Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association between cholesterols, homocysteine and silent brain infarcts

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between total plasma homocysteine, cholesterol levels, vitamin B12, folate, thyroid hormones, urea, ferritin, uric acid, C‐reactive protein, cardiovascular risk factors and silent brain infarct (SBI) in patients without any neurological disorder. Whether the factors of interest were associated with SBI is investigated.
Education systems and the dynamics of educational inequalities in low educational attainment: a closer look at England (UK), Finland, Luxembourg, and German-speaking Switzerland

ABSTRACT For decades, reforms aiming at educational expansion attempted to boost economic growth and to reduce inequalities. This study sheds light on the link between institutional settings of the education system and educational inequalities in the course of educational expansion along two axes of inequality: social origin and gender. Looking at the educational attainment of cohorts born between 1925 and 1982 in the European Social Survey data, changing patterns of inequalities are analysed regarding four distinct education systems – England (UK), Finland, Luxembourg, and (German-speaking) Switzerland. Employing a comparative perspective, characteristics of the educational system that influence the societal change of educational levels and educational inequalities are considered. Our results show that although the patterns of educational inequalities were comparable in all four countries, Finland seems to have been the most successful in reducing educational inequalities if looking at both inequalities related to social origins and gender at the same time. However, in regard to social inequalities Switzerland also performs well.
Patient preferences in the choice of anti-TNF therapies in rheumatoid arthritis. Results from a questionnaire survey (RIVIERA study).

OBJECTIVE To identify the determinants of anti-TNF-naive patients' preferences for the route of administration of anti-TNF agents. METHODS The study was carried out in 50 Italian rheumatology centres (802 patients). All patients completed a 31-item questionnaire addressing their perceptions of current treatment and the preferences for treatment with anti-TNF agents. Statistical methods included analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-test and chi-square test. RESULTS The response rate to the questionnaire was 97.6%. At the time of the survey, 310 (39.9%) patients were dissatisfied with current treatments, owing to inefficacy, side effects and inconvenience of administration. The i.v. and s.c. routes of administration were preferred by 50.2 and 49.8%, respectively. No significant difference was found in patients by gender, age, RA duration or number of drugs used. Reasons for the choice of i.v. administration were the safety of treatment at the hospital and the reassuring effect of physician presence. The s.c. administration was chosen for the convenience of treatment and in particular for home treatment. Patients dissatisfied with current therapy due to side effects preferred s.c. administration (P = 0.029), whereas patients choosing the i.v. route had slightly higher scores on 'today pain' (P = 0.047) and 'articular pain' (P = 0.023) of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity Index (RADAI). CONCLUSIONS Both i.v. and s.c. treatments were well accepted by patients. However, treatment choice has to be discussed with patients, as individual preference seems to be determined by personal attitudes towards safety and convenience, by past experience and by the perception of current disease status.
Molecular phylogenetics of finches and sparrows: consequences of character state removal in cytochrome b sequences.

The complete mitochondrial cytochrome b genes of 53 genera of oscine passerine birds representing the major groups of finches and some allies were compared. Phylogenetic trees resulting from three levels of character partition removal (no data removed, transitions at third positions of codons removed, and all transitions removed [transversion parsimony]) were generally concordant, and all supported several basic statements regarding relationships of finches and finch-like birds, including: (1) larks (Alaudidae) show no close relationship to any finch group; (2) Peucedramus (olive warbler) is phylogenetically far removed from true wood warblers; (3) a clade consisting of fringillids, passerids, motacillids, and emberizids is supported, and this clade is characterized by evolution of a vestigial 10th wing primary; and (4) Hawaiian honeycreepers are derived from within the cardueline finches. Excluding transition substitutions at third positions of codons resulted in phylogenetic trees similar to, but with greater bootstrap nodal support than, trees derived using either all data (equally weighted) or transversion parsimony. Relative to the shortest trees obtained using all data, the topologies obtained after elimination of third-position transitions showed only slight increases in realized treelength and homoplasy. These increases were negligable compared to increases in overall nodal support; therefore, this partition removal scheme may enhance recovery of deep phylogenetic signal in protein-coding DNA datasets.
Comparison of the biological activity of recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone with bovine thyroid-stimulating hormone and evaluation of recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone in healthy dogs of different breeds.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether use of recombinant human (rh) thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) induces equivalent stimulation, compared with bovine TSH (bTSH), and to evaluate activity of rhTSH in dogs of various large breeds. ANIMALS 18 healthy research Beagles and 20 healthy client-owned dogs of various breeds with body weight > 20 kg. PROCEDURES The 18 Beagles were randomly assigned to 3 groups, and each dog received either 75 microg of rhTSH, IM or IV, or 1 unit of bTSH, IM, respectively, in a crossover design. The 20 client-owned dogs received 75 microg of rhTSH, IV. Blood samples were taken before and 6 hours after TSH administration for determination of total serum thyroxine (T(4)) concentration. Additional blood samples were taken after 2 and 4 hours in Beagles that received rhTSH, IM. RESULTS There was a significant increase in T(4) concentration in all dogs, but there were no differences between values obtained after administration of bTSH versus rhTSH or IV versus IM administration of rhTSH. Although there was a significant difference in age and body weight between Beagles and non-Beagles, there was no difference in post-TSH simulation T(4) concentration between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated an equivalent biological activity of rhTSH, compared with bTSH. Use of 75 microg of rhTSH, IV, did not induce a different magnitude of stimulation in large-breed dogs, compared with Beagles. Euthyroidism was confirmed if post-TSH simulation T(4) concentration was > or = 2.5 microg/dL and at least 1.5 times basal T(4) concentration.
Evaluation of signs of postoperative pain and complications after forelimb onychectomy in cats receiving buprenorphine alone or with bupivacaine administered as a four-point regional nerve block.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate signs of postoperative pain and complications after forelimb onychectomy in cats receiving buprenorphine alone or with bupivacaine administered as a 4-point regional nerve block. DESIGN Prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial. ANIMALS 20 cats. PROCEDURE All cats received buprenorphine (0.01 mg/kg [0.004 mg/lb], IM) preoperatively. One forelimb of each cat also received bupivacaine (1 mg/kg [0.45 mg/lb] of a 0.75% solution) administered as a 4-point regional nerve block. After onychectomy, discomfort (lameness, foot reaction, and pain) scores were evaluated by 2 experienced observers 2, 4, 6, 8, 24, and 168 hours postoperatively. Complication (hemorrhage, swelling, and infection) scores were evaluated 24 and 168 hours postoperatively. Surgeries were performed by 1 experienced veterinary surgeon. Rescue analgesia was provided if needed. RESULTS 6 cats required rescue analgesia postoperatively. There was no difference in discomfort or complication scores between control limbs and limbs in which a nerve block was administered. Additionally, there was no difference in discomfort and complication scores between cats that did or did not require rescue analgesia. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Bupivacaine administered as a 4-point regional nerve block in addition to a systemic analgesic did not decrease discomfort or complication scores in cats undergoing forelimb onychectomy.
Are worked examples and tutored problem solving synergistic forms of support?

Tutored problem solving with automated tutors has proven to be an effective instructional method. Worked-out examples have been shown to be an effective complement to untutored problem solving, but it is largely unknown whether they are an effective complement to tutored problem solving. Further, while computer-based learning environments offer the possibility of adaptively transitioning from examples to problems while tailoring to an individual learner, the effectiveness of such machine-adapted example fading is largely unstudied. To address these issues, two studies were conducted which compared a standard Cognitive Tutor with two example-enhanced Cognitive Tutors. The results indicate that adaptively fading worked-out examples leads to the highest transfer performance on delayed post-tests compared to the other two methods.
A “Melanopic” Spectral Efficiency Function Predicts the Sensitivity of Melanopsin Photoreceptors to Polychromatic Lights

Photoreception in the mammalian retina is not restricted to rods and cones but extends to a small number of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells expressing the photopigment melanopsin. These mRGCs are especially important contributors to circadian entrainment, the pupil light reflex, and other so-called nonimage-forming (NIF) responses. The spectral sensitivity of melanopsin phototransduction has been addressed in several species by comparing responses to a range of monochromatic stimuli. The resultant action spectra match the predicted profile of an opsin:vitamin A–based photopigment (nomogram) with a peak sensitivity (λmax) around 480 nm. It would be most useful to be able to use this spectral sensitivity function to predict melanopsin’s sensitivity to broad-spectrum, including “white,” lights. However, evidence that melanopsin is a bistable pigment with an intrinsic light-dependent bleach recovery mechanism raises the possibility of a more complex relationship between spectral quality and photoreceptor response. Here, we set out to empirically determine whether simply weighting optical power at each wavelength according to the 480-nm nomogram and integrating across the spectrum could predict melanopsin sensitivity to a variety of polychromatic stimuli. We show that pupillomotor and circadian responses of mice relying solely on melanopsin for their photosensitivity (rd/rd cl) can indeed be accurately predicted using this methodology. Our data therefore suggest that the 480-nm nomogram may be employed as the basis for a new photometric measure of light intensity (which we term “melanopic”) relevant for melanopsin photoreception. They further show that measuring light in these terms predicts the melanopsin response to light of divergent spectral composition much more reliably than other methods for quantifying irradiance or illuminance currently in widespread use.
Metacognitive Mastery and Intrinsic Motivation in Schizophrenia

Abstract Deficits in intrinsic motivation (IM) have been linked to poorer outcome in schizophrenia, but its proximal mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study examined whether metacognitive mastery, or the capacity to use knowledge of self, others, and context to identify and cope with psychological difficulties, predicted levels of IM for 6 months among 75 participants with prolonged schizophrenia. Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed that high metacognitive mastery predicted consistently higher levels of IM; however, intermediate and low mastery did not produce unique IM profiles. The findings suggest that metacognitive mastery may have an important role in IM over time and could be a meaningful treatment target.
Novel, Soluble Isoform of the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Receptor Nectin1 (or PRR1-HIgR-HveC) Modulates Positively and Negatively Susceptibility to HSV Infection

ABSTRACT A novel member of the nectin family, nectin1γ, was molecularly cloned. The cDNA has the same ectodomain as nectin1α and nectin1β, the two known transmembrane isoforms that serve as receptors for herpes simplex virus (HSV) entry into human cell lines (nectin1α and nectin1β, also called PRR1-HveC and HIgR, respectively). The 1.4-kb transcript, which originated by alternative splicing, is expressed in human cell lines, and appears to have a narrow distribution in human tissues. The sequence does not have a hydrophobic anchoring region, and the protein is secreted in the culture medium of cells transfected with the cDNA. Nectin1γ, purified from culture medium, can compete with membrane-bound nectin1β and reduce HSV infectivity. The expression of nectin1γ cDNA in cells resistant to HSV infection and lacking HSV receptors enables HSV to enter the cell, which implies that it is present at the cell surface. Thus, nectin1γ has the potential both to mediate and to reduce HSV entry into cells.
Prognostic factors in medically treated patients with chronic pulmonary embolism.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate risk factors in medically treated patients with chronic pulmonary embolism (CPE) who are not suitable candidates for definitive surgical therapy. STUDY DESIGN A total of 53 consecutive patients with angiographically confirmed CPE were involved. Four patients underwent pulmonary endarterectomy, and 49 patients received continuous anticoagulation therapy and were followed up over an average period of 18.7 months (range, 6 to 72 months). RESULTS Sixteen patients died during the follow-up period, mostly from progressive right ventricle failure. Among the nonsurvivors, 12.5% had distal CPE and 87.5% had proximal CPE (p = 0.03). The survivors had a higher (mean +/- SD) level of PaO(2) (59.3 +/- 11 mm Hg) than the nonsurvivors (50.8 +/- 9 mm Hg; p = 0.02), a lower mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP; 30.3 +/- 15 mm Hg vs 51 +/- 21 mm Hg; p = 0.0004), a lower hematocrit value (40.0 +/- 6 vs 44.2 +/- 6; p = 0.03), and better exercise tolerance (4.8 +/- 3 multiples of resting O(2) consumption [METs] vs 2.5 +/- 1 METs; p = 0.02) achieved during the maximal symptom-limited exercise. The patients with coexisting COPD had a higher mortality rate (62.5%) than those without COPD (37.5%; p = 0.04). Independent risk factors in the Cox analysis were as follows: mPAP (p = 0.04), exercise tolerance (p = 0.02), and COPD (p = 0.04). In the Kaplan-Meier analysis, the patient group with lower mortality achieved > 2 METs (p = 0.02) and had mPAP < 30 mm Hg (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION The prognosis for the medically treated CPE patients, particularly those with pulmonary hypertension, was unfavorable. The prognostic factors for these patients were mPAP, coexistence of COPD, and severe exercise intolerance.
Evaluation Differences Between Goods and Services: The Role of Product Intangibility

This work considers services marketing theory regarding consumer evaluations. A common assertion within the services marketing literature is that services are more difficult to evaluate than goods. Part of this work examines this assertion by theoretical and empirical means. Several evaluative dimensions are examined (perceived evaluation difficulty, perceived processing effort, certainty of evaluation, predictive ability and the use of information sources). The results suggest that consumers do not find services more difficult to evaluate than goods. A second purpose of this study was to investigate evaluative effects of product intangibility. Product intangibility is conceptulised as a three-dimensional construct. The three dimensions are: abstractness, generality and lack of pre-purchase inspection possibilities. The results support this multi-dimensional conceptualisation of the product intangibility construct. Also, the results suggest that the different intangibility dimensions give rise to different effects with respect to consumers product evaluation. Abstractness has a negative influence over perceived evaluation difficulty, whilst generality has a positive influence over perceived evaluation difficulty. The effects regarding the use of information sources exhibited an opposite pattern, where the abstractness dimension supported predictions made in the services marketing literature, whilst the generality dimension opposed these. No effects related to the evaluative dimensions are found with respect to lack of pre-purchase inspection possibilities except for the use of a couple information sources. In view of the observed results a distinction between goods and services based on consumer evaluations is questionable.
On the Infonnational Transparency, Institutional Investors and Stock Price Comovement

The paper examines the relationship between stock price comovement and information transparency u- sing the data from Chinese stock market The authors find that the stock price comovement is positively correla- ted with the firm's information transparency, and the institutional ownership of the equity can reduce this posi- tive correlation. These findings are consistent with the argument that stock price comovement positivjely repre- sents information efficiency and that institutional investors can improve the stock market information efficiency.
Initiating antiretroviral treatment in a resource-constrained setting: does clinical staging effectively identify patients in need?

In industrialized countries, the initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is based on virological, immunological and clinical markers. The objective of this study was to identify treatment gaps when ART initiation is based on clinical staging alone. The method employed was a retrospective study of 5784 patients enrolled in an HIV treatment programme in two urban and two rural sites in Ghana. Of the patients, 29.5% were in clinical Stages I and II and had a CD4+ T-lymphocyte count less than 200 cells/mm3. Significantly more patients in clinical Stage I from urban sites (37.0%) had a CD4+ T-lymphocyte count less than 200 cells/mm3 as compared with patients from rural sites (23.8%) (P value <0.05). In addition, more men (39.9%) in clinical Stage I had a CD4+ T-lymphocyte count less than 200 cells/mm3 when compared with women (27.4%) (P value <0.05). In conclusion, clinical staging cannot identify a relatively large number of patients who need ART. A wider availability of CD4+ T-lymphocyte count testing will optimize the identification of patients eligible for ART.
A Novel Family of Viral Death Effector Domain-containing Molecules That Inhibit Both CD-95- and Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-1-induced Apoptosis*

Molluscum contagiosum virus proteins MC159 and MC160 and the equine herpesvirus 2 protein E8 share substantial homology to the death effector domain present in the adaptor molecule Fas-associated death domain protein (FADD) and the initiating death protease FADD-like interleukin-1β-converting enzyme (FLICE) (caspase-8). FADD and FLICE participate in generating the death signal from both tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (TNFR-1) and the CD-95 receptor. The flow of death signals from TNFR-1 occurs through the adaptor molecule tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated death domain protein (TRADD) to FADD to FLICE, whereas for CD-95 the receptor directly communicates with FADD and then FLICE. MC159 and E8 inhibited both TNFR-1- and CD-95-induced apoptosis as well as killing mediated by overexpression of the downstream adaptors TRADD and FADD. Neither viral molecule, however, inhibited FLICE-induced killing, consistent with an inhibitory action upstream of the active death protease. These data suggest the existence of a novel strategy employed by viruses to attenuate host immune killing mechanisms. Given that bovine herpesvirus 4 protein E1.1 and Kaposi's sarcoma associated-herpesvirus protein K13 also possess significant homology to the viral inhibitory molecules MC159, MC160, and E8, it may be that this class of proteins is used ubiquitously by viruses to evade host defense.
Not working 3 years after breast cancer: predictors in a population-based study.

PURPOSE Little is known about factors increasing likelihood of not working among breast cancer survivors compared with women in the general population. PATIENTS AND METHODS A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted in Quebec, Canada, based on the consecutive series of working women aged younger than 60 years when first treated for breast cancer (identified through the Quebec Tumor Registry), and on a group of randomly selected similar women, living in Quebec, who were working at the time of survivors' diagnoses, but who were without cancer (identified through provincial health care files). Data came from a telephone interview, 3 years after diagnosis for 646 survivors (73% of those eligible) or during a similar period for 890 comparison women (51%). RESULTS Slightly more survivors were not working 3 years after diagnosis compared with women never diagnosed with cancer (21% and 15%, respectively). Older age (for survivors and comparison women, relative risk [RR] = 4.62, P < .0001 and RR = 4.98, P < .0001, respectively) and union membership (RR = 1.88, P = .0003 and RR = 1.40, P = .06, respectively) increased the likelihood of not working at the end of follow-up. In addition, income less than 20,000 dollars compared with > or = 50,000 dollars was associated with not working only among survivors (RR = 3.18; P = .0008). Adjuvant treatments did not predict work cessation, but any new cancer event during follow-up did (RR = 2.14; P < .0001). CONCLUSION Although reassuring that adjuvant treatments did not appear to play a role in survivors' not working, other aspects of the cancer experience might nonetheless have influenced the decision to reduce work effort after breast cancer.
Prevalence and risk factors of behavioral and emotional problems among Chinese children aged 6 through 11 years.

OBJECTIVE To examine the prevalence and risk factors of behavioral and emotional problems in Chinese children. METHOD A sample of 2,940 children aged 6 through 11 years was randomly drawn from household registers in Shandong Province of China. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and a structured self-rating questionnaire. RESULTS The mean CBCL Total Problems score was 16.1 (SD = 14.0). There was no significant age effect on the Total Problems score; boys scored significantly higher than girls (17.2 versus 15.0; F = 24.94, p < .01). The overall prevalence rates of behavioral problems were 12.5% for boys and 8.3% for girls (chi 2 = 14.23, p < .01). Logistic regression analysis showed that a number of parental, prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal factors were significantly associated with increased risk of children's behavioral problems. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of parent-reported behavioral problems in Chinese children is lower than those found in other countries. Of multiple psychosocial and biological factors associated with children's behavioral problems, separation or divorce of parents is the most significant factor.