Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development and Use of a Natural History Data Base of Breast Cancer Studies

Pretreatment information, type of treatment, and longitudinal follow-up on 1,971 patients with operable breast cancer were used to establish a breast cancer natural history data base (NHDB). Data were available for 957 patients with stage I (node-negative) breast cancer and 1,014 stage II (node-positive) patients. In women with negative nodes, information was available on 759 patients treated at the Milan National Cancer Institute and 188 patients treated at the Royal Marsden Hospital. After adjustment for differences in the distribution of patient prognostic factors, relapse-free survival and overall survival were not significantly different. Of the 1,014 node-positive patients, 540 were treated at the Milan National Cancer Institute, 258 at the Royal Marsden, and 216 at the M. D. Anderson Hospital. Relapse-free survival and overall survival did not significantly differ between Milan patients and those treated at the Royal Marsden Hospital. However, M. D. Anderson Hospital patients did have significantly better relapse-free and overall survival. In each institution, outcome was consistently most dependent on the number of involved axillary lymph nodes and tumor size. Also, similar patterns of survival were observed for each of the institutions. The development of an NHDB can be of value in the identification and evaluation of consistency of prognostic factors, permitting improved comparisons between clinical trials. The development of such a natural history data base (NHDB) provides a reference for assessing the impact of different adjuvant chemotherapy programs, and aids in the design of new protocols.
The effect of age and spontaneous exercise on the biomechanical and biochemical properties of chicken superficial digital flexor tendon

The aim of this study was to evaluate if spontaneous (nonforced active) exercise and age (maturation process) alter the biomechanical and biochemical properties of superficial digital flexor tendon. Chickens aged 1, 5, and 8 months were divided into two groups: caged and penned. The caged group was reared in an area of 0.5 m2 (3 animals/cage), while the penned group was reared in an area of 60 m2 (3 animals/area). For biochemical analysis, the tendon was divided into tensile and compressive regions for quantification of hydroxyproline and glycosaminoglycan content. Biomechanical properties were analyzed from tensile tests of intact tendons. The biomechanical measurements were taken at maximum load and maximum stress. In both the caged and penned groups, maximum load and energy absorption increased with maturation; however, the elastic modulus, maximum stress, and maximum strain did not increase with maturation. Exercise resulted in a higher load, stress, and elastic modulus in the fifth month. Collagen content increased with age in the penned group and with exercise in the fifth and eighth months. Exercise results in a higher expression of glycosaminoglycans in young tendons compared to mature tendons. Thus, low-intensity mechanical stimuli promote the synthesis and possible rearrangement of molecules in immature tendons, whereas inactivity leads to deleterious effects on the material properties (maximum stress and elastic modulus) during growth and maturation.
Performance of ultraviolet photocatalytic oxidation for indoor air cleaning applications.

UNLABELLED Ultraviolet photocatalytic oxidation (UVPCO) systems for removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from air are being considered for use in office buildings. Here, we report an experimental evaluation of a UVPCO device with tungsten oxide modified titanium dioxide (TiO2) as the photocatalyst. The device was challenged with complex VOC mixtures. One mixture contained 27 VOCs characteristic of office buildings and another comprised 10 VOCs emitted by cleaning products, in both cases at realistic concentrations (low ppb range). VOC conversion efficiencies varied widely, usually exceeded 20%, and were as high as approximately 80% at about 0.03 s residence time. Conversion efficiency generally diminished with increased airflow rate, and followed the order: alcohols and glycol ethers > aldehydes, ketones, and terpene hydrocarbons > aromatic and alkane hydrocarbons > halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons. Conversion efficiencies correlated with the Henry's law constant more closely than with other physicochemical parameters. An empirical model based on the Henry's law constant and the gas-phase reaction rate with hydroxyl radical provided reasonable estimates of pseudo-first order photocatalytic reaction rates. Formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, formic acid and acetic acid were produced by the device due to incomplete mineralization of common VOCs. Formaldehyde outlet/inlet concentration ratios were in the range 1.9-7.2. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS Implementation of air cleaning technologies for both VOCs and particles in office buildings may improve indoor air quality, or enable indoor air quality levels to be maintained with reduced outdoor air supply and concomitant energy savings. One promising air cleaning technology is ultraviolet photocatalytic oxidation (UVPCO) air cleaning. For the prototype device evaluated here with realistic mixtures of VOCs, conversion efficiencies typically exceeded the minimum required to counteract predicted VOC concentration increases from a 50% reduction in ventilation. However, the device resulted in the net generation of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde from the partial oxidation of ubiquitous VOCs. Further development of the technology is needed to eliminate these hazardous air pollutants before such a UVPCO device can be deployed in buildings.
Dialogue Summary: Improving Leadership Capacity in Primary and Community Care in Ontario

The funding for the stakeholder dialogue (and the evidence brief that informed it) was provided by the Government of Ontario (through a Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Health System Research Fund grant entitled Harnessing Evidence and Values for Health System Excellence). The McMaster Health Forum receives both financial and in-kind support from McMaster University.
The influence of Shc proteins and high‐fat diet on energy metabolism of mice

The purpose of this study was to determine if Shc proteins influence the metabolic response to acute (7 days) feeding of a high‐fat diet (HFD). To this end, whole animal energy expenditure (EE) and substrate oxidation were measured in the Shc knockout (ShcKO) and wild‐type (WT) mice fed a control or HFD. The activities of enzymes of glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, electron transport chain (ETC), and β‐oxidation were also investigated in liver and skeletal muscle of ShcKO and WT animals. The study showed that ShcKO increases (P < .05) EE adjusted for either total body weight or lean mass. This change in EE could contribute to decreases in weight gain in ShcKO versus WT mice fed an HFD. Thus, our results indicate that Shc proteins should be considered as potential targets for developing interventions to mitigate weight gain on HFD by stimulating EE. Although decreased levels of Shc proteins influenced the activity of some enzymes in response to high‐fat feeding (eg, increasing the activity of acyl‐CoA dehydrogenase), it did not produce concerted changes in enzymes of glycolysis, citric acid cycle, or the ETC. The physiological significance of observed changes in select enzyme activities remains to be determined.
The dynamics of price jumps in the stock market: an empirical study on Europe and U.S.

We study the bivariate jump process involving the S&P 500 and the Euro Stoxx 50, with jumps extracted from high-frequency data. In our analysis, based on Hawkes processes, we find no evidence of contagion across different markets. Nevertheless, we observe significant jump clustering effects though they are limited to intraday time scales. Moreover, we notice that the relative contribution of jumps to the total price variance is larger during tranquil market conditions rather than in periods of stress, providing empirical evidence of this result during the subprime mortgage crisis and the European sovereign debt crisis. Importantly, our results are robust under different jump detection methods.
Attitude toward Public Health Dentistry as a career among dental students in Odisha: A Cross-sectional study

Background: Knowledge of dental students' expectations of their profession as well as their attitudes to study a particular specialty of dentistry is of great importance. These attitudes and expectations make studying dentistry meaningful to dental students and society and understanding these factors facilitate workforce planning in the dental sector The aim of the study was to assess the attitude of dental students towards considering Public Health Dentistry as their future career. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted, which included the 3rd year, 4th fourth year and dental interns studying in the State of Odisha. It consisted of 27 questions that were graded on 5-point Likert scale. The responses for the attitude questions toward selecting Public Health Dentistry for postgraduation were categorized into three factors, which are a negative attitude (includes score 0–21), neutral attitude (score 22–44), and positive attitude (score 45–64). Differences between groups were examined using Chi-square test for proportions. The level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Among 886 respondents, 302 (34.08%) were males and 584 (65.91%) were females. One-third (33.52%) of them had a positive attitude toward selecting public health dentistry as their future career, and nearly two-third of them (58.23%) had neutral attitude, with very few students having a negative attitude (8.23%) toward the specialty for pursuing postgraduation. Conclusion: Respondents had a considerable amount of interest in pursuing postgraduation in this specialty. Efforts should be intensified, both by the dental council and by the dental colleges, to develop this specialty, keeping in mind the increasing attitude of dental undergraduates toward it.
How to Attract an Audience at a Conference: Paper, Person or Place?

Abstract We analyze the drivers of audience size and the number of questions asked in parallel sessions at the annual conference of the German Economics Association. We find that the location of the presentation is at least as important for the number of academics attending a talk as the combined effect of the person presenting and the paper presented. Being a presenter in a late morning session on the second day of a conference, close to the place where coffee is served, significantly increases the size of the audience. When it comes to asking questions, location becomes less important, but smaller rooms lead to more questions being asked. Younger researchers and very senior researchers attract more questions and comments. There are also interesting gender effects. Women attend research sessions more diligently than men, but seem to ask fewer questions than men. Men are less likely to attend presentations on health, education, welfare and development economics than women. Our findings suggest that strategic scheduling of sessions could ensure better participation at conferences. Moreover, different behaviors of men and women at conferences might also contribute to the lack of women in senior scientist positions.
Assessing student learning in technology entrepreneurship

Driven by changes in the global economy, entrepreneurship has grown rapidly as a curricular focus at many engineering schools in the U.S. Nonetheless, defining appropriate content and assessing how these educational experiences impact student learning has not yet been accomplished. To address this need, we have developed two tools to assess the educational outcomes of entrepreneurship courses and programs among engineering students. The first tool, the NCIIA entrepreneurship inventory, measures studentspsila self-reported familiarity with technology entrepreneurship terms and concepts, has been piloted at eight schools, and shows high reliability. The second tool is rubric that provides a framework for analyzing higher-level entrepreneurial thinking in more advanced undergraduate and graduate students. The rubric was derived empirically from student responses to two brief technology start-up cases, and was piloted at four NCIIA member schools. Discussion will focus on the results and implications for future development of assessment tools in technology entrepreneurship.
Preparation and in vitro evaluation of folate-receptor-targeted SPION–polymer micelle hybrids for MRI contrast enhancement in cancer imaging

Polymer–SPION hybrids were investigated for receptor-mediated localization in tumour tissue. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) prepared by high-temperature decomposition of iron acetylacetonate were monodisperse (9.27 ± 3.37 nm), with high saturation magnetization of 76.8 emu g−1. Amphiphilic copolymers prepared from methyl methacrylate and PEG methacrylate by atom transfer radical polymerization were conjugated with folic acid (for folate-receptor specificity). The folate-conjugated polymer had a low critical micellar concentration (0.4 mg l−1), indicating stability of the micellar formulation. SPION–polymeric micelle clusters were prepared by desolvation of the SPION dispersion/polymer solution in water. Magnetic resonance imaging of the formulation revealed very good contrast enhancement, with transverse (T2) relaxivity of 260.4 mM−1 s−1. The biological evaluation of the SPION micelles included cellular viability assay (MTT) and uptake in HeLa cells. These studies demonstrated the potential use of these nanoplatforms for imaging and targeting.
People's Democratic Republic of Yemen.

The population of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen grew from 992,000 in 1950 to 1.7 million in 1975, and the total fertility rate has remained relatively constant at 7 since 1950. The Government has not adopted a population policy per se, but has included sectoral policies that have implications for the size, growth, composition, and distribution of the population. The Government maintains that population issues should be viewed comprehensively within the framework of economic and social development. Measures to achieve economic growth, combined with the expansion of health, education, cultural, and social services, as well as the eradication of illiteracy and the emancipation of women, are expected to have a major impact on the society's demographic structure. The Government's main concern with regard to population growth is a reduction in morbidity and mortality. The rate of growth is projected to increase from 2.7% in 1980-85 to 2.9 in the year 2000, at which point it should begin to decline. The crude death rate is presently 18.8/1000 and is expected to drop to 13.1/1000 by 2000. Infant mortality stood at 138/1000 in 1980-85. Morbidity and mortality are unacceptably high among infants, children, nomads, and rural residents. Priorities for the health sector include the development and expansion of health services, intensive preventive health care for mothers and children, development of a safe drinking water system, nutrition and health education campaigns, and training of health personnel. Measures that are expected to decrease fertility include family planning education, an expansion of facilities to rural areas, and improvements in the status of women. Family planning services are freely available from maternal and child health centers, mainly in urban areas. A mass literacy campaign seeks to increase the female literacy rate to 90%, and women's participation in wage labor is being encouraged. A further goal of population policy is to modify spatial distribution through rural development and agriculture collectivization.
Efferent connections of the domestic chick archistriatum: A phaseolus lectin anterograde tracing study

The archistriatum of the domestic chick has been implicated in both fear behaviour and learning. However, relatively little is known about its organisation. The efferent connections of discrete anatomical regions of the chick archistriatum were therefore investigated by iontophoresis of the anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin into its anterior, dorsal intermediate, ventral intermediate, medial, and posterior parts. The results of this study suggest that the chick archistriatum can be divided into two basic divisions according to whether they project to the following limbic structures: the hippocampal formation, septal areas, lobus parolfactorius, nucleus accumbens, ventral paleostriatum, and dorsomedial thalamus. The limbic archistriatum includes the posterior archistriatum and extends rostrally through the ventral intermediate archistriatum into the anterior archistriatum. The non‐limbic archistriatum comprises the dorsal intermediate and medial archistriatum and largely gives rise to specific sensory, somatosensory, and motor telencephalofugal efferents. There may not be distinct borders between these two divisions of the chick archistriatum. J. Comp. Neurol. 389:679–693, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
alpha 2-macroglobulin traps a proteinase in the midregion of its arms. An immunoelectron microscopic study.

alpha 2-Macroglobulin, one of the major plasma proteinase inhibitors with Mr = 720,000, is known to inhibit proteinases of all four classes through the "trap mechanism" (Barrett, A. J., and Starkey, P. M. (1973) Biochem. J. 133, 709-724), but the proteinase binding site of alpha 2-macroglobulin has not been identified precisely. We localized bound proteinase molecules on the electron microscopic images of alpha 2-macroglobulin, using anti-proteinase IgG. Serratial Mr = 56,000 proteinase produced by Serratia marcescens was chosen as the antigenic probe in this study because its affinity to specific antibodies was retained in its bound state to alpha 2-macroglobulin. Dimers of alpha 2-macroglobulin/Mr = 56,000 proteinase complexes cross-linked with anti-Mr = 56,000 proteinase IgG were prepared and subjected to electron microscopic observations. The electron microscopic image of alpha 2-macroglobulin complexed with Mr = 56,000 proteinase had four straight arms with an overall shape looking like the character "H. " From the way anti-Mr = 56,000 proteinase IgG linked two alpha 2-macroglobulins, it was concluded that the proteinase existed in the midregion of one of the arms. This result helps us to form a more concrete view of the trap mechanism in that one of the arms of alpha 2-macroglobulin wraps the trapped proteinase and holds it isolated from high molecular weight substrates in the surrounding medium.
Strategizing Digitalization in a Finnish Higher Education Institution: Towards a thorough strategic transformation

This PhD dissertation covers the last approximately one-year phase (cycle) of a longitudinal action research over four years in a Finnish higher education institution. During the four-year research process, a thorough evaluation of the processes and resources was conducted in the case institution, and based on the evaluation and its results, a strategized approach to digitalization of a higher education institution was taken. Strategizing of digitalization in this regard refers to a holistic approach to strategic management of digitalization as a phenomenon, not as a tool. Understanding the differences between digitization and digitalization is a prerequisite for strategizing. This dissertation focuses on explaining the chosen approach to strategizing within the case institution, supported by the analysis of the realization of the strategic pattern, both on the systemic level and on the digital strategy team members ́ cognitive level. The digital strategy group perceived impacts both on individual and on systemic level. The most notable individual impacts of the collaborative digital strategy work were seen in the group members’ increased conceptual understanding of the phenomenon, their empowerment and the structure of work as members of executive board or management group. Their awareness of the progression of the digital strategy process throughout the institution increased. In general, the two-year digital strategy implementation plan was perceived to have materialized well. The digital strategy has started to materialize on the systemic level largely as planned. Various development initiatives have been launched and implemented, which are either directly linked with the planned strategy, or for their part, serve the digital strategy as complementary emergent strategies. This research suggests and describes a model – an approach to digitalization – which is validated by the empiric research and its results within a setting of a specific case. An analytical approach to holistic evaluation and commitment of many stakeholders is required in order to succeed. Of course, contextual factors need to be taken into consideration if the model is to be used within different cases.
Insights into the thermal stabilization and conformational transitions of DNA by hyperthermophile protein Sso7d: molecular dynamics simulations and MM-PBSA analysis

In the assembly of DNA-protein complex, the DNA kinking plays an important role in nucleoprotein structures and gene regulation. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed on specific protein-DNA complexes in this study to investigate the stability and structural transitions of DNA depending on temperature. Furthermore, we introduced the molecular mechanics/Poisson–Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) approach to analyze the interactions between DNA and protein in hyperthermophile. Focused on two specific Sso7d-DNA complexes (PDB codes: 1BNZ and 1BF4), we performed MD simulations at four temperatures (300, 360, 420, and 480 K) and MM-PBSA at 300 and 360 K to illustrate detailed information on the changes of DNA. Our results show that Sso7d stabilizes DNA duplex over a certain temperature range and DNA molecules undergo B-like to A-like form transitions in the binary complex with the temperature increasing, which are consistent with the experimental data. Our work will contribute to a better understanding of protein-DNA interaction.
Family history of cancer and nonmalignant lung diseases as risk factors for lung cancer

Family history (FH) of lung cancer is an established risk factor for lung cancer, but the modifying effect of smoking in relatives has been rarely examined. Also, the role of FH of nonmalignant lung diseases on lung cancer risk is not well known. We examined the role of FH of cancer and nonmalignant lung diseases in lung cancer risk overall, and by personal smoking, FH of smoking and histology in 1,946 cases and 2,116 population‐based controls within the Environment And Genetics in Lung cancer Etiology (EAGLE) study. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CI from logistic regression were calculated adjusting for age, gender, residence, education and cigarette smoking. FH of lung cancer in any family member was associated with increased lung cancer risk (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.25–1.98). The odds associated with fathers', mothers' and siblings' history of lung cancer were 1.41, 2.14 and 1.53, respectively. The associations were generally stronger in never smokers, younger subjects and for the adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma subtypes. FH of chronic bronchitis and pneumonia was associated with increased (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.23–1.80) and decreased (OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.61–0.87) lung cancer risk, respectively. FH of lung cancer and nonmalignant lung diseases affected lung cancer risk independently, and did not appear to be modified by FH of smoking. © 2009 UICC