Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the TGF-beta1 promoter polymorphism (C-509T) in patients with chronic periodontitis.

BACKGROUND A polymorphism in the promoter region of the transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta1) gene was described at position -509. This polymorphism represents a C-to-T base exchange, which creates a YY1 consensus sequence in an area involved with down transcription regulation. This polymorphism has been associated with risk for asthma and allergies. In this study we investigated the association between this polymorphism and chronic periodontitis severity. METHODS Genomic DNA from oral mucosa of 87 Caucasian subjects was amplified by PCR, and digested with Eco81I restriction endonuclease. The alleles were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The differences in genotype distribution from those expected by Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and the significance of the differences in observed frequencies of the polymorphism in moderate and severe disease and healthy groups were assessed by the chi2 test. RESULTS There was a difference in the presence of the different alleles and genotypes among the healthy, moderate and severe periodontitis groups. The allele T was seen at 57.7% in the group with severe periodontitis and 37.8% and 35.4% in the healthy group and moderate periodontitis group, respectively (p=0.0387). The genotype T/T was found at 38.5% in the group with severe periodontitis, and at a frequency of 8% in the healthy group (p=0.0258). CONCLUSION These results demonstrate that the polymorphism at bp -509 in the TGF-beta1 promoter may have a small effect on the modulation of the inflammatory process during periodontitis.
The Roles of Price, Performance, and Expectations in Determining Satisfaction in Service Exchanges

In this article, the authors examine the roles that price, performance, and expectations play in determining satisfaction in a discrete service exchange. The authors maintain that the price fluctuations common to the many service industries that implement demand-oriented pricing, combined with the inherent heterogeneity of service performance, likely result in price–performance combinations that vary widely. Furthermore, the authors propose that the level of price–performance consistency in a service exchange moderates the relationship between performance expectations and subsequent performance and satisfaction judgments. When price and performance are consistent, expectations have an assimilation effect on performance and satisfaction judgments; when price and performance are inconsistent, expectations have no effect on performance and satisfaction judgments. To examine these issues, the authors develop a contingency model that they estimate using data from a multimedia experimental design. The results generally support the contingency framework and provide empirical support for normative guidelines that call for creating realistic performance expectations and offering money-back service guarantees.
Organic and Biodynamic Agriculture: A Review in Relation to Sustainability

This paper focuses on organic and biodynamic farming systems - sectors growing rapidly in many countries - and particularly on their relationship with the concept of sustainability. Both technical packages promote and improve the health of the agro-ecosystems related to biodiversity, nutrient biocycles, soil microbial and biochemical activities. In addition to the common tools of organic agriculture, biodynamic agriculture uses specific manure and fermented herbal preparations as compost additives and field sprays. Organic farming and biodynamic agriculture have been regarded as having different provenances and having arisen independently, but the authors suggest to consider organic and biodynamic farming systems as a unique sustainable system driven by a common holistic approach.
IJPDLM's 40th anniversary: an overview and retrospective analysis

– The purpose is threefold: to assess International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management's (IJPDLM's) reputation for quality and impact; to identify leading articles and authors during the journal's 40‐year history; and to report on the international diversity of the journal's author base and the diversity of its subject matter over the last five years. , – The paper uses the following: literature review of recent journal articles that assessed the quality of logistics and supply chain management (SCM) journals; IJPDLM article download counts and article counts per author over last 40 years; and assessment of subject matter content and geographical base of authors for articles published in IJPDLM over the last five years. , – IJPDLM consistently ranks among the top logistics and supply chain journals on the basis of research quality and usefulness. IJPDLM is quite diverse both with respect to logistics subject matter and to the location of its authors. The most popular topics over the last five years are: purchasing and supply management; inter‐organizational relationships; customer service and demand management; and logistics outsourcing/3PL. A key emerging research area for logistics and SCM is the discipline's contributions to addressing important societal issues. , – The findings pertaining to current and emerging research areas will be of interest and value to all logistics and SCM researchers. , – The analysis of IJPDLM's reputation and the assessment of the subject matter it covers are both original and of interest to prospective authors.
The Diffusion of Online Banking

The financial services environment has been subject to changes on many fronts. Technological change and the advent of the Internet are among the most dramatic and challenging areas of change for the sector. This paper looks at retail banking and its adoption of online banking, in particular the factors driving and inhibiting adoption by banks. An international Delphi study confirms the high level of importance of the Internet for retail banking. By 2011, it is expected that bank adoption of the Internet will be near universal. The key factors that are driving banks to adopt online banking are the adoption by other banks, competitive forces, consumer demand and the availability of technology. Working against adoption are banks’ perceptions that the Internet does not offer enhanced ability to deal with customers as well as bank resistance to change, their existing legacy systems and the resources required to adopt.
MODEL LIPID BILAYER MEMBRANES AS TARGETS FOR ANTIBODY‐DEPENDENT, CELLULAR‐ AND COMPLEMENT‐MEDIATED IMMUNE ATTACK *

The use of hapten-sensitized model lipid bilayer membranes as targets for the action of specific antibodies and complement is now well established. ' In the present paper we summarize briefly some of our own work with complement, nitroxide spin-label haptens in liposomes, and specific antibodies against the nitroxide There is much current interest in using liposomes and lipid vesicles to study other effector functions of the immune system, in particular cell-mediated cytotoxicity (see, for example, the work of Henkart and Blumenthal*). In the present paper we also summarize our preliminary studies of the interactions of antibody-dependent killer monocytes, nitroxide spin-label sensitized lipid vesicles, and specific antibodies against the nitroxide group. There can be little doubt that in general the immune response to a given membrane depends on the lateral distribution of membrane antigens/haptens. It is plausible conjecture, explored elsewhere 3 9 4. 6, and below, that the response may also depend on the lateral motion of membrane components. In order to pursue a quantitative study of the relationship between lateral motion/distribution of haptens and antibody-dependent effector functions of the immune system we have used spin-labeled haptens and antibodies directed against the nitroxide spin-label group. As discussed extensively elsewhere, paramagnetic resonance spectra of the nitroxide group provide direct information about the motion and distribution of this hapten and can also be used to measure the degree of specific antibody binding. '-? Without this kind of information, the present experiments would lose much of their novelty and significance.
Perinatal Lethality of Microtubule-Associated Protein 1B-Deficient Mice Expressing Alternative Isoforms of the Protein at Low Levels

Microtubule-associated protein 1B (MAP1B) has been implicated in axogenesis in cultured cells. To gain insight into the functions that MAP1B plays in vivo, we analyzed a strain of Map1B mutant mice generated by a gene trapping approach. Homozygous mice die on the first day after birth, probably due to a severe abnormal development of the nervous system. They present alterations in the structure of several brain regions. The normal Map1B gene yields different protein isoforms from alternatively spliced transcripts. The smaller isoforms were present in wild type, hetero-, and homozygous mice, but their expression was higher in the mutants than in the wild-type. Moreover, trace amounts of MAP1B protein were also observed in Map1B homozygous mutants, indicating an alternative splicing around the gene trap insertion. Thus, the Map1B gene trapped mutation reported in this work did not generated a null mutant, but a mouse with a drastic deficiency in MAP1B expression. Analyses of these mice indicate the presence of several neural defects and suggest the participation of MAP1B in neuronal migration.
Host Genetic Resistance to Symptomatic Norovirus (GGII.4) Infections in Denmark

ABSTRACT A total of 61 individuals involved in five norovirus outbreaks in Denmark were genotyped at nucleotides 428 and 571 of the FUT2 gene, determining secretor status, i.e., the presence of ABH antigens in secretions and on mucosa. A strong correlation (P = 0.003) was found between the secretor phenotype and symptomatic disease, extending previous knowledge and confirming that nonsense mutations in the FUT2 gene provide protection against symptomatic norovirus (GGII.4) infections.
Hidden persuasions in soap operas: damaged heroines and negative consumer effects

The purpose of our study is to investigate the negative influence of textual images of damaged women characters in soap operas on the female consumers who constitute the majority of viewers. We begin with an analysis of the television soap genre in terms of print and radio antecedents to examine the specific attributes that make it a marketable item designed to appeal to women audiences. In a cross-sectional study of long-time viewers of four soap operas, we investigate negative consumer influences identified in prior research indicating that long exposure to negative role models is detrimental to personal life satisfaction, realistic assessment of what the world is like and achievement of reasonable goals. These influences are considered negative in that viewers who seek emotional satisfaction in parasocial attachments to characters accept images of passively subordinate women characters in attractive settings as ‘real’. Findings indicate the presence of negative response themes such as distorted views of television reality as the norm, aspiration to the possessions and lives seen on screen, disappointment at the viewers’ own lives in comparison, and substitution of soap relationships for real-world interactions. Additional research directions on soaps as a source of hidden persuasion are suggested on the part of advertising academics, practitioners and public policy makers.
Thermal tolerance and potential distribution of Carvalhotingis visenda (Hemiptera: Tingidae), a biological control agent for cat's claw creeper, Macfadyena unguis-cati (Bignoniaceae)

Abstract The specialist tingid, Carvalhotingis visenda, is a biological control agent for cat's claw creeper, Macfadyena unguis-cati (Bignoniaceae). Cat's claw creeper is an invasive liana with a wide climatic tolerance, and for biological control to be effective the tingid must survive and develop over a range of temperatures. We evaluated the effect of constant temperatures (0–45°C) on the survival and development of C. visenda. Adults showed tolerance for wider temperature ranges (0–45°C), but oviposition, egg hatching and nymphal development were all affected by both high (>30°C) and low (<20°C) temperatures. Temperatures between 20°C and 30°C are the most favourable for adult survival, oviposition, egg hatching and nymphal development. The ability of adults and nymphs to survive for a few days at high (40°C and 45°C) and low (0°C and 5°C) temperatures suggest that extreme temperature events, which usually occur for short durations (hours) in cat's claw creeper infested regions in Queensland and New South Wales states are not likely to affect the tingid population. The potential number of generations (egg to adult) the tingid can complete in a year in Australia ranged from three to eight, with more generations in Queensland than in New South Wales.
AGTR1 promoter hypermethylation in lung squamous cell carcinoma but not in lung adenocarcinoma.

Aberrant DNA methylation is associated with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), suggesting that gene promoter methylation may be a potential biomarker for the detection or risk prediction of NSCLC. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential usage of angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AGTR1) methylation in two major pathologic subtypes: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). Quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction was used to investigate the effect of AGTR1 promoter methylation in the tumor and the paired adjacent non-tumor tissue samples from 42 patients with LUSC, and 69 with LUAD. The percentage of methylated reference was calculated and presented as the median (interquartile range 25th-75th percentile). The results of the current study revealed that there was significantly increased AGTR1 promoter methylation in the tumor tissues compared with the paired adjacent non-tumor tissue [97.4 (57.22-130.5) vs. 85 (48.25-123); P=0.024]. Furthermore, higher AGTR1 promoter methylation was observed in patients with LUSC compared with LUAD (odds ratio=2.483; 95% confidence interval=1.125-5.480; P=0.023). Significant differences were identified in AGTR1 methylation between non-tumor and the tumor tissues in LUSC [113.5 (68.33-148.73) vs. 93.04 (45.94-140); P=0.008]. In addition, the Cancer Genome Atlas data of 378 patients with LUSC and 477 with LUAD revealed an inverse correlation between gene expression and the methylation status of AGTR1 promoter. These data suggest that AGTR1 hypermethylation is a promising biomarker to assist in LUSC detection and diagnosis.
Evaluation of Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitory Potential and In vivo Hypouricemic Activity of Dimocarpus longan Lour. Extracts

Background: Longan is a fruit tree known to contain many phenolic components, which are capable of protecting people from oxidative damage through an anti-inflammatory mechanism. It may be also worthwhile to study the effect on lowering uric acid activity. Materials and Methods: This study investigates the lowering of uric acid using longan extracts, including flowers, pericarps, seeds, leaves, and twigs, on potassium-oxonate-induced hyperuricemia mice and its inhibitory actions against xanthine oxidase (XO) activities. Results: The findings revealed that ethyl acetate fraction of longan extracts exhibited strong XO-inhibitory activity, and the flower extracts (IC50 = 115.8 μg/mL) revealed more potent XO-inhibitory activity to those of pericarps (118.9 μg/mL), twigs (125.3 μg/mL), seeds (262.5 μg/mL), and leaves (331.1 μg/mL) in vitro. In addition, different dosages of longan extract (50–100 mg/kg) were administered to hyperuricemic mice. The lowering effect of longan extracts on uric acid at 75 mg/kg markedly reduced plasma uric acid levels in decreasing order: Flowers (80%) > seeds (72%) > pericarps (64%) > twigs (59%) > leaves (41%), compared with allopurinol (89%). Finally, 10 isolated phytochemicals from longan flowers were then examined in vitro. The results indicated that proanthocyanidin A2 and acetonylgeraniin A significantly inhibited XO activity in vitro. This is the first report providing new insights into the urate-reducing effect of phenolic dimer and hydrolyzable tannin, which can be developed to potential hypouricemic agents. SUMMARY Longan flower extracts possess more potent XO-. inhibitory activity than pericarps, twigs, seeds, and leaves in vitro The lowering effect of longan flowers and seeds extracts markedly reduced plasma uric acid levels as compared to allopurinol in vivo The extract proanthocyanidin A2 and acetonylgeraniin A were demonstrated potent XO inhibitory activity in vitro. Abbreviations used: PO: Potassium-oxonate, XO: xanthine oxidase, HE: n-hexane, EA: ethyl acetate, i.p.: intraperitoneal, PBS: phosphate-buffered saline, AP: allopurinol, PUA: plasma uric acid.
The Early Identification of At-Risk Students in an Undergraduate Marketing Metrics Course

This research describes the development of a diagnostic tool to permit the early identification of at-risk students in an undergraduate marketing metrics course. Using multiple discriminant analysis, students were classified into performance categories by drawing on a set of predictor variables conceptually linked to student performance in math-based courses. The discriminant model included math ability, perceived self-efficacy, math anxiety and overconfidence as potential discriminators of student performance. The model successfully identifies at-risk students at three times the chance probability. The early identification of at-risk students is a critical first step in the process to improve student performance.
Survival, movement, and resource use of the butterfly Parnassius clodius

Abstract. 1. A mark–recapture study was conducted on the American Apollo butterfly Parnassius clodius Menetries during three field seasons (1998–2000) to examine its movement patterns over the course of a season within a sagebrush meadow in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, U.S.A. The study examined how resources affected butterfly distribution patterns and used mark–recapture data to gain insight into movement differences between sexes and over time.
Bronchial artery embolization : experience with 54 patients.

OBJECTIVES To report our experience with bronchial arteriography and bronchial artery embolization (BAE). MATERIALS AND METHODS A review of clinical experience to evaluate the demographics, clinical presentation, radiographic studies, bronchoscopy, and complications of bronchial arteriography and BAE at Mayo Medical Center, Rochester, MN, from 1981 to 2000. RESULTS Fifty-four patients underwent bronchial arteriography. There were 34 men and 20 women with a mean age of 53 years. Hemoptysis was the most common indication in 53 patients (98%). Hemoptysis was caused by bronchiectasis (9 patients), pulmonary hypertension (9 patients), malignancy (7 patients), mycetoma (7 patients), and other identified causes (14 patients). The cause could not be identified in eight patients. Bronchoscopy was performed in 49 patients (92%), and the results identified the bleeding lobe in 32 patients, lateralized the side of the bleeding in 5 patients, and were not helpful in 12 patients. Bronchial arteriography revealed hypervascularity (45 patients), bronchial artery hypertrophy (17 patients), hypervascularity with shunting (15 patients), dense soft tissue staining (8 patients), vascular abnormalities (7 patients), and extravasation of contrast (1 patient). BAE was attempted in 54 patients, completed in 51 patients, and was unsuccessful in 3 patients. Overall, 72 embolization sessions were performed with a total of 131 arteries embolized, and the average number of arteries embolized per patient was 2.5. Control of hemoptysis was observed in 46 patients (85%) at 1 month. Rebleeding occurred within 30 days in five patients. Eight patients had recurrent hemoptysis that occurred 30 days after the procedure. The complications of embolization included subintimal dissection of a bronchial artery (two patients), bronchial arterial perforation by a guidewire (one patient), and the reflux of embolic material into the aorta without adverse sequelae (one patient). CONCLUSIONS BAE is a useful therapy to control both acute and chronic hemoptysis. BAE may help to avoid surgery in patients who are not good surgical candidates. Should hemoptysis recur in these patients, repeat embolization can be performed safely.
Attentional biases for emotional facial stimuli in currently depressed patients with bipolar disorder

Compared to the extensive research focussing on cognitive vulnerability factors underlying the onset and maintenance of major depressive disorder, studies investigating dysfunctional processing of emotional information in bipolar depression remain scarce. Therefore, this experimental study examined the nature and time course of attentional biases for emotional information in depressive patients with bipolar disorder. Fourteen currently depressed patients with Bipolar I Disorder (BD) and 14 nondepressed control participants (NC), matched for age, gender and education level, performed an emotional modification of the spatial cueing task. Cues consisted of angry, positive and neutral facial expressions presented for 200 and 1,000 ms. BD patients showed an enhanced cue validity effect for angry faces and had more difficulties in disengaging attention away from angry as well as happy facial expressions compared to NC participants, who conversely demonstrated a «protective bias» away from negative information. This pattern of differential attentional processing was only found within the early stage of information processing at a presentation duration of 200 ms. These results provide evidence for deficits at the early stages of attentive processing of emotional information in depressed bipolar patients compared to healthy controls.
Towards T-tube free laparoscopic bile duct exploration: a methodologic evolution during 300 consecutive procedures.

OBJECTIVE To establish a simple, reproducible, and safe technique of laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (CBDE) with high clearance rates and low morbidity and mortality rates. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA For most general surgeons, laparoscopic CBDE appears an unduly complex and demanding procedure. Since the introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, many surgeons use endoscopic cholangiography (ERC) and endoscopic sphincterotomy as their only option in treating bile duct stones. ERC is more specific if used after surgery, but it carries an appreciable morbidity rate and has the disadvantage of requiring a second procedure to deal with bile duct stones. To this end, various methods of laparoscopic CBDE have been developed. METHODS Between August 1991 and February 1997, 300 consecutive unselected patients underwent laparoscopic CBDE. RESULTS Of 300 laparoscopic CBDE procedures, 173 (58%) were managed using a transcystic approach and 127 (42%) with choledochotomy. Successful laparoscopic stone clearance was achieved in 271 (90%). Of the 29 (10%) patients not cleared laparoscopically, 10 had an elective postsurgical ERC, 12 were converted to an open procedure early in the series, and 7 had unexpected retained stones. There was one death (mortality rate 0.3%) and major morbidity occurred in 22 patients (7%). The last 100 procedures were performed from July 1995 to February 1997, and stone clearance was unsuccessful in only two patients. CONCLUSIONS Laparoscopic transcystic basket extraction of common duct stones under fluoroscopic guidance is a relatively quick, successful, and safe technique. Choledochotomy, when required, is associated with a higher morbidity rate, particularly with T-tube insertion, and the authors advocate primary bile duct closure with or without insertion of a biliary stent as a more satisfactory technique for both surgeon and patient. Most patients with gallbladder and common duct calculi should expect a curative one-stage laparoscopic procedure without the need for external biliary drainage or ERC.