Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), interleukin 1, and interleukin 6 (IL‐6) levels in the plasma of stored platelet concentrates: relationship between TNF alpha and IL‐6 levels and febrile transfusion reactions

Increased interleukin 6 (IL‐6) levels were found in 8 of 12 platelet concentrates (PCs) after 3 days of storage and in 10 of 12 PCs after 5 and 7 days of storage. Most of the PCs with an increased IL‐6 level also showed increased tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and interleukin 1 beta (IL‐1 beta) levels. Levels of IL‐6 increased by 3 log10 over the base level during storage. Increased levels were found when the PC white cell count exceeded 3 × 10(9) per L. A linear correlation was found among the levels of TNF alpha, IL‐1 beta, IL‐1 alpha, and IL‐6 in the PCs (r > 0.885). Comparison of the TNF alpha, IL‐ 1 beta, and IL‐6 levels in samples taken at various storage times indicates that the increased levels are the result of an active synthesis and release of interleukins during storage. In a second part of the study, 45 transfusions of white cell‐reduced PCs were studied. Six transfusions were complicated by a febrile reaction. These reactions were related to high levels of IL‐6 and TNF alpha in the PCs (p < 0.0001). These cytokines are known as endogenous pyrogens. These findings indicate that transfusion reactions might be due to the intravenous administration of plasma with high cytokine levels and might not always result from an antigen‐antibody reaction.
Promoting Empowerment of Women and Gender Equality through Integrated Microfinance, Value-chain Support and Gender Capacity Building: The Case of Bukonzo Joint Cooperative Microfinance Service Ltd (Uganda)

Interventions aiming at empowerment of women leading to gender equality rarely succeed for failure to design programmes that are suitable to the local context. The programme under investigation, supported by Oxfam-Novib’s Women Empowerment, Mainstreaming and Networking (WEMAN) programme, provides integrated services of rural finance, value-chain support as well as capacity building on gender, based on participatory methodologies and leveraging existing rural finance group forums as a platform, as well as systematic deployment of voluntary labour and effective peer-to-peer learning. Dramatic changes are being registered towards gender equality at household level and beyond in-terms of increased women control of resources such as land, and sharing of household responsibilities with spouse in a context such as that part of rural Uganda where serious gender in-equality has been part of the rural cultural system for generations. Yet, to scale-up and sustain women empowerment and gender equality at community-wide level, it looks like more integrated efforts need to be exerted at markets as well as (formal and informal) institutions that sustain and/or re-enforce gender in-equality.
Prevalence, predictors, and consequences of unrecognized diabetes mellitus in 3266 patients scheduled for coronary angiography.

BACKGROUND Previous population-based studies have reported a proportion of undiagnosed diabetes in the range between 25% and 50%. However, data on undiagnosed diabetes in a high-risk population, such as patients scheduled for coronary angiography, are lacking. Therefore, we sought to determine prevalence, predictors, and consequences of unrecognized diabetes in patients scheduled for coronary angiography. METHODS This analysis involved 3266 patients scheduled for coronary angiography who have been enrolled in the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health study. RESULTS Five hundred fifty-six patients (17.0%) had known diabetes. Another 486 patients with previously unrecognized diabetes (17.9%) were diagnosed in the remaining 2710 presumed nondiabetic subjects. Therefore, 486 (46.6%) of a total of 1042 patients with diabetes were previously undiagnosed, raising the diabetic proportion of enrolled patients to 31.9%. In half of the newly diagnosed patients with diabetes, the disease was detectable only by use of glucose challenge. Independent predictors of unrecognized type 2 diabetes were C-reactive protein >5 mg/L, arterial hypertension, body mass index >30 kg/m(2), age >or=65 years, and a positive family history of diabetes. Compared with nondiabetic subjects, patients with unrecognized type 2 diabetes showed a significantly increased risk for coronary artery disease (odds ration [OR] 1.7, 95% CI 1.3-2.3) and multivessel disease (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.8), and a borderline association with myocardial infarction (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0-1.5). Oral glucose challenge was not superior to fasting glucose in predicting this increased cardiovascular risk. CONCLUSION In half of the patients scheduled for coronary angiography, diabetes was previously unrecognized. In a high-risk population of patients scheduled for coronary angiography, screening for diabetes should be performed routinely to initiate timely preventive efforts.
Characterization of equine infectious anemia virus long terminal repeat

The long terminal repeats (LTRs) of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) were examined with respect to their ability to function as transcriptional promoters in various cellular environments. Nucleotide sequence analyses of the LTRs derived from two unique proviral clones revealed the requisite consensus transcription and processing signals. One of the proviruses possessed a duplication of a 16-base-pair sequence in the CCAAT box region of the LTR which was absent in the other provirus. To assess its functional activity, each LTR was coupled to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene and transfected onto various cell lines, including matched cultures of EIAV-infected and uninfected cells. The levels of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity directed by the EIAV LTRs were between 250 and 900 times greater in EIAV-infected cells compared with their uninfected counterparts. Thus, EIAV expression appears to be activated by a virus-induced trans-activation phenomenon analogous to that recently shown to amplify expression of certain other lentiviruses.
Red-wine Beneficial Long-term Effect on Lipids but not on Antioxidant Characteristics in Plasma in a Study Comparing Three Types of Wine--Description of two O-methylated Derivatives of Gallic Acid in Humans

The purpose of this double clinical study was (1) to evaluate the effect of one single intake (300 ml) of red wine (RW) on the plasma antioxidant capacity (pAOC) and plasma phenolics over the 24-h time period following the intake, and (2) to compare the long-term effects of daily intakes (250 ml/d) of RW, white wine (WW) and Champagne (CH) on the plasma and LDL characteristics of healthy sujects. In the first part, blood samples were collected just before and after wine consumption. In the second part, subjects received the 3 types of wine successively, only at the mealtime, over 3-week periods separated by a 3-week wash out. Blood samples were drawn in fasting condition before and after each 3-week wine consumption period. The peak of pAOC was at 3-4 h following the single intake of RW, that of catechin was at 4 h (0.13 μmol/l) and that of gallic acid and caffeic acid was earlier (≤⃒1.5 and 0.3 μmol/l, respectively). In plasma, the major form of gallic acid was 4-O-methylated, but a minor form (the 3-O-methyl derivative) appeared. In the long term study, no wine was able to change LDL oxidizability, but some other parameters were modified specifically: RW decreased pAOC (without changing TBARS and uric acid plasma levels), LDL lipids and total cholesterol (TC), and increased plasma apoA1, whereas CH increased plasma vitamin A. The beneficial effect of RW seems to mainly be explained by its action on lipid and lipoprotein constants, and not by its antioxidant one.
A Video to Improve Patient and Surrogate Understanding of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Choices in the ICU: A Randomized Controlled Trial*

Objective:To determine if a video depicting cardiopulmonary resuscitation and resuscitation preference options would improve knowledge and decision making among patients and surrogates in the ICU. Design:Randomized, unblinded trial. Setting:Single medical ICU. Patients:Patients and surrogate decision makers in the ICU. Interventions:The usual care group received a standard pamphlet about cardiopulmonary resuscitation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation preference options plus routine code status discussions with clinicians. The video group received usual care plus an 8-minute video that depicted cardiopulmonary resuscitation, showed a simulated hospital code, and explained resuscitation preference options. Measurements and Main Results:One hundred three patients and surrogates were randomized to usual care. One hundred five patients and surrogates were randomized to video plus usual care. Median total knowledge scores (0–15 points possible for correct answers) in the video group were 13 compared with 10 in the usual care group, p value of less than 0.0001. Video group participants had higher rates of understanding the purpose of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and resuscitation options and terminology and could correctly name components of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. No statistically significant differences in documented resuscitation preferences following the interventions were found between the two groups, although the trial was underpowered to detect such differences. A majority of participants felt that the video was helpful in cardiopulmonary resuscitation decision making (98%) and would recommend the video to others (99%). Conclusions:A video depicting cardiopulmonary resuscitation and explaining resuscitation preference options was associated with improved knowledge of in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation options and cardiopulmonary resuscitation terminology among patients and surrogate decision makers in the ICU, compared with receiving a pamphlet on cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Patients and surrogates found the video helpful in decision making and would recommend the video to others.
Markets, ethnicity and environment in a vulnerable landscape : the case of small-scale vegetable production on the Jos Plateau, Nigeria, 1991-2001.

This paper explores changing socio-environmental interactions in the vegetable producing areas of the Jos Plateau over the decade 1991–2001. It considers the pressures of market forces and ethnic competition and the tensions which arise as interactions between the two are played out in a fragile physical, social and institutional environment. The region has seen a remarkable expansion in irrigated vegetable production, as dry season surveys in 1991 and 2001 attest. Local farmers appear extremely positive in their perceptions of change, pointing not only to expanded production, but also to other improvements, like growing percentages of children in school and improved transport. But behind this rosy view of change there are tensions and a series of unresolved questions which may soon have to be addressed. We examine the changing nature of socio-environmental interactions over the decade and ask whether and how current levels of production can be sustained in the context of a currently largely unregulated production system and growing competition for land. Given the important role of the Plateau as a source of temperate fruit and vegetables in West Africa, these questions have significance far beyond the Plateau region itself.
The Social Benefits of Intramural Sports

One of the distinguishing features of collegiate student recreational sports complexes is the sense of community that is intentionally introduced in the programs and services that occur within these facilities. Intramural sports programs provide a powerful medium for student interaction (Belch, Gebel, & Mass, 2001). This study was designed to examine the social benefits of intramural sports participation for undergraduate students at a midsized postsecondary institution. Surveys were randomly distributed to students (N = 349) participating in a variety of intramural sports programs. There were a number of significant differences in the reported social benefits of intramural sports participation between on-campus and off-campus students, first- and fourth-year students, males and females, and differences in reported social benefits based on the number of intramural sports played. Recreational sports programs should be linking participation in intramural sports with broader institutional goals of retention by emphasizing their role in socially integrating students into the university through participation in various recreational sports offerings. Suggestions for future research are made in the context of the limitations of the study.
Detection Accuracy of Network Anomalies Using Sampled Flow Statistics

We investigate the detection accuracy of network anomalies when we use flow statistics obtained through packet sampling. We have already shown, through a case study based on measurement data, that network anomalies generating a huge number of small flows, such as network scans or SYN flooding, become hard to detect when we perform packet sampling. In this paper, we first develop an analytical model that enables us to quantitatively evaluate the effect of packet sampling on the detection accuracy and then investigate why detection accuracy worsens when the packet sampling rate decreases. In addition, we show that, even with a low sampling rate, spatially partitioning the monitored traffic into groups makes it possible to increase the detection accuracy. We also develop a method of determining an appropriate number of partitioned groups and show its effectiveness.
Phosphoprotein and nucleocapsid protein evolution of vesicular stomatitis virus New Jersey

The entire phosphoprotein (P) and nucleocapsid (N) protein gene sequences and deduced amino acid sequences for 18 selected vesicular stomatitis virus isolates representative of the natural genetic diversity within the New Jersey serotype are reported. Phylogenetic analysis of the data using maximum parsimony allowed construction of evolutionary trees for the individual genes and the combined N, P, and glycoprotein (G) genes of these viruses. Virtually identical rates of nucleotide substitutions were found for each gene, indicating that evolution of these genes occurs at essentially the same rate. Although up to 19 and 17% sequence differences were evident in the P and N genes, respectively, no variation in gene length or evidence of recombinational rearrangements was found. However, striking evolutionary differences were observed among the amino acid sequences of vesicular stomatitis virus New Jersey N, P, and G proteins. The N protein amino acid sequence was the most highly conserved among the different isolates, indicating strong functional and structural constraints. Conversely, the P protein amino acid sequences were highly variable, indicating considerably fewer constraints or greater evolutionary pressure on the P protein. Much of the remarkable amino acid variability of the P protein resided in a hypervariable domain located between amino acids 153 and 205. The variability within this region would be consistent with it playing a structural role as a spacer to maintain correct conformational presentation of the separate active domains of this multifunctional protein. In marked contrast, the adjacent domain I of the P protein (previously thought to be under little evolutionary constraint) contained a highly conserved region. The colocalization of a short, potentially functional overlapping open reading frame to this region may explain this apparent anomaly.
Beyond the Environmental Kuznets Curve: a comparative study of SO2 and CO2 emissions between Japan and China

This study is the first systematic attempt to test statistically the contrasting hypotheses on the emission of SO2 and CO2, and energy consumption in Japan and China for the last few decades. We postulate the hypotheses that local governments have incentives to internalize the local external diseconomies caused by SO2 emissions, but not the global external diseconomies caused by CO2 emissions. To substantiate our hypotheses, we decompose emissions of SO2 and CO2 into two factors: the emission factor (i.e. emission per energy use) and energy consumption. The results show that the prefectures where past energy consumption was high tend to reduce the emission factor of SO2 significantly in Japan, while we do not find such a tendency in China. There is also evidence that neither per capita income nor past energy consumption affects the CO2 emission factor and energy consumption significantly in both Japan and China, implying that an individual country has few incentives to reduce CO2 emissions.
Investigating global effects in visual occlusion: from a partly occluded square to the back of a tree-trunk.

'Classic' occlusion examples, such as a square partly occluded by a rectangle, have given rise to so-called local and global accounts of amodal completion. Without denying the influence of local configurations, I take the position that, in the long run, any theory of amodal completion should account for global properties. After a brief review of local and global accounts, two extensions of the stimulus domain are proposed to further illustrate the necessity of global accounts. The first is the domain of so-called fuzzy regularities, i.e., regularities which are not based on metrical identities. It is argued and demonstrated that observers are even susceptible to these fuzzy regularities and that they complete partly occluded shapes accordingly. The second extension is towards 3D object completion. Theories of object representation that describe intrinsic regularities of objects appear to be most suitable to predict relative preferences of alternative object completions. Consequently, fuzzy object completions, such as the completion of the back of a tree-trunk, can be explained better by global constraints.
A Note on Organizational Commitment

Studies of organizational commitment have tended to focus on managers within single organizations, or on samples of a single employee category across organizations. On the hunch that an alternative approach might yield different findings, the present study examines organizational commitment, antecedents, and consequences among three distinct groups (administrators, semiskilled-unskilled workers, and faculty) within a single organization, a large university. No shared, consistent pattern of antecedents or outcomes of organizational commitment is found among the groups. It is proposed that the development of commitment may vary by employee rank or type of organization. The present data show that the antecedents of organizational commitment and two outcomes (intention to leave the organization and perceived work effort), are quite different for each of the three groups.
ApoE(-/-) mice develop atherosclerosis in the absence of complement component C5.

Previous studies have suggested that the terminal complex of complement may contribute to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. C5b-9 complexes colocalize with the extracellular lipid in the aortic intima of hypercholesterolemic rabbits, and C6-deficient rabbits develop less atherosclerosis than controls. To test the role of complement in atherosclerosis in a different animal model, C5 deficient (C5def) mice were cross-bred with atherosclerosis susceptible apoE(-/-) mice, generating mice deficient in both apoE and C5 and control apoE(-/-) mice. Progeny were typed for C5 titer and serum cholesterol levels. Both male and female mice were fed a high fat diet from weaning until 22 weeks of age. At that time there were no significant differences in plasma cholesterol or triglycerides between apoE(-/-) control and apoE(-/-)/C5def groups. Morphometric analysis of the aortic root lesions gave mean (+/-SEM) lesion areas for male apoE(-/-) and apoE(-/-)/C5def mice of 468,176 +/- 21,982 and 375,182 +/- 53,089 microm(2), respectively (n = 10 each, P value = 0.123). In female apoE(-/-) mice (n = 5), the mean lesion area was 591,981 +/- 53,242 microm(2), compared to 618,578 +/- 83,457 microm(2) for female apoE(-/-)/C5def mice (n = 10) (P value = 0.835). Thus neither male nor female mice showed a significant change in lesion area when C5 was not present. In contrast to the case in the hypercholesterolemic rabbit, activation of the terminal complex of complement does not play a major role in the development of atherosclerosis in apoE(-/-) mice.
OROS methylphenidate in the treatment of adults with ADHD: a 6-month, open-label, follow-up study.

BACKGROUND This open-label trial followed a previously reported randomized, placebo-controlled trial of osmotic release oral system (OROS) methylphenidate (MPH) for the treatment of personality disorder (PD). Important findings from the double-blind phase are reexamined for long-term significance. METHODS Of 41 patients who completed the double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 34 continued into this open-label phase. The Wender-Reimherr Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Scale (WRAADDS) measured outcome. Patients were categorized using previously defined attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) groups: ADHD alone, ADHD with emotional dysregulation (ADHD + ED), and ADHD plus emotional dysregulation plus oppositional symptoms (ADHD + ED + ODD); and 3 post hoc personality categories: patients with no PD (PD-negative), patients with 1 PD (PD-positive), and patients meeting criteria for 2 or more PDs (PD-plus). RESULTS Three WRAADDS-defined ADHD dimensions improved at similar levels (attention + disorganization, 61%; hyperactivity + impulsivity, 60%; and emotional dysregulation, 66%). All ADHD subgroups (ADHD alone, ADHD + ED, and ADHD + ED + ODD) improved. ADHD + ED + ODD patients had the highest level of social maladjustment at baseline and showed the most long-term improvement in this area. PD-plus patients were less likely to complete the study or show improvement. Sixty-five percent of treatment responders were on moderate doses (< or =54 mg/d) of OROS MPH. Vital signs and ECGs did not differ from baseline. CONCLUSIONS Eighteen (44%) patients completed the trial. All 3 ADHD dimensions showed similar, well-maintained improvement. Patients with several PDs responded poorly to treatment in this small trial.
How and Why has Poverty in China Changed? A Study Based on Microdata for 1988 and 1995*

Poverty alleviation is on China's political agenda and ambitions are high in a country experiencing rapid economic growth. In a speech at the Central Work Conference on Poverty Eradication on 23 September 1996 Premier Li Peng declared that the country could see an end to poverty in its rural areas by the end of the century. This would mean lifting the country's remaining 65 million poor out of poverty.
MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS: ERP VERSUS BOB

The purpose of this study is to compare the use of enterprise resource planning (ERP) and best of breed (BoB) standalone systems in practice. The data for the study were collected through a postal questionnaire in 300 large and middle-sized industrial units in Finland. The questionnaire addressed questions concerning IS implementation (why, how and by whom the IS project was introduced), management accounting function, and the use of advanced management accounting techniques. The results obtained indicate that financial departments have been more interested in traditional BoB systems, while other departments have concentrated more on ERP solutions. Further, as the articulated motives behind the IS project were strategic, and moreover technical in nature, the solution in most cases was ERP, while in the cases where motives were either strategic or technical, the choice was BoB. Otherwise, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups of BoB or ERP adopters, and the problems perceived in management accounting or the adoption of advanced management accounting techniques (e.g. ABC, ABM and BSC).