more significant than subjective challenges. Positive experiences were not as easily identified by the participants as the challenges faced. However, having analysed the data, carers do not experience their roles as entirely negative. They simply need the resources to deal with objective challenges which in a developing context are not easily attainable.
Greenalytics: a tool for mash-up life cycle assessment of websites

The environmental impact of internet is growing, reaching an estimated 1.4% of world greenhouse emissions. This impact is hidden for both users and web developers. Understanding and analyzing the environmental footprint of a website is not an easy task. The impacts are distributed through multiple hardware networks and a global user base, making the individual impacts difficult to allocate. This article presents the development of a functional application for generating automatic life cycle assessments for web sites based on mashing-up information. This application has the aim of making the impact of websites visible, allowing the instant analysis of their carbon footprint using existing analytics data and presenting it in an understandable and transparent way. The development process is presented with detailed information about how the calculations are performed. The results are discussed around two different cases, focusing on the challenges of calculating the server side impact and the possibilities for improvement.
Correlation of regional cerebral blood flow equivalents measured by single photon emission computerized tomography with P300 latency and eye movement abnormality in schizophrenia

Single photon emission tomography with the intravenous blood flow marker 99mTc‐exametazime was carried out in 14 acutely ill drug‐free schizophrenic patients from whom P300 event‐related potential, smooth eye pursuit eye tracking and verbal fluency were measured within a few days of scanning. Smooth pursuit eye movement abnormality correlated significantly with abnormal tracer uptake in superior pre‐frontal cortex on the right and left and inferior pre‐frontal cortex on the left. Abnormal eye movement was also associated with higher tracer uptake in left anterior cingulate and left posterior cingulate. P300 latency was significantly correlated with higher tracer uptake in left superior pre‐frontal and left parietal regions. Verbal fluency performance was negatively correlated with tracer uptake in left frontal region. Eye tracking abnormality in schizophrenia is associated with bilateral frontal lobe disturbance and P300 latency increase with left‐sided frontal and temporoparietal dysfunction. There was, however, a significant inverse relation between eye tracking abnormalities and abnormal perfusion in the left anterior cingulate region.