Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physico-chemical and biological study of excision-repair of UV--irradiated phiX174 RF DNA in vitro.

We have studied excision-repair of UV-irradiated phiX174 RFI DNA in vitro with UV-specific endonuclease from Micrococcus luteus (UV-endo), DNA polymerase I from Escherichia coli and DNA ligase from phage T4 infected E. coli. Excision-repair was measured a) by physico-chemical methods, i.e. by determination of the conversion of RF I DNA into RF II DNA by UV-endo and by the subsequent conversion of RF II DNA ligase, b) by biological methods i. e. by measuring the ability of the reaction product to form phages upon incubation with spheroplasts from the appropriate strains of E. coli. Using the first method, we have shown, that more than 90% of the pyrimidine dimers can be repaired in vitro; with the latter method we have shown, that the molecules which are repaired as defined by method a) have regained full biological activity. Exonuclease III was found to be not essential for excision-repair in vitro and also did not stimulate repair. From this result we conclude that UV-endo generates 3'OH endgroups, in agreement with results obtained by Hamilton et al. (1974). The usefulness of the method presented in this paper with regard to the study of excision-repair is discussed.
Home advantage and player nationality in international club football

Abstract The home advantage effect was investigated at a team and player level in Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League football using in-depth performance and disciplinary variables. Performance analysis revealed that the home team scored more goals, had more shots on and off target, had a greater share of possession, and won more corners than the away team. There was an opposite trend for disciplinary variables, with the home team committing less fouls than the away team, and receiving less yellow and red cards. There were home advantage effects at player level for goals, total shots, shots on target, assists, and yellow cards, as found in the team analysis. In addition, foreign players demonstrated a home advantage effect for goals scored, whereas domestic players scored an equivalent number of goals at home and away venues. Results are discussed in relation to the home advantage literature and wider implications for the sport.
Improving care in a resident practice for patients with diabetes.

BACKGROUND Curricular redesign and introduction of the Chronic Care Model in our residency clinic during 2005-2007 achieved limited success in glycemic (glycated hemoglobin level [A(1c)]), lipid (low-density lipoprotein fraction [LDL]), and blood pressure (BP) control for patients with diabetes. INTERVENTION Beginning in January 2008, ancillary staff performed previsit, protocol-driven reviews of medical records of patients with diabetes to identify those not at A(1c), LDL, and BP goals; inserted electronic prompts into the records regarding deficiencies; and obtained samples for A(1c) or lipid panel when needed. Faculty feedback regarding resident-specific panel reviews was added in May 2008, and point-of-care A(1c) testing was implemented in February 2009. METHODS We conducted a 2-year retrospective study of all patients at our facility with diabetes mellitus, who had at least 1 visit during January to June 2008 (baseline) and 1 visit during July to December 2009 (follow-up). Measures included the most current A(1c), LDL, and BP results. Paired outcome results were compared using the McNemar χ(2) test. RESULTS A total of 522 patients with diabetes mellitus were seen during the baseline and follow-up periods, and 456 patients (87.4%) had paired A(1c) results, with A(1c) < 7.0% for 138 of 456 patients (30.3%) at baseline and 166 of 456 patients (36.4%) at follow-up (P = .011). For LDL, 460 patients (88.1%) had paired results, with LDL < 100 mg/dL for 225 of 460 patients (48.9%) at baseline and 262 of 460 patients (57.0%) at follow-up (P = .004). A total of 513 patients (98.3%) had paired BP results in which the BP < 130/80 mm Hg for 124 of 513 patients (24.2%) at baseline and for 188 of 513 patients (36.6%) at follow-up (P < .001). There were 421 patients (80.7%) with paired results for all 3 measures, with 17 of 421 patients (4.0%) at goal at baseline and 41 of 421 patients (9.7%) at goal at follow-up (P = .001). CONCLUSION The interventions resulted in statistically significant improvements in the proportion of patients with diabetes who attained goal for A(1c), LDL, and BP levels. Our redesign elements may be useful in enhancing resident education and in improving patient care.
Correlation of numerical and structural status of chromosome 16 with histological type and grade of non‐invasive and invasive breast carcinomas

Loss of heterozygosity on chromosome arm 16q frequently occurs in human breast carcinomas regardless of the histological grade or type. To reveal whether the status of chromosome 16 corresponds to the histology of breast carcinomas, we examined the signal number of 16cen, 16q breakpoints and 1;16 fusions in the interphase nuclei of 185 breast carcinomas using fluorescence in situ hybridization to detect the loci D16Z2 (16cen), D16Z3 (16q11), D16S154 (16q24) and D1Z1 (1q12). A 16q loss associated with a proximal or distal breakage was identified as a discrepancy between the modal signal counts of the D16Z2, D16Z3 and D16S154 loci in each tumor. Clonal 16cen aneusomy, proximal breakages, distal breakages and 1;16 fusion were detected in 62%, 35%, 34% and 38% of the carcinomas respectively. Each of these alterations correlated with the histology of both non‐invasive and invasive carcinomas; 16cen aneusomy was more frequent in carcinomas of high histologic grade, proximal breakage was more frequent in invasive ductal carcinomas (IDCs) of the strand or solid types and in grade‐2 and ‐3 carcinomas, and distal breakage was more frequent in tubular/cribriform type IDCs and grade‐1 carcinomas. 1;16 fusion correlated with the tubular/cribriform type of non‐invasive or invasive carcinomas and invasive lobular carcinomas. Proximal breakage correlated with 16cen aneusomy, whereas the distal breakage correlated with 16cen disomy. These structural and numerical chromosome alterations appeared to occur in association with each other, and their specific combinations appeared to be involved in the establishment of morphological variety among breast carcinomas. Int. J. Cancer (Pred. Oncol.) 84:381–387, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Tinnitus in old age.

From the gerontological and geriatric study of 70-year-olds in Göteborg, Sweden, 674 persons were selected to participate in an investigation of tinnitus in old age. The subjects belonged to two cohorts, one of which was followed longitudinally at ages 75 and 79. Some 8-15% of the participants had continuous tinnitus and 20-42% occasional tinnitus. The prevalence of tinnitus was about the same for men as for women. There were significant correlations between tinnitus and exposure to occupational noise. Men with continuous tinnitus had, on average, been exposed to noise for 20-30 years, in contrast to men without tinnitus who had noise exposure of 11-15 years, on average. Those with continuous tinnitus had poorer pure-tone thresholds than those without tinnitus or with occasional tinnitus. Noise-induced hearing loss is an important etiological factor, especially for old men, but other types of hearing losses such as presbyacusis, Ménière's disease, otosclerosis and chronic otitis media also contribute to tinnitus.
College Choice Process of Latino Undocumented Students: Implications for Recruitment and Retention.

Why We Should Care Across the US many states have established educational policies that provide financial aid support for small percentages of undocumented students to attend college at in-state tuition rates. One such state is California—home to the largest concentration of immigrants (Drachman 2006), where it is estimated that 2,600 to 3,000 undocumented students will attend college, since data tell us that approximately 5 percent to 10 percent of undocumented students who graduate with a high school diploma nationwide will attend some form of higher education (Gonzales 2007). Why should undergraduate college admission professionals and high school counselors care and what makes careful consideration of undocumented populations so important to any attempts to diversify the Latino college pipeline?
Methotrexate for Uveitis Associated with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Value and Requirement for Additional Anti-Inflammatory Medication

Purpose To study the value of methotrexate (MTX) and the requirement for additional anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of severe chronic iridocyclitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Methods Institutional study of 35 consecutive patients with JIA started on MTX as the single systemic immunosuppressive drug for the treatment of associated iridocyclitis. The clinical epidemiologic data, course of visual acuity (VA), development of complications, and the need for additional anti-inflammatory drugs were analyzed. Results Mean follow-up with MTX treatment was 27.6 months. Uveitic complications were present in 31 patients before MTX treatment. With MTX, quiescence of uveitis was obtained with (n=21) or without (n=4) additional topical steroids. Additional systemic immunosuppressive drugs were required in another 7 patients: cyclosporine A (n=4), azathioprine (n=1), infliximab (n=1), or etanercept (n=1). Three patients had active uveitis at the end of the follow-up period. During MTX therapy, uveitis first developed in the unaffected fellow eyes in 2 patients, and secondary glaucoma or ocular hypertension occurred in 7 patients. The VA deteriorated in 6, improved in 13, and was stable in the remaining eyes. Conclusions The data suggest that MTX is very effective in controlling inflammation of uveitis in patients with JIA. However, additional topical steroids or systemic immunosuppressive drugs are often required.
A critical review of the application of citation studies to the Research Assessment Exercises

The Research Assessment Exercises (RAE) conducted in the UK have attractedvarious types of published response. These include citation analyses and a review of the public reception of the RAE 1996, which included a brief critique of the citation studies. This paper develops the critique. Largely unexplored issues in the theory or assumptions of bibliometrics, e.g. the level of citation which corresponds to a quantum of research quality, are found to emerge in the studies. A weak, and unsatisfactorily treated, correlation between citation aggregates and research quality for individual entities is revealed. The proposal to replace informed peer review by citation analysis is regarded as highly unrealistic. Productive uses for citation analysis in research evaluation are suggested. A historically rare instance of correlation between rankings derived from citation aggregates and from real world peer review has been revealed by the studies. The future value of citation analysis could be to inform, but not to determine, judgements of research quality. A combination of methods is advocated for future studies of the RAEs. Information science must attend to considerations of value, as well as using established techniques, if it is to avoid marginalisation.
Recent Advances in Edible Coatings for Fresh and Minimally Processed Fruits

The development of new edible coatings with improved functionality and performance for fresh and minimally processed fruits is one of the challenges of the post harvest industry. In the past few years, research efforts have focused on the design of new eco-friendly coatings based on biodegradable polymers, which not only reduce the requirements of packaging but also lead to the conversion of by-products of the food industry into value added film-forming components. This work reviews the different coating formulations and applications available at present, as well as the main results of the most recent investigations carried out on the topic. Traditionally, edible coatings have been used as a barrier to minimize water loss and delay the natural senescence of coated fruits through selective permeability to gases. However, the new generation of edible coatings is being especially designed to allow the incorporation and/or controlled release of antioxidants, vitamins, nutraceuticals, and natural antimicrobial agents by means of the application of promising technologies such as nanoencapsulation and the layer-by-layer assembly.
Mental hospital and general hospital psychiatric units: a comparison of services within the same geographic area

SYNOPSIS A comparison was made between the characteristics of patients admitted to the only psychiatric hospital in Newfoundland, Canada, and those admitted to general hospital psychiatric units within the same area. Patients were compared on demographic characteristics, diagnosis, incidence of violence and suicidal attempts, treatment, length of stay and previous admissions. The results suggest that patients admitted to the mental hospital are more likely to be single, male, of lower socio-economic status and to suffer from more chronic conditions. There is also a higher incidence of violence among patients admitted to the mental hospital. These findings have implications for the types of changes that will be required in general hospital units if the role of mental hospitals continues to decline.
10-year incidence and associations of pterygium in adult Chinese: the Beijing Eye Study.

PURPOSE To assess the 10-year incidence of pterygium and associated factors in adult Chinese. METHODS The population-based, longitudinal beijing eye study, which included 4439 subjects (age: 40+ years) in 2001, was repeated in 2011 with 2695 subjects participating (66.4% of the survivors). Eyes with a pterygium in 2001 (n = 90) were additionally excluded. The study participants underwent a detailed ophthalmic examination, including slit-lamp examination for detection of pterygia and corneal photography for measurement of the pterygia. RESULTS Incident pterygia were detected in 157/5300 eyes (2.9 0.3%) of 129/2628 persons (4.9 0.4%). in 101 (78.3%) subjects, the incident pterygia had occurred unilaterally. Of 44 participants with unilateral pterygium in 2001, six (13.6%) subjects developed an incident pterygium in the fellow eye during the 10-year follow up. In the age groups of 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 TO 69, and 70+ years, The 10-year incidence of pterygia was 5.4 0.7%, 4.7 0.7%, 4.5 0.8%, and 5.0 1.5%, respectively. The length of pterygium was 30.4 14.7% of the corneal diameter. In multivariate analysis, the 10-year incidence of pterygia was associated with the rural region of habitation (P 0.001; odds ratio [OR]: 0.24; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.14, 0.42) and lower fasting blood concentration of glucose (P = 0.009; OR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.71, 0.95), whereas the level of education (P = 0.90), cognitive score (P = 0.64), occupation as farmer versus nonfarmer (P = 0.47), diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.11), and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.10) were not significantly associated. CONCLUSIONS The 10-year incidence of pterygium in adult Chinese was 4.9%. It was significantly associated with the rural region of habitation and lower fasting blood glucose concentration.
The expression of astrocyte elevated gene‐1 in human non‐small‐cell lung cancer and its relationship with postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy

To examine the expression of astrocyte elevated gene‐1 (AEG‐1) in non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and analyse the correlation between AEG‐1 expression and the prognosis of the patients, particularly the relationship between AEG‐1 expression and postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Individual variation in foraging effort of breeding birds

Parental care (e.g. provisioning nestlings) is widely assumed to be costly, and life-history theory predicts a trade-off between reproduction and future fecundity and/or survival. However, experimental studies manipulating workload during parental care and demonstrating fitness effects are either rare or have mixed results. Here, we took a two-step approach to this problem in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris): 1) using a 4-year dataset to ask if changes in parental investment in handicapped (wing-clipped) parents, and the fitness consequences of these decisions, vary among years (i.e. with ecological context), and 2) using an automated radio telemetry system to determine if females alter their activity to compensate for an increase in workload. We found marked individual and annual variation in response to the handicapping treatment. In addition, clipped individuals dramatically reduced their activity, while sustaining current breeding productivity, suggesting that clipped individuals reduce self-maintenance to favour their current reproductive bout.
The effects of rock uplift and rock resistance on river morphology in a subduction zone forearc, Oregon, USA

Relationships between riverbed morphology, concavity, rock type and rock uplift rate are examined to independently unravel the contribution of along‐strike variations in lithology and rates of vertical deformation to the topographic relief of the Oregon coastal mountains. Lithologic control on river profile form is reflected by convexities and knickpoints in a number of longitudinal profiles and by general trends of concavity as a function of lithology. Volcanic and sedimentary rocks are the principal rock types underlying the northern Oregon Coast Ranges (between 46°30′ and 45°N) where mixed bedrock–alluvial channels dominate. Average concavity, θ, is 0·57 in this region. In the alluviated central Oregon Coast Ranges (between 45° and 44°N) values of concavity are, on average, the highest (θ = 0·82). South of 44°N, however, bedrock channels are common and θ = 0·73. Mixed bedrock–alluvial channels characterize rivers in the Klamath Mountains (from 43°N south; θ = 0·64). Rock uplift rates of ≥0·5 mm a−1, mixed bedrock–alluvial channels, and concavities of 0·53–0·70 occur within the northernmost Coast Ranges and Klamath Mountains. For rivers flowing over volcanic rocks θ = 0·53, and θ = 0·72 for reaches crossing sedimentary rocks. Whereas channel type and concavity generally co‐vary with lithology along much of the range, rivers between 44·5° and 43°N do not follow these trends. Concavities are generally greater than 0·70, alluvial channels are common, and river profiles lack knickpoints between 44·5° and 44°N, despite the fact that lithology is arguably invariant. Moreover, rock uplift rates in this region vary from low, ≤0·5 mm a−1, to subsidence (<0 mm a−1). These observations are consistent with models of transient river response to a decrease in uplift rate. Conversely, the rivers between 44° and 43°N have similar concavities and flow on the same mapped bedrock unit as the central region, but have bedrock channels and irregular longitudinal profiles, suggesting the river profiles reflect a transient response to an increase in uplift rate. If changes in rock uplift rate explain the differences in river profile form and morphology, it is unlikely that rock uplift and erosion are in steady state in the Oregon coastal mountains. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Case Study of Preferential Bestiality (Zoophilia)

Humans show a wide array of sexual preferences and behaviors. Although most humans prefer and have sex with consenting adults of the opposite sex, some individuals have unconventional preferences with regard to the sex or age of sexual partners, or with regard to the nature of sexual activities. In this paper, we describe a rare case of preferential bestiality, or zoophilia. The client meets the most stringent criteria for the diagnosis of zoophilia. In particular, his phallometrically measured arousal pattern shows a sexual preference for horses over other species, including humans.
Transformed Lepidopteran insect cells: new sources of recombinant human tissue plasminogen activator.

Stable transformation was used to generate a cloned insect cell line (Bm5 silkmoth cells) over-expressing human tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). This cell line expressed 135 microg/mL single chain tPA in serum-free medium in static culture with a maximum specific activity of 120 IU/microg. In serum-containing medium, this line expressed 160 microg/mL of combined single-chain tPA, two-chain tPA, and a higher molecular weight SDS-stable tPA complex in suspension cultures with a maximum specific activity of 255 IU/microg. Approximately 100 copies of the tPA cDNA were randomly integrated into each Bm5 cell. For secretion of recombinant tPA from Bm5 cells, the native human tPA signal peptide is as effectively recognized as an insect specific signal peptide derived from a silkmoth chorion gene. Finally, stably transformed polyclonal populations of Bm5, High Five, and Sf21 cells expressing tPA were generated and compared for relative tPA expression.
Finding Place in Higher Education: An Epistemological Analysis

Though the topic of student transition into the culture and practices of higher education has been the subject of considerable investigation by scholars, the transition literature has been largely silent on the epistemological challenges that new students face in the context of the university classroom. The purpose of this paper is to look at student transition from this unique perspective. The paper reviews recent empirical research in the area of “personal epistemology,” which establishes the facts regarding what students actually believe about knowledge and knowing as they enter university. The paper also provides an analysis of the epistemological beliefs of university teachers, and the influence that these beliefs have on the teachers’ educational practice. A key issue discussed here is the conflict between students’ conception of knowledge (as certain and possessed by authorities) and their teachers’ conception of knowledge (as something constructed through a process of evidential inquiry). Finally, the impact of this epistemological conflict on students’ ability to make sense out of, and find their place in, the new and different learning environment of the university is considered. Bien que le sujet de la transition des etudiants dans la culture et la pratique de l’enseignement superieur ait fait l’objet de nombreuses analyses de la part de chercheurs universitaires, la documentation sur la transition est en grande partie muette sur les defis epistemologiques auxquels les nouveaux etudiants font face dans le contexte de la salle de classe universitaire. L’objectif de cet article est d’examiner la transition des etudiants a partir de cette perspective unique. Dans cet article, nous examinons la recherche empirique recente effectuee dans le domaine de « l’epistemologie personnelle », qui etablit les faits en ce qui concerne ce que les etudiants pensent reellement concernant la connaissance et l’utilisation de la connaissance alors qu’ils font leur entree a l’universite. L’article presente egalement une analyse des croyances epistemologiques des professeurs d’universite ainsi que l’influence que ces croyances ont sur la pratique educationnelle de ces professeurs. Une question cle discutee dans cet article est le conflit entre la conception qu’ont les etudiants de la connaissance (quelque chose de certain que les autorites possedent) et la conception de la connaissance qu’ont leurs professeurs (quelque chose qui se construit grâce a un processus d’enquete probante). Pour finir, l’article examine egalement l’impact de ce conflit epistemologique sur l’aptitude des etudiants a donner du sens et a trouver leur place dans leur nouvel environnement d’apprentissage si different qu’est l’universite.