Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ulipristal acetate as an emergency contraceptive agent

Introduction: Emergency contraceptive agents play a crucial role in preventing unplanned pregnancy. These agents and devices have been studied since the 1960s and have had varied results in terms of side effects and efficacy. A new oral tablet for emergency contraception (EC), ulipristal acetate (UPA), is a selective progesterone receptor modulator and can be used up to 120 h following unprotected intercourse, without an increase in adverse effects or a decrease in efficacy. Areas covered: This article reviews studies that evaluate the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, and safety profile of UPA as an emergency contraceptive agent. Expert opinion: UPA, a selective progesterone receptor modulator, is administered as a single 30 mg dose for EC. This agent provides a comparable, if not better, efficacy and side effect profile than seen with levonorgestrel or mifepristone. Because it has both agonistic and antagonistic effects on the progesterone receptor, ongoing clinical trials are documenting UPA's use for patients with endometriosis and as an extended use contraceptive.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Sleep Disturbances: Consideration of Parental Influence

Parent report of sleep-related problems among children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is common and may stem from several different factors. This study examined the extent to which parental influence predicted sleep problems among 67 children, ages 5 to 12, meeting a research diagnosis of ADHD. The majority of parents/caregivers (73%) reported significant child sleep difficulties. Parental implementation of daily routines added to the explained variance in bedtime resistance after considering child and family characteristics (e.g., age, medication, and family income) but was not a significant predictor of sleep problems overall. Parenting stress was not a significant predictor of child sleep problems. Results suggest that implementation of consistent routines, especially those related to bedtime, may be a key factor in facilitating improved sleep among children who display behaviors consistent with ADHD.
Impact of colic surgery on return to function in racing Thoroughbreds: 59 cases (1996-2009).

OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of colic surgery on return to function in Thoroughbred racehorses, identify clinical variables associated with successful return to racing, and compare racing performance between horses undergoing colic surgery and an untreated cohort. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. ANIMALS 59 Thoroughbred racehorses 2 to 5 years of age that underwent colic surgery and survived to hospital discharge and 90 untreated Thoroughbred racehorses equivalent in class. PROCEDURES Medical records of patients evaluated for colic between January 1996 and July 2009 were reviewed, and horses with a Jockey Club Information Systems record were included. Physical examination and laboratory findings on hospital admission, lesion location and type, duration of surgery, duration of hospitalization, and any postoperative complications were recorded. The untreated cohort comprised 2 untreated horses randomly selected from runners in each treated horse's last race immediately prior to the date of colic surgery. Records were obtained from the Jockey Club Information Systems in April 2011. Only horses that raced at least once before and after surgery were included in the performance analysis. Number of starts, earnings per start, and total earnings were determined from race records for all horses. Quarterly earnings and number of starts for 12 quarters following the date of surgery were compared between treated and untreated horses via a Wilcoxon rank sum test. Longevity of racing was assessed by means of survival analysis. Poisson regression was used to compare rates of return to racing and active quarters aggregated across the first 12 quarters after surgery and for the available follow-up period for treated and untreated horses. RESULTS 45 of 59 (76%) horses that raced prior to surgery returned to racing. Return to racing was significantly associated with admission heart rate and blood lactate concentration. From quarters 3 to 12, treated and untreated horses had slight differences in the number of starts but no difference in earnings per quarter. Treated and untreated horses had no difference in total number of quarters raced, number of starts, or earnings after surgery. Treated horses had higher earnings per start, compared with untreated horses. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE In the present study, racing Thoroughbreds that underwent colic surgery and successfully returned to racing had no differences in performance variables, compared with their untreated cohorts.
On the Role of Social Asset Specificity in the Channel Integration Decision

In this paper we critically examine the role that social asset specificity plays in influencing channel integration decisions. Transaction cost literature is combined with the literature on property rights to develop our arguments, and we empirically examine integration in a context where the firm-market choice is not apparent: integration of distribution activities. Using data for 1392 business units, we perform tests, the results of which indicate that social asset considerations are important in influencing firms to vertically integrate, while upholding in general the predictions of the transaction cost framework. (JEL: L22)
Efficacy of Pheromone on Capturing Angoumois Grain Moth ( Sitotroga Cerealella ) in Stored Rice ( Oryza Sativa L.) Grain

An experiment on the efficacy of pheromone on capturing angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) was conducted in the laboratory of the Department of Entomology, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Bangladesh, using rice variety BR11. Pheromone (X-lure) trap was used as a treatment and data were recorded at different days and distances. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four replications. In case of total captured moth, the highest percentage (%) was recorded at 1 st day (28.60%), whereas the lowest percentage (%) was recorded at 15 th day (7.60%). It was also observed that with the increase of distance of pheromone trap, the % of captured moth was decreased. The pheromone X-lure was found useful only for monitoring S. cerealella (Olivier). The Agriculturists 2015; 13(2) 74-80
European start-up hotspots: An analysis based on VC-backed companies

Through the perspective of VC-backed companies, this report describes the main locations of start-up activity in Europe, i.e. start-up hotspots. It aims at providing evidence on start-up activity in Europe and at describing the European VC activity over the last two decades. The study reports the following: â€¢ Europe receives 15% of global VC investments. After the dot.com hype, VC activity in Europe decreased and has never come close to the levels from 2000. VC funds have also moved away from seed to later stage of funding. â€¢ 28% of all European VC-backed companies are based in one of the 20 cities. Paris, London and Berlin lead the ranking of cities with the highest number of VC-backed companies in Europe. â€¢ The location of a start-up is likely to be one of the major factors influencing the amount of money it receives from VC funds and the number of funding rounds it goes through. â€¢ Majority of European VC-backed companies are up to 8 years old and have up to 100 employees. â€¢ The majority of VC-backed firms in Europe belong to the Business, Consumer and Retail industries.
Does Ageism Affect the Management of Ischaemic Heart Disease?

Objectives: To analyse access by age to exercise testing, coronary angiography, revascularisation (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty/stent insertion and coronary artery bypass graft surgery) and receipt of thrombolysis, where indicated, for hospital patients with diagnosed cardiovascular disease. Method: Retrospective case note analysis, tracking each case backwards and forwards by 12 months from the patient's date of entry to the study. The setting was a district hospital in the eastern part of outer London. The case notes eligible for inclusion were those of elective and emergency in-patients with an in-patient ICD-10 code of ischaemic heart disease, angina pectoris or acute myocardial infarction and a consecutive 20% sample of new cardiac outpatients with these diagnoses. Results: Analysis of 712 case notes showed that older hospital patients with ischaemic heart disease, and with indications for further investigation, were less likely than younger people to be referred for exercise tolerance tests and cardiac catheterisation and angiography. This was independent of both gender and severity of condition. Older patients did not appear to be discriminated against in relation to receipt of indicated treatments (revascularisation or thrombolysis), although, in the case of revascularisation, older patients were more likely to have been filtered out at the investigation stage (catheterisation and angiography), so selection bias partly explains this finding. Conclusions: The current findings from a single hospital are comparable with the results from a broader study of equity of access by age to cardiological interventions in another district hospital in the same region. Although only two hospitals were analysed, the similarity of findings enhances the generalisability of the results presented here. It appears that age per se causes older cardiac hospital patients to be treated differently.
GITR modulates innate and adaptive mucosal immunity during the development of experimental colitis in mice

Background: Uncontrolled T cell activation and abnormal function of the innate immune system against normal enteric bacterial flora play a critical part in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Therefore, pharmacological strategies directed to restore the normal responsiveness of the immune system could be efficacious in the treatment of these pathological conditions. Glucocorticoid-induced tumour necrosis factor receptor (GITR)-related gene is a member of the tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily that is constitutively expressed at high levels on regulatory T cells and at low levels on unstimulated T cells, B cells and macrophages. GITR triggering leads to activation of T effectors and reversal of suppressive function of regulatory T cells. Aim: To investigate the role of GITR in the development of experimental colitis in mice. Results: Using GITR−/− mice, GITR deletion protected against 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis by reducing innate immune responses and effector T cell activity. Effector T cells isolated from GITR−/− mice were less effective than T cells isolated from GITR+/+ mice to transfer colitis in immunodeficient mice. Blocking the GITR/ligand for GITR (GITRL) signal by giving soluble GITR prevented TNBS-induced colitis in normal GITR+/+ and also in lymphocyte-deficient SCID mice. Conclusions: Collectively, these data suggest that GITR plays a critical part in regulating both acquired and innate mucosal immune responses during the development of experimental colitis in mice. Therefore, targeting the GITR/GITRL system signalling may represent a potential pharmacological tool for the treatment of IBD.
Integrating Employability into Degree Programmes Using Consultancy Projects as a Form of Enterprise

This paper reports on an assessment of how enterprise initiatives develop graduate employability attributes, exploring the use of client consultancy projects as a platform for such enterprise provision in higher education. The study was based on reviews of recent literature and an appraisal of an institutional initiative using live projects as an alternative to the more traditional final dissertation. Enterprise initiatives exist in many forms and the final semester postgraduate students in this research are shown to enhance their understanding of client needs, their individual confidence and their team-working abilities. After five years of the programme, and with 60% of students choosing the consultancy project option, the study is offered as a platform for other higher education institutions to use as a basis for enhancing graduate employability and the student experience. It is argued that enterprise activities, in addition to enhancing the student experience, are also of substantial value to higher education institutions themselves and their associated funding bodies.
Mortality in Kidney Transplantation

It’s a retrospective study whose aim was to evaluate the incidence and the mortality in a popula-tion including 329 patients who received first kidney transplants from a living donor in 269 cases and cadaveric donor in 60 cases at Internal Medicine A department between June 1986 and December 2003. Aetiologies of mortality in our kidney transplant recipients were determined. There were 157 males and 75 females having an average age of 30.8 years. After a period of follow-up of 5.64 years, 51 patients (21.98%) died. Aetiologies of mortality were multiple and were known in approximately 98% of cases. Infections were observed in 25 cases. Cancer was observed in 7 cases (13.72%). Patient survival was not affected by gender, donor age or cause of donor death. Infections represent the major cause of mortality in our patients even many years after kidney transplantation. The maximum of death occurred in the 8th year after kidney transplantation.
Expanding Multinationals - Conglomerate M&A and Activity-Basket Proximity

This paper analyzes how multinational firms (MNEs) expand the spectrum of their activities via Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A). While international trade studies systematically focus on horizontal versus vertical motives for foreign direct investment (FDI), I document that over 46% of both domestic and cross-border M&A deals done worldwide by MNEs areconglomerate, i.e., neither horizontal nor vertical. Literature to date fails to explain this puzzling stylized fact. What are conglomerate M&A and what are their drivers? Why do MNEs acquire firms in industries distinct from their own? The present study argues that conglomerate M&A represent a tool for multinationals to expand the spectrum of their activities towards industries that are closely related to their own range of occupations. The approach looks at MNEs from a multi-product perspective. It introduces a series of measures of "distance" between firms based on their respective activity-baskets. These are built relying on industry task intensities and the product space tools. The results show that despite the absence of direct horizontal or vertical linkages, conglomerate M&A appear to occur between firms relatively closely related in terms of their activity-mix. Further, the study investigates how the shape of activity basket of corporate group evolves with the acquiror? s subsequent transactions. The degree of compactness of corporate activity decreases over time. MNEs also seem to expand their activity mostly radially, towards multiple direction, rather than linearly.
Derivation and Use of Simple Relationships between Aerodynamic and Optical Particle Measurements

AbstractA simple relationship, referred to as a mass conversion factor (MCF), is presented to convert optically based particle measurements to mass concentration. It is calculated from filter-based samples and optical particle counter (OPC) data on a daily or sample period basis. The MCF allows for greater temporal and spatial mass concentration information than typical filter-based measurements. Results of MCF calculations from several field studies are summarized. Pairwise comparisons from a collocated study with multiple OPCs and mass samplers suggest the minimum variability of the MCF is 5–10%. The variability of the MCF within a sample period during a field study with distributed samplers averaged 17–21%. In addition, the precision of the Airmetrics MiniVol Portable Air Sampler for particulate matter (PM) was typically <10%. Comparisons with federal reference method (FRM) samplers showed that MiniVols yield PM2.5 concentrations essentially equivalent to FRMs with slightly greater deviations from the .
Finite sample analysis of the GTD Policy Evaluation Algorithms in Markov Setting

In reinforcement learning (RL) , one of the key components is policy evaluation, which aims to estimate the value function (i.e., expected long-term accumulated reward) of a policy. With a good policy evaluation method, the RL algorithms will estimate the value function more accurately and find a better policy. When the state space is large or continuous \emph{Gradient-based Temporal Difference(GTD)} policy evaluation algorithms with linear function approximation are widely used. Considering that the collection of the evaluation data is both time and reward consuming, a clear understanding of the finite sample performance of the policy evaluation algorithms is very important to reinforcement learning. Under the assumption that data are i.i. d. generated, previous work provided the finite sample analysis of the GTD algorithms with constant step size by converting them into convex-concave saddle point problems. However, it is well-known that, the data are generated from Markov processes rather than i.i. d. in RL problems. In this paper, in the realistic Markov setting, we derive the finite sample bounds for the general convex-concave saddle point problems, and hence for the GTD algorithms. We have the following discussions based on our bounds. (1) With variants of step size, GTD algorithms converge. (2) The convergence rate is determined by the step size, with the mixing time of the Markov process as the coefficient. The faster the Markov processes mix, the faster the convergence. (3) We explain that the experience replay trick is effective by improving the mixing property of the Markov process. To the best of our knowledge, our analysis is the first to provide finite sample bounds for the GTD algorithms in Markov setting.
Serological and molecular studies of ovine and human toxoplasmosis with a trial of treatment of infected ewes

The aims of the present study were to diagnose toxoplasmosis in pregnant ewes and women serologically and molecularly, treat naturally infected ewes, and diagnose congenital toxoplasmosis. Blood samples were taken from 30 and 60 pregnant ewes and women, respectively, and used for diagnosis of toxoplasmosis through Latex agglutination test (LAT). Seropositive samples were confirmed by PCR for detection of acute infection. Ten infected pregnant ewes were classified into two groups. The first group was treated with sulfadimidine 33.3%, 200 mg (0.6 ml) / kg.b. wt, and the other group was treated with normal saline. At titers ≥ 1:64, serological diagnosis indicated that 16 (53.33%) ewes and 29 (48.3%) women were seropositive and the seroprevalence increased in older ewe and younger women. Positive LAT samples were used for amplification of DNA and showed bands at 193 bp, analogues to that of the RH strain in 12 (40%) and 15 (25%) blood samples of ewes and women, respectively. All treated ewes with sulfadimidine 33.3% delivered healthy lambs with normal gestation period, whereas untreated ewes delivered 4 abortuses and 3 stillbirths. The tissue cysts were demonstrated microscopically in stained smears from tissues of dead fetuses. Local strain of T. gondii was isolated through intra peritoneal injection in mice from tissues of abortuses and stillbirths and maintained in the lab. The DNA of both RH (a virulent
Introducing cut-points for salivary nitric oxide to distinguish periodontitis from the normal periodontium.

AIM We aimed to assess the diagnostic role of salivary nitric oxide (NO) to measure the periodontal health. METHODS In this case-control study, we included patients with mild to moderate chronic generalized periodontitis (cases) and compared them with the healthy individuals (controls). Bleeding index, plaque index, gingival index, clinical attachment loss and probing pocket depth were recorded. In addition, un-stimulated saliva was collected and nitric oxide content was quantified by spectrophotometer using Griess reaction. RESULTS Twenty-seven and 17 individuals were enrolled as the case and control groups, respectively. All clinical indices were worse in the control group as compared to the cases (P<0.05). Salivary nitric oxide in patients with periodontitis was 169 (±86) mg which was significantly higher than the individuals with healthy periodontium (63 [±17] mg, P<0.001). Using a receive operation characteristic (ROC) curve, cut-points of 45 and 110 were obtained with the respective negative predictive value and positive predictive value of 1 and 1. CONCLUSION A higher level of salivary nitric oxide was observed in patients with periodontitis in comparison to the healthy individuals. This may indicate that progression to the periodontitis is derived by NO-pathways. Based on our findings, a chair side detection of salivary nitric oxide may be a valuable screening tool, especially when subclinical periodontitis is suspected.
Association between non-right-handedness and cleft lip with or without cleft palate in a Chinese population.

The etiology of non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL +/- P) is unclear, although both familial and environmental factors are implicated. Because CL +/- P occurs at approximately the time of brain lateralization and is most often unilateral, developmental asymmetry effects have been postulated in CL +/- P etiology. Handedness is frequently used as an indicator of brain lateralization; therefore, several studies have examined the relationship between cleft laterality and handedness. However, these studies have had conflicting results. The present study investigated handedness in a Chinese sample of 211 non-syndromic CL +/- P surgical probands (ascertained in Shanghai for family studies of CL +/- P), 221 population-based but unmatched controls, and 272 first-degree relatives of the probands. Handedness was assessed by means of laterality quotients (LQ) calculated from questionnaire data. Mean LQ's were compared, as were various arbitrary definitions of handedness based on the LQ, for cases versus controls, males versus females, right-sided versus left-sided clefts, and cleft lip alone versus cleft lip plus cleft palate. CL +/- P cases had a significantly higher proportion of non-right-handedness (NRH) than controls, regardless of the definition of NRH (P values < or = .001). There were no statistically significant differences for any of the other comparisons. Familiarity of NRH was tested by comparing first-degree relatives of cases to controls; first-degree relatives were found to have a significantly higher proportion of NRH than controls, supporting familial effects in NRH. These results support the concept of a common etiology and/or developmental pathway for CL +/- P and handedness.