Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determinants of continuance intention in a post-adoption satisfaction evaluation of a clinical information system

PURPOSE The evaluation of end-user satisfaction is an essential part of any clinical information system (CIS) project. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the determinants of CIS continuance intention in a late post-adoption phase at the Georges Pompidou University Hospital (HEGP) in Paris. METHODS We designed an electronic survey instrument based on an IT post-adoption model (ITPAM) developed from three previous models, i.e., the Delone and McLean Information Success Model, the Davis TAM model and the Bhattacherjee information system continuance intention model. RESULTS 419 questionnaires were collected from CIS users directly involved in patient care. The perceived CIS quality, usefulness and user satisfaction are significantly lower for medical professions than other professional groups. Continuance intention is very high within all professional subgroups. In a multiple regression analysis, the global satisfaction (R(2) = . 780) was positively and significantly correlated with CIS quality, confirmation of expectations and perceived CIS usefulness. The continuance intention (R(2) = . 392) was positively and significantly correlated with perceived CIS usefulness, confirmation of expectations and global satisfaction. CONCLUSION In a late post-adoption CIS deployment phase, continuance intention does not significantly depend on individual end user characteristics but is significantly associated with the perceived CIS usefulness, confirmation of expectations and global satisfaction.
Reduced Nicotine Content Cigarette Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Patients at a Perinatal Substance Abuse Treatment Center

Objectives: Maternal cigarette smoking is the leading modifiable risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes, and yet approximately 14% of women in the United States smoke cigarettes during pregnancy. This study examines cigarette smoking and cessation and reduced nicotine content (RNC) cigarette knowledge, attitudes, and practices in patients at an outpatient perinatal substance abuse treatment center. Methods: Consenting patients who were smokers (N=26) completed the 11-item survey instrument. Results: Eighty-eight percent of participants reported current interest in quitting smoking. Four percent endorsed smoking RNC cigarettes before the survey, and 60% reported interest in trying them in the future. Sixty-nine percent reported interest in learning more about RNC cigarettes and 68% believed that they were at least as safe as regular cigarettes. Conclusions: Under the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the Food and Drug Administration has the authority to mandate reduction in the nicotine content of cigarettes. Results show the potential for pregnant smokers to perceive RNCs as relatively safe and appealing alternatives to regular cigarettes. Further study of the efficacy and safety of RNC cigarettes in pregnancy is needed to minimize the risk of any unintended maternal and child public health consequences of a national policy to reduce the cigarette nicotine content.
The Me3 NB12 Cl11. Radical: A Strong One-Electron Oxidizing Agent.

Strong oxidizing agents often contain fluorine and are not compatible with substrates forming strong element-fluorine bonds. Therefore, there is need for new strong oxidizers. Cyclic voltammetric measurements on the weakly coordinating anion [Me3 NB12 Cl11 ]- in liquid SO2 revealed an oxidation wave at +2.59 V versus Fc0/+ . The oxidation of Na[Me3 NB12 Cl11 ] with AsF5 in liquid sulfur dioxide gives the boron-cluster-based radical Me3 NB12 Cl11. as a dark blue solid in quantitative yield. The radical was characterized by vibrational, NMR, and EPR spectroscopy and by its crystal structure. To explore the potential of the radical Me3 NB12 Cl11. to act as a strong oxidizing agent, it was reacted with different compounds having high ionization energies. Thianthrene (ionization energy 7.8 eV) and hexabromobenzene (8.8 eV) were oxidized to the corresponding cations. The reaction with elemental iodine (9.3 eV) gave the [I5 ]+ cation. These reactive cations are stabilized in the solid state by the weakly coordinating anion [Me3 NB12 Cl11 ]- , which was formed as a reduced product in the oxidation reactions.
Vitamin C Inhibits Staphylococcus aureus Growth and Enhances the Inhibitory Effect of Quercetin on Growth of Escherichia coli In Vitro

Abstract Quercetin is a natural flavonoid possessing a number of health beneficial effects. Its bioactivity is restricted by low solubility and sensitivity to oxidative degradation, factors that are often ignored in laboratory studies. We studied the antimicrobial effects of quercetin on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus plantarum at concentrations at which it is soluble and investigated how the antioxidant vitamin C modulates these activities. S. aureus was the most sensitive of the studied bacteria. After 12 hours of culturing, 90 µM quercetin decreased the growth of S. aureus to 75 % of the value for a control culture. 1 mM vitamin C combined with 90 µM quercetin diminished the growth of S. aureus drastically to 3 % of that of the control culture supplemented with vitamin C only. Interestingly, vitamin C by itself inhibited the growth of S. aureus as well, and 5 mM vitamin C inhibited growth completely. The growth inhibition of E. coli was slightly but significantly better in the presence of both quercetin and vitamin C than in the presence of quercetin alone. Probiotic L. plantarum was resistant to quercetin in the presence and absence of vitamin C. Enhancement of quercetinʼs antimicrobial activity by vitamin C is partly explained by the stabilizing effect of vitamin C on quercetin. Even though the acidity of vitamin C contributes to the inhibition of S. aureus growth, neutralized vitamin C also inhibits the growth efficiently even without quercetin. Our results suggest that vitamin C affects the metabolism of S. aureus and that these changes are likely to result in the observed growth inhibition. Although vitamin C itself is a powerful antioxidant, its aerobic metabolism increases oxidative stress on bacterial cells. Vitamin C may therefore be a safe and natural alternative for restricting the growth of S. aureus when non-toxicity is required.
In vitro anti‐myeloma activity of TRAIL‐expressing adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells

Recently, genetically modified mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been exploited to deliver anti‐cancer bio‐drugs directly within the tumour mass. Here, we explored whether adipose‐derived MSCs (AD‐MSCs), engineered to express the pro‐apoptotic ligand TRAIL (also known as TNFSF10), kill multiple myeloma (MM) cells and migrate towards MM cells in vitro. Different MM cell lines were assessed for their sensitivity to recombinant human (rh) TRAIL alone and in combination with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib, which was shown to enhance the effect of rhTRAIL. TRAIL+‐AD‐MSCs were co‐cultured with bortezomib‐pretreated MM cells and their killing activity was evaluated in presence or absence of caspase inhibition. AD‐MSC migration towards media conditioned by both myeloma cells and myeloma bone fragments was also investigated. Despite moderate MM cell sensitivity to rhTRAIL, TRAIL+‐AD‐MSCs in combination with bortezomib significantly induced myeloma cell death. This effect was associated with caspase‐8 activation and abrogated by capsase inhibition. On the other hand, co‐culture experiments were performed to evaluate whether unmodified AD‐MSCs affect myeloma cell growth in vitro. AD‐MSCs appeared ineffective on myeloma cell growth and showed migratory capacity towards MM cells in vitro. These data emphasize the anti‐myeloma activity of TRAIL‐engineered AD‐MSCs and provide support for a future model of a cell‐based approach against MM.
Medical ethics on film: towards a reconstruction of the teaching of healthcare professionals

The clinical vignette remains the standard means by which medical ethics are taught to students in the healthcare professions. Although written or verbal vignettes are useful as a pedagogic tool for teaching ethics and introducing students to real cases, they are limited, since students must imagine the clinical scenario. Medical ethics are almost universally taught during the early years of training, when students are unfamiliar with the clinical reality in which ethics issues arise. Film vignettes fill in that imaginative leap. By providing vivid details with images, film vignettes offer rich and textured details of cases, including the patient’s perspective and the clinical reality. Film vignettes provide a detailed ethnography that allows for a more complete discussion of the ethical issues. Film can serve as an additional tool for teaching medical ethics to members of the healthcare professions.
A DC-Stable, Well-Balanced, Calderón Preconditioned Time Domain Electric Field Integral Equation

The marching-on-in-time (MOT) solution of the time domain electric field integral equation (TD-EFIE) has traditionally suffered from a number of problems, including: 1) instability; 2) spurious static contributions plaguing the solution; 3) low-frequency breakdown; and 4) dense discretization breakdown. The first issue can be resolved by employing proper space-time Galerkin discretization schemes and accurate quadrature methods. The second and the third issue have been resolved by the quasi-Helmholtz Projected TD-EFIE (qHP-TDEFIE). This contribution introduces a multiplicative preconditioner which can be applied to the qHP-TDEFIE, without further modifying the original scheme. This preconditioner is based on Calderón techniques and guarantees that the MOT system can be solved efficiently using iterative methods, not only for large time step sizes but also for dense spatial discretizations, and for both simply and multiply connected geometries.
Competition Trait Anxiety in Youth Sport: Differences According to Age, Sex, Race and Playing Status

Differences in competitive trait anxiety of 80 boy and 79 girl athletes participating in team-sport competition were examined on the basis of age, sex, race, and playing status (all star and playing substitute). While data did not show differences in sport competition trait anxiety according to age, sex, or race, all star athletes had significantly lower anxiety scores than playing substitutes.
Long-Term Macroevaluation of Environmental Enrichment in Three Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) at Barcelona Zoo

The evaluation of enrichment programs is important to determine their effect on nonhuman animal welfare. The daily activity pattern and use of space of 3 brown bears (Ursus arctos) were used for long-term macroevaluation of enrichment to compare the baseline and enrichment phases. Focal sampling methods were used for data collection, and instantaneous scans were made at 2-min intervals during 15 sessions of 1 hr for each animal during the 2 study periods. The enrichment devices were categorized as feeding, occupational, and sensorial. The long-term macroevaluation in 3 bears showed statistically significant differences in some types of activity but not in others. There were also statistically significant differences for the use of space in 4 of the 8 zones in which the enclosures were divided. A more homogenous pattern in the use of space was only observed during the enrichment phase in the old female. The 3 brown bears followed different patterns concerning the enrichment program.
Genetic enhancement of matrix synthesis by articular chondrocytes: comparison of different growth factor genes in the presence and absence of interleukin-1.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether articular chondrocytes express growth factor genes delivered by adenoviral vectors and whether expression of these genes influences matrix synthesis in the presence and absence of interleukin-1 (IL-1). METHODS Monolayer cultures of rabbit articular chondrocytes were infected with recombinant adenovirus carrying genes encoding the following growth factors: insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1), and bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2). As a control, cells were transduced with the lac Z gene. Cultures were also treated with each growth factor supplied as a protein. Levels of gene expression were noted, and the synthesis of proteoglycan, collagen, and noncollagenous proteins was measured by radiolabeling. Collagen was typed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. The effects of growth factor gene transfer on proteoglycan synthesis in the presence of IL-1 were also measured. RESULTS The expression of all transgenes was high following adenoviral transduction. Proteoglycan synthesis was stimulated approximately 8-fold by the BMP-2 gene and 2-3-fold by the IGF-1 gene. The effects of BMP-2 and IGF-1 genes were additive upon cotransduction. Synthesis of collagen and noncollagenous proteins, in contrast, was most strongly stimulated by the IGF-1 gene. In each case, collagen typing confirmed the synthesis of type II collagen. IL-1 suppressed proteoglycan synthesis by 50-60%. IGF-1 and TGFbeta genes restored proteoglycan synthesis to control levels in the presence of IL-1. The BMP-2 gene, in contrast, elevated proteoglycan synthesis beyond control levels in the presence of IL-1. CONCLUSION Transfer of growth factor genes to articular chondrocytes can greatly increase matrix synthesis in vitro, even in the presence of the inflammatory cytokine IL-1. This result encourages the further development of gene therapy for the repair of damaged cartilage.
Modelos alométricos para determinação da área foliar de cacaueiro ‘PH-16’ em sombreamento e pleno sol

Conhecimentos sobre a area foliar de uma planta sao necessarios para estudos agronomicos e fisiologicos envolvendo crescimento vegetal. O objetivo desse trabalho foi estudar a modelagem estatistica da area foliar do cacau (Theobroma cacao L. ‘PH-16’) em ambiente sombreado e a pleno sol. Coletaram-se aleatoriamente 200 folhas de cacaueiro, 100 das plantas em cultivo sombreado e 100 em cultivo a pleno sol,em lavouras cacaueiras no municipio de Linhares, ES, para estudo de suas medidas lineares. As folhas oriundas de cada ambiente foram separadas em dois grupos, um para estimativa das equacoes e outro para validacao das mesmas. Todas as folhas foram caracterizadas para comprimento (C), largura (L) e area foliar observada. A estimativa da area foliar foi feita pelos modelos linear, potencia e exponencial, a partir das medidas de C, L e C.L como variaveis independentes. Na validacao das equacoes obtidas, avaliou-se tambem a equacao proposta por Azomaning e Lockard. Ha diferenca na morfologia da folha de cacau cultivado na sombra e em pleno sol, no entanto o ambiente nao afeta estatisticamente o intercepto dos modelos linear e potencia, justificando a modelagem pelo uso conjunto de folhas dos dois ambientes. E possivel estimar a area foliar do cacau a partir de equacoes alometricas, sendo mais precisas as equacoes que usam como variavel explicativa o produto C.L. A equacao modelo potencia e a mais indicada para estimativa da area foliar de cacau ‘PH-16’ podendo ser usada tanto para folhas de plantas em ambiente sombreado quanto a pleno sol.
Clinical utility of closure times using the platelet function analyzer‐100/200

The “platelet function analyzer” (PFA)−100 was first introduced to us in 1995. Since then, the instrument has appeared in over 50 reviews and almost 1000 publications. Recently, the PFA‐100 has been “upgraded” to the PFA‐200, which has transformed the user interface and electronic management, but retained the fundamental mechanics, and essentially provides the same results. The PFA‐100/200 has conceivable clinical utility to screen for von Willebrand Disease (VWD) and platelet disorders, and in monitoring desmopressin (DDAVP) therapy in both, and possibly anti‐platelet therapy. Its great strengths are its usage simplicity and sensitivity to conditions affecting primary hemostasis. However, as a “global” test, its limitation is that closure time (CT) test results are neither predictive of, nor specific for, any individual disorder. However, utilized properly, the PFA‐100/200 reflects a valuable addition to hemostasis laboratories involved in identification or therapeutic‐monitoring of disorders of primary hemostasis.
Mapping of serotonin 5‐HT4 receptor mRNA and ligand binding sites in the post‐mortem human brain

The anatomical localization of 5‐HT4 receptor mRNA and 5‐HT4 receptor protein was examined in sections of post‐mortem human brain by in situ hybridization histochemistry and radioligand receptor autoradiography. In the in situ hybridization study, the highest levels of 5‐HT4 receptor mRNA were found in caudate nucleus, putamen, nucleus accumbens, and in the hippocampal formation. No 5‐HT4 receptor mRNA was detected in globus pallidus and substantia nigra. For receptor autoradiography, two new and highly selective radioligands were compared: [3H]prucalopride, which preferentially labels the G‐protein coupled fraction of receptors, and [3H]R116712, which labels the entire receptor population at subnanomolar concentrations. [3H]Prucalopride and [3H]R116712 binding was performed on human brain hemisphere sections. The highest densities for both radioligands were found in the basal ganglia (caudate nucleus, putamen, nucleus accumbens, globus pallidus, substantia nigra). Moderate to low densities were detected in the hippocampal formation and in the cortical mantle. Mismatches between 5‐HT4 receptor mRNA and binding sites in the globus pallidus and the substantia nigra suggested that the binding sites may be localized on axonal projections originating from the striatum. To compare densities of binding sites, concentration binding curves with [3H]prucalopride, [3H]R116712 and [3H]GR113808 were performed on membranes from homogenates of several human brain regions. Comparison of Bmax‐values obtained with [3H]prucalopride and [3H]R116712 indicated that the G‐protein coupled fraction of 5‐HT4 receptors in the substantia nigra was exceptionally high (54%) in comparison with percentages (16–27%) found in the frontal cortex, the striatum and the hippocampus. Such a high percentage (40%) of [3H]prucalopride vs. [3H]R116712 binding was also observed in the substantia nigra in the receptor autoradiography experiments. The [3H]prucalopride binding was GppNHp‐sensitive, whereas [3H]R116712 and [3H]GR113808 was not. These data indicate that in the substantia nigra 5‐HT4 receptors are more strongly coupled to their signal transduction pathway than in other brain regions. Synapse 36:35–46, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
CILIORETINAL ARTERIES IN DIABETIC EYES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED RETINAL BLOOD FLOW VELOCITY AND OCCURRENCE OF DIABETIC MACULAR EDEMA

Purpose: The main purpose was to investigate the relationship between occurrence of cilioretinal arteries and macular edema in diabetic eyes in terms of retinal blood flow characteristics revealed by the Retinal Function Imager (RFI). Other standard imaging techniques such as fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography/scanning laser ophthalmoscopy were also used along with the RFI. The additional purpose was to look for the evidence of cilioretinal-retinal collaterals using the RFI. Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy were included. All patients underwent fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, and imaging using RFI. The presence of cilioretinal artery (CilRA) was recognized using color/red-free fundus photographs, fluorescein angiography, and RFI. There were two groups according to the presence (CilRA group) or absence (NoCilRA group) of cilioretinal artery or arteries in the study eye. Results: Thirty-nine eyes with diabetic retinopathy were included. Cilioretinal artery was identified in 15 eyes (38%). In the CilRA group, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography evidence of macular edema was observed in 13 of 15 eyes (87%), whereas in the NoCilRA group, macular edema was observed on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in 7 of 24 eyes (29%). Mean blood flow velocities in retinal arteries and veins were significantly higher in diabetic eyes with cilioretinal artery (P = 0.04 and P = 0.005, respectively). Mean blood velocity in cilioretinal arteries was significantly higher in comparison with the mean arterial blood velocity (P = 0.03). In the CilRA group, cilioretinal-retinal collaterals, assessed by RFI, were detected in 4 of 15 eyes (27%) with cilioretinal arteries. In the NoCilRA group, mean blood velocity in retinal veins was significantly higher in eyes with macular edema in comparison with those without macular edema (P = 0.03). Conclusion: Using the RFI in conjunction with standard fundus imaging techniques, the presence of cilioretinal artery in diabetic eyes was found to be associated with increased retinal blood flow velocity and increased occurrence of diabetic macular edema. The occurrence of cilioretinal-retinal collaterals was also noted; however, the pathophysiologic significance of this finding requires further investigation.
Using saliency maps to separate competing processes in infant visual cognition.

This article presents an eye-tracking study using a novel combination of visual saliency maps and "area-of-interest" analyses to explore online feature extraction during category learning in infants. Category learning in 12-month-olds (N = 22) involved a transition from looking at high-saliency image regions to looking at more informative, highly variable object parts. In contrast, 4-month-olds (N = 27) exhibited a different pattern displaying a similar decreasing impact of saliency accompanied by a steady focus on the object's center, indicating that targeted feature extraction during category learning develops across the 1st year of life. These results illustrate how the effects of lower and higher level processes may be disentangled using a combined saliency map and area-of-interest analysis.
Association analysis of the dopamine transporter (DAT1)‐67A/T polymorphism in bipolar disorder

An imbalance in the dopaminergic system in humans has been hypothesized to contribute to the pathogenesis of a number of psychiatric illnesses, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. We performed a case/control study on the DAT1 (HUGO approved symbol SL6A3) gene core promoter polymorphism −67A/T to analyze the possible association of either allele of this polymorphism with bipolar disorder. The allele and genotype frequencies of the polymorphism were studied in 136 patients and 163 controls, which were matched on the basis of sex, age, and ethnicity. The genotype frequencies in the patients group were as follows: AA 30.9%; AT 55.1%; TT 14% versus the genotype frequencies in the control group: AA 49%; AT 41.8%; TT 9.2% [χ2 = 10.3, df = 2, OR = 2.15 (95% CI 1.34–3.47, P ≤ 0.006]. The T‐allele of the −67A/T polymorphism revealed a ∼1.4‐fold excess in the patients group comparing with the controls (P ≤ 0.003). For the first time, these findings provide tentative evidence of the contribution of the DAT1 gene core promoter polymorphism to the etiopathophysiology of bipolar disorder at least in the Iranian population that we have studied. Interestingly, no allelic or genotype association was observed in the female patients (P ≤ 0.6 and P ≤ 0.7, respectively). Replication studies of independent samples and family‐based association studies are necessary to further evaluate the significance of our findings. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.