Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Assimilation of Knowledge Platforms in Organizations: An Empirical Investigation

The ability to integrate dispersed pockets of expertise and institute an organizational repository of knowledge is considered to be vital for sustained effectiveness in contemporary business environments. Information technologies provide cost-effective functionalities for building knowledge platforms through systematic acquisition, storage, and dissemination of organizational knowledge. However, in order to gain the value-adding potential of organizational knowledge, it is not sufficient to simply adopt and deploy IT-enabled knowledge platforms. These platforms must be assimilated into the ongoing work processes in organizations. Yet, theories of technology innovation and use suggest that a variety of institutional, social, and political factors blend together in influencing the extent to which complex information technologies are actually assimilated into organizational practice. Therefore, this research addresses a significant question: What forces influence the assimilation of knowledge platforms in organization? Given the significant gap between the adoption and actual assimilation of complex technologies into organizations, this is an important question. Empirical evidence is generated by examining the forces influencing the assimilation of CASE technologies in systems development projects in organizations. CASE is considered to be one of the most mature knowledge platforms in contemporary organizations. The empirical evidence sheds light on the role of institutional forces that influence the rate of assimilation of the technology. The findings have significant implications for further research and practice.
Body Composition and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Indicators in Prepubescent Boys and Girls

Abstract. Relations between frequently used indicators of cardiorespiratory fitness, sex and body composition were studied in a birth-cohort based sample of young prepubescent children (age range: 6.8 - 8.2 years). The Bruce treadmill test was used to assess submaximal heart rate, endurance time (ET), calculated total work (W(total)) and maximal power output (P(max)) in 100 children (50 boys, 50 girls). Body composition was determined by skinfold measurements. In 17 children, maximal oxygen consumption was measured. Percent body fat was negatively associated with ET and relative oxygen uptake (ml x min(-1) x kg(-1)) and was positively related to submaximal heart rate at 6 minutes exercise (HR6). Fat-free mass was positively related to W(total), P(max) and absolute oxygen uptake (ml x min(-1)). Relative oxygen uptake (ml x min(-1) x kg(-1)) was related to ET. Absolute oxygen uptake (ml x min(-1)) was related to W(total) and P(max). The observed differences in indicators of cardiorespiratory fitness between boys and girls were largely attributable to a difference in body composition. The results further demonstrate that when oxygen uptake measurement is not feasible, W(total) or P(max) (expressed per kilogram fat-free mass) seem to provide better indicators of aerobic power than endurance time.
Prevalence of Giardia spp. in beaver and muskrat populations in northeastern states and Minnesota: detection of intestinal trophozoites at necropsy provides greater sensitivity than detection of cysts in fecal samples

Surveys of the prevalence of the intestinal protozoan Giardia spp. in animal populations have relied almost exclusively on the detection of cysts in fecal samples. We have determined the prevalence of Giardia spp. in beaver and muskrat populations in four northeastern states and Minnesota by using both the detection of trophozoites in mucosal scrapings from live-trapped animals at necropsy and the detection of cysts in fecal samples collected from kill-trapped animals. In muskrats the prevalence of Giardia infection was 36.6% by cyst detection in fecal samples (n = 790) from kill-trapped animals and 95.9% in live-trapped muskrats when the intestinal contents were analyzed for the presence of trophozoites (n = 219). Similarly, in beavers, Giardia infection was 9.2% by cyst detection in fecal samples (n = 662) from kill-trapped beavers and 13.7% in live-trapped animals examined for the presence of intestinal trophozoites (n = 302). The detection of trophozoites in mucosal scrapings from live-trapped animals consistently yielded a significantly higher prevalence for both muskrats and beavers than did the method based on detection of cysts in the fecal samples. The prevalence of Giardia infection in juvenile and adult live-trapped muskrats was similar (92.5 and 94.4%, respectively), but the prevalence in juvenile live-trapped beavers (23.2%) was significantly greater than that seen in the adult animals (12.6%). No difference in Giardia prevalence on the basis of sex was seen in either animal species. Regional variation, often statistically significant, was seen in the prevalence of Giardia in beavers in the northeastern states and Minnesota, but was not detected for muskrats.
FoxO6, a Novel Member of the FoxO Class of Transcription Factors with Distinct Shuttling Dynamics*

Forkhead transcription factors of the FoxO-group are associated with cellular processes like cell cycle progression and DNA-repair. FoxO function is regulated by protein kinase B (PKB) via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/PKB survival pathway. Phosphorylation of serine and threonine residues in specific PKB phosphorylation motifs leads to exclusion of FoxO-proteins from the nucleus, which excludes them from exerting transactivating activity. Members of the FoxO-group have three highly conserved regions containing a PKB phosphorylation motif. This study describes the cloning and characterization of a novel forkhead domain gene from mouse that appeared to be highly related to the FoxO group of transcription factors and was therefore designated FoxO6. The FoxO6 gene was mapped in region D1 on mouse chromosome 4. In humans, FOXO6 is located on chromosomal region 1p34.1. Embryonic expression of FoxO6 is most apparent in the developing brain, and FoxO6 is expressed in a specific temporal and spatial pattern. Therefore it is probably involved in regulation of specific cellular differentiation. In the adult animal FoxO6 expression is maintained in areas of the nucleus accumbens, cingulate cortex, parts of the amygdala, and in the hippocampus. Structure function analysis of FoxO6 compared with its group members shows that the overall homology is high, but surprisingly a highly conserved region containing multiple phosphorylation sites is lacking. In transfection studies, FoxO6 coupled to GFP showed an unexpected high nuclear localization after stimulation with growth factors, in contrast to the predominant cytosolic localization of FoxO1 and FoxO3. We also show that nuclear export of FoxO6 is mediated through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/PKB pathway. Furthermore, we show using a chimeric approach that we can fully restore the ability of FoxO6 to shuttle between nucleus and cytosol. In conclusion, the data presented here gives a new view on regulation of FoxO-function through multiple phosphorylation events and other mechanisms involved in the nuclear exclusion of FoxO-proteins.
Engineering cartilage‐like tissue using human mesenchymal stem cells and silk protein scaffolds

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) derived from bone marrow aspirates can form the basis for the in vitro cultivation of autologous tissue grafts and help alleviate the problems of immunorejection and disease transmission associated with the use of allografts. We explored the utility of hMSC cultured on protein scaffolds for tissue engineering of cartilage. hMSC were isolated, expanded in culture, characterized with respect to the expression of surface markers and ability for chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation, and seeded on scaffolds. Four different scaffolds were tested, formed as a highly porous sponge made of: 1) collagen, 2) cross‐linked collagen, 3) silk, and 4) RGD‐coupled silk. Cell‐seeded scaffolds were cultured for up to 4 weeks in either control medium (DMEM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum) or chondrogenic medium (control medium supplemented with chondrogenic factors). hMSC attachment, proliferation, and metabolic activity were markedly better on slowly degrading silk than on fast‐degrading collagen scaffolds. In chondrogenic medium, hMSC formed cartilaginous tissues on all scaffolds, but the extent of chondrogenesis was substantially higher for hMSC cultured on silk as compared to collagen scaffolds. The deposition of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and type II collagen and the expression of type II collagen mRNA were all higher for hMSC cultured on silk than on collagen scaffolds. Taken together, these results suggest that silk scaffolds are particularly suitable for tissue engineering of cartilage starting from hMSC, presumably due to their high porosity, slow biodegradation, and structural integrity. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An implementation of harmonic-suppression microstrip filters with periodic grooves

In this paper, a new parallel-coupled-line microstrip band pass filter (BPF) improving the harmonic suppression performance of the second harmonic signal (2f/sub o/, twice the passband frequency) is described. It is found that the desired passband performance is improved and the harmonic passband signal is diminished by enforcing the consecutive patterns in coupled-line and increasing the number of grooves to the optimum values. The recalculation of design parameters such as space-gap between lines, line widths and lengths is not required due to the simple modification of the conventional filter by inserting periodic patterns. To evaluate the validity of this novel technique, order-3 Butterworth BPF centered at 2.5 GHz with a 10% fractional bandwidth (FBW) and order-5 Chebyshev BPF centered at 10 GHz with a 15% FBW were used. When five and three square grooves are used, over 30-dB suppression at second harmonic signal is achieved in simulation and experiment. Finally, the comparison between the characteristics of filters with square and semicircular periodic grooves has been carried out by using the simulated results.
Epidemiology of brucellosis in Shahr-e-Kord from 2010 to 2014

Introduction : Zoonosis, common diseases between humans and animals, is still one of the most important health problems. Brucellosis is a zoonosis with special health, economic and social importance. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional prospective study was conducted on data recorded from 2010 to 2014 in health centers and laboratories of Shahr-e-kord city. Results: A total of 267 cases of brucellosis were registered from 2010 to 2014, with 27.3% female and 72.7% male, and a mean age of 33.68±17.46 years. The most common jobs of the participants with brucellosis were livestock and agriculture (38.8%) and housekeeping (21.1%). The most frequent clinical symptom was fever (73%), and the most frequent risk factor was a history of contact with animals (75.5%). The overall prevalence was 14.67 per 100000 during the years 2010-2014. Conclusion: Considering the high prevalence of brucellosis in Shahr-e-kord, especially in rural areas and the high frequency of consuming non-pasteurized dairy products, it is important to train people about consumption of pasteurized dairy products.
Accidental ingestion of methadone by children in Merseyside

The potential for accidental ingestion of methadone by children was highlighted in America in the 1970s. *RF 1-5* We studied children presenting to Merseyside hospitals after ingesting methadone to identify possible preventive measures and management. We obtained information on the circumstances, timing, dose, family history, clinical details, and outcome for all children who had accidentally ingested methadone syrup in the Mersey region during November 1989 to March 1993. There were 44 episodes in 42 children; the number increased from nine in 1990, 13 in 1991, to 18 in 1992. The average age of the children was 34 (range 11-84) months; 29 were boys. In 30 cases the type of methadone container was known: 22 were screwtop bottles, three were cups, two were open lemonade bottles, one was cotton wool in a bottle …
Pharmacokinetics and Disposition of Methyl t‐Butyl Ether in Fischer‐344 Rats

Methyl t‐butyl ether (MTBE) is a commonly used octane booster in gasoline. This study examines the pharmacokinetics and disposition of MTBE in Fischer‐344 rats after i.v. , oral, dermal and inhalation routes of administration. Groups of male and female rats were given single i.v. (40 mg kg−1), oral (40 and 400 mg kg−1) and dermal (40 and 400 mg kg−1 in occluded chambers) doses of [14C]MTBE. For inhalation studies, rats were exposed nose‐only for 6 h to low (400 ppm), high (8000 ppm) and repeated daily 6‐h low (400 ppm × 15 days) chamber concentrations of [14C]MTBE. Blood, expired air, and excreta (urine and feces) were collected at selected times up to 7 days post‐dose and quantified for 14C content. Plasma concentrations of MTBE and t‐butyl alcohol (TBA) were quantified and mean values used for pharmacokinetic analysis. The mean total recoveries of 14C ranged from 91 to 105%. Methyl t‐butyl ether was rapidly and completely absorbed after oral and inhalation exposures; dermal absorption was low. After all routes, MTBE was rapidly eliminated from blood (t½ = 0.5 h) by exhalation and metabolism to TBA. At the high doses, metabolism was saturated and the proportion of renal 14C excretion decreased relative to the pulmonary route. At 48 h post‐exposure, virtually all of the 14C was eliminated. The major metabolites recovered in urine were 2‐methyl‐1,2‐propanediol and α‐hydroxyisobutyric acid. There were no significant gender or route‐dependent differences in the pharmacokinetics and disposition of MTBE. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors affecting patterns of tooth decay in the permanent dentition: principal components and factor analyses.

OBJECTIVES Dental caries of the permanent dentition is a multifactorial disease resulting from the complex interplay of endogenous and environmental risk factors. The disease is not easily quantitated due to the innumerable possible combinations of carious lesions across individual tooth surfaces of the permanent dentition. Global measures of decay, such as the DMFS index (which was developed for surveillance applications), may not be optimal for studying the epidemiology of dental caries because they ignore the distinct patterns of decay across the dentition. We hypothesize that specific risk factors may manifest their effects on specific tooth surfaces leading to patterns of decay that can be identified and studied. In this study, we utilized two statistical methods of extracting patterns of decay from surface-level caries data to create novel phenotypes with which to study the risk factors affecting dental caries. METHODS Intra-oral dental examinations were performed on 1068 participants aged 18-75 years to assess dental caries. The 128 tooth surfaces of the permanent dentition were scored as carious or not and used as input for principal components analysis (PCA) and factor analysis (FA), two methods of identifying underlying patterns without a priori knowledge of the patterns. Demographic (age, sex, birth year, race/ethnicity, and educational attainment), anthropometric (height, body mass index, waist circumference), endogenous (saliva flow), and environmental (tooth brushing frequency, home water source, and home water fluoride) risk factors were tested for association with the caries patterns identified by PCA and FA, as well as DMFS, for comparison. The ten strongest patterns (i.e. those that explain the most variation in the data set) extracted by PCA and FA were considered. RESULTS The three strongest patterns identified by PCA reflected (i) global extent of decay (i.e. comparable to DMFS index), (ii) pit and fissure surface caries and (iii) smooth surface caries, respectively. The two strongest patterns identified by FA corresponded to (i) pit and fissure surface caries and (ii) maxillary incisor caries. Age and birth year were significantly associated with several patterns of decay, including global decay/DMFS index. Sex, race, educational attainment, and tooth brushing were each associated with specific patterns of decay, but not with global decay/DMFS index. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these results support the notion that caries experience is separable into patterns attributable to distinct risk factors. This study demonstrates the utility of such novel caries patterns as new outcomes for exploring the complex, multifactorial nature of dental caries.
A review of evidence about factors affecting quality of pain management in sickle cell disease.

OBJECTIVE To assess the evidence for pharmacological, behavioural, and interpersonal influences on quality of pain management in sickle cell disease. DATA SOURCES English-language reports from the research literature up to 1995, identified using Medline, Psychlit, and the Bath Information Data Service. STUDY SELECTION Studies are reviewed that (a) reported quantitative clinical outcomes for particular analgesic methods used to treat painful episodes or (b) provide data on patient factors, interpersonal treatment factors, or levels of drug dependence in relation to pain management in sickle cell disease. DATA SYNTHESIS Findings vary on the effectiveness of longer-acting opiates, patient-controlled or continuously infused analgesia, and behavioural analgesic techniques, with better results for trials where interpersonal aspects of pain management were also addressed. Risks for poorer pain management are greatest for patients in adverse social circumstances, who are more severely affected by painful episodes and who are poorly adjusted and have less effective personal strategies for coping with pain, but the limited evidence on drug dependence indicates very low levels by comparison with risk and exposure factors. CONCLUSIONS Analgesic methods and approaches should continue to be developed and evaluated, but conflicting perceptions between patients and staff about pain that is reported and analgesia that is required probably contribute most to poor pain management in sickle cell disease. Promising areas for future research include the assessment of patients' everyday pain coping styles and patterns of drug use in relation to their hospital experiences of pain management, and the evaluation of psychological interventions to improve patients' styles and strategies for coping with pain.
Tryptase Clara, an activating protease for Sendai virus in rat lungs, is involved in pneumopathogenicity

Tryptase Clara is an arginine-specific serine protease localized exclusively in and secreted from Clara cells of the bronchial epithelium of rats (H. Kido, Y. Yokogoshi, K. Sakai, M. Tashiro, Y. Kishino, A. Fukutomi, and N. Katunuma, J. Biol. Chem. 267:13573-13579, 1992). The purified protease was shown in vitro to behave similarly to trypsin, cleaving the precursor glycoprotein F of Sendai virus at residue Arg-116 and activating viral infectivity in a dose-dependent manner. Anti-tryptase Clara antibody inhibited viral activation by the protease in vitro in lung block cultures and in vivo in infected rats. When the enzyme-specific antibody was administered intranasally to rats that were also infected intranasally with Sendai virus, activation of progeny virus in the lungs was significantly inhibited. Thus, multiple cycles of viral replication were suppressed, resulting in a reduction in lung lesions and in the mortality rate. These findings indicate that tryptase Clara is an activating protease for Sendai virus in rat lungs and is therefore involved in pulmonary pathogenicity of the virus in rats.
Not so pristine - characterising the physico-chemical conditions of an undescribed temporarily open/closed estuary

rapid ecological water requirement study of the Department of Water Affairs in 2009 classified the Goukamma Estuary as largely natural with few modifications, i.e., in an A/B state. However this detailed 13-month study showed that the estuary is impacted. Salinity stratification and hypoxic conditions (dissolved oxygen (DO) 500 µg·l-1) to eutrophic conditions (DIP > 25 µg·l-1). Nutrient input stimulated microalgae to attain a high biomass, ranging between 0.3 and 112 µg·l-1 (average 7.7 ± 1.3 µg·l-1) and 0.8 and 289 µg·l-1 (average 21.1 ± 4.4 µg·l-1) during the open and closed mouth states, respectively. Exacerbated by natural salinity stratification which effectively limits oxygenation of the water column, unnaturally high nutrient concentrations, microalgal blooms and coinciding organic loads all indicate poor water quality of the Goukamma Estuary. This research showed that detailed studies involving field measurements of water quality are required before the present health status of an estuary can be assessed. Keywords : Temporarily open/closed estuaries, blackwater system, water quality, stratification, hypoxia, DIN, DIP, microalgae biomass
Prognostic Value of Dietary Intake and Inflammation on Survival in Patients With Advanced Cancer: Relationship With Performance Status, Pain, and Digestive Disorders

Background: Malnutrition is common in patients with advanced cancer and associated with worse prognosis. Furthermore, these patients frequently suffer from digestive symptoms and pain. The aim of this study was to define short-term predictors of survival to help the development of an adequate nutritional care plan. Methods: Seventy-one patients (36 males and 35 females) (mean age, 68.7 ± 12.3 years) with advanced cancer entered the study. The following two groups of patients were defined: Group I (n = 34) was composed of patients who died within 3 mo, and Group II (n = 37) included patients who were alive by the end of the study. Nutritional status by means of anthropometric variables and serum proteins were assessed on Day 0 and 1 mo later. Dietary intake, performance status, pain, and digestive symptoms were recorded on admission and, thereafter, weekly during 1 mo. Results: The two groups did not differ in terms of age, sex, tumor distribution, weight loss, anthropometric variables, pain score, and digestive symptoms. On the other hand, Group I had lower energy intake (964 ± 101 vs 1,667 ± 85 kcal/day, P < 0.001), albumin and transthyretin levels (respectively, 29.2 ± 0.9 vs 34.9 ± 0.6 and 0.15 ± 0.01 vs 0.24 ± 0.02 g/l, P < 0.001) and a higher score indicating a poorer performance status (P < 0.001), higher Prognostic Inflammatory and Nutritional Index (PINI) (88.8 ± 23.4 vs 12.6 ± 12.6 ± 4.4, P < 0.01), serum C-reactive protein (98 ± 17 vs 33 ± 7 mg/l, P < 0.001), and orosomucoid (1.92 ± 0.09 vs 1.46 ± 0.08 g/l, P < 0.001) levels throughout the study period. Energy intake correlated negatively with performance status (P < 0.001) and pain scores (P < 0.01) and PINI (P < 0.01). Energy intake < 660 kcal/day and PINI > 66, which are mean value ± 2 SD in Group II, had 97% specificity to predict death. Conclusion: Three factors affected prognosis, i.e., inflammation, performance status, and energy intake. The latter two may benefit from amelioration of pain and digestive symptoms. PINI and energy intake may provide indication to identify patients close to death from those who could receive a nutritional support and active palliative therapy.