Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Combination thymosin-alpha 1 and interferon-alpha 2b in the treatment of anti-HBe-positive chronic hepatitis B in Turkey.

BACKGROUND/AIMS The most prevalent type of chronic hepatitis B in Turkey is anti-HBe-positive. No consistently effective therapy is yet available for the treatment of these patients. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of interferon-alpha and thymosin-alpha 1 combination in the treatment of naive anti-HBe-positive and HBV DNA-positive chronic hepatitis B patients. METHODOLOGY Twenty-one patients were enrolled in the study. All patients had documented anti-HBe-positive, HBV DNA-positive chronic active hepatitis B without evidence of cirrhosis. Patients received a 26-week combination course of 1.6 mg thymosin-alpha 1 subcutaneously twice a week and 10 MIU interferon-alpha subcutaneously three times a week, followed by interferon-alpha monotherapy at the same dose for another 26 weeks. After treatment patients were observed for a further 26 weeks. Endpoints were a normalization of alanine aminotransferase and negativity of HBV DNA at weeks 52 and 78, as well as an improvement in liver histology at week 78. RESULTS Eighteen (87.7%) of the 21 patients responded by losing serum HBV DNA and normalizing alanine aminotransferase values at the end of the 52-week treatment period. Sixteen (76.2%) of these patients became sustained responders, with normal alanine aminotransferase and negative HBV DNA at the end of 78 weeks. Two patients were non-responders, two relapsed and one had a breakthrough during therapy. Significant improvements in the Knodell histological activity index were observed in the responders. No adverse events other than those seen previously with interferon monotherapy were reported. CONCLUSIONS Combination interferon-alpha 2b and thymosin-alpha 1 treatment may provide a safe and effective therapeutic approach for the difficult-to-treat anti-HBe-positive chronic hepatitis B patients. Further controlled studies are needed to assess the full role of this treatment strategy.
Relative effects of exercise training and alendronate treatment on skeletal muscle function of ovariectomized rats

Objective:Increased physical activity and bisphosphonate treatment are both effective in reducing the risk of fracture in postmenopausal women. Physical activity reduces the risk of fracture by improving both bone and skeletal muscle strength. The effects of bisphosphonates have primarily been evaluated on bone. In this study the authors investigated the combined effects of increased physical activity and bisphosphonate treatment on skeletal muscle function using an animal model of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Design:Seven-month-old ovariectomized rats were assigned to one of four combinations of physical activity treatment (sedentary or endurance running) and alendronate treatment (vehicle or 0.015 mg/kg alendronate, two treatments per week). After 14 weeks slow (soleus) and fast (extensor digitorum longus) muscles were isolated from each animal and electrically stimulated for evaluation of twitch, low-frequency, and tetanic force and resistance to fatiguing stimulation. Results:Exercise training reduced body mass, increased soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscle mass, increased soleus tetanic force, reduced the twitch contraction time of the soleus and extensor digitorum longus, and facilitated relaxation of the soleus during fatiguing stimulation. Bisphosphonate treatment had no independent effect on muscle function and interacted with training for only a single variable (twitch half-relaxation time). Conclusions:Endurance training increased muscle mass in ovariectomized rats and had subtle effects on slow and fast muscle function. Alendronate treatment, at a dosage previously shown to improve bone strength in ovariectomized rats, neither blunted nor enhanced these training adaptations and had no independent effect on muscle contractility.
Hydrogen Peroxide Sensitivity of Catechol-2,3-Dioxygenase: a Cautionary Note on Use ofxylE Reporter Fusions under Aerobic Conditions

ABSTRACT Catechol-2,3-dioxygenase (C23O) of Pseudomonas putida, encoded by the xylE gene, was found to be sensitive to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) when used as a reporter in gene fusion constructs. Exposure of Pseudomonas aeruginosa katA or katA katB mutants harboringkatA- or katB-lacZ (encoding β-galactosidase) or -xylE fusion plasmids to H2O2stimulated β-galactosidase activity, while there was little or no detectable C23O activity in these strains. More than 95% of C23O activity was lost after a 5-min exposure to equimolar H2O2, while a 10,000-fold excess was required for similar inhibition of β-galactosidase. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of the nitrosyl complexes of C23O showed that H2O2 nearly stoichiometrically oxidized the essential active-site ferrous ion, thus accounting for the loss of activity. Our results suggest using caution in interpreting data derived from xylE reporter fusions under aerobic conditions, especially where oxidative stress is present or when catalase-deficient strains are used.
Business Education and Microenterprise Revisited: Productivity, Entrepreneurship, and Job Creation

This article begins with a review of “Business Education and Microenterprise: A Millennial Marriage,” presented in JBIB in 1999. It provides an update on the microenterprise arena, where a more critical evaluation of small loan programs has generated significant controversy and criticism. However, the author proposes that the growing recognition in the industry of the need for promotion of productivity, entrepreneurship, and job creation is precisely why business student involvement is important. Students can help organizations do more than simply disburse and collect microloans by applying what they have learned in their business classes to become change agents in microfinance programs and also for “business as mission” projects.
University of Caen. University of Rennes 1. CREM Working Papers Series 2011-27: Does the regional dimension matter as regards finance and entrepreneurship?

Not only growth but better growth is required to address the tremendous challenges that European economies are facing. More entrepreneurs and more entrepreneurial firms -new and innovative firms- can contribute. A variety of factors may be considered to promote entrepreneurship among young people, and innovative activities among firms. Education is certainly one of the most relevant. The need to create a more favourable social climate for new businesses requires not only changing the state of mind but also improving globally the skills of entrepreneurs. It is also important to identify the most favourable context for the creation and development of sustainable, innovative companies, especially during economic crisis. This paper has been prepared to introduce and present original contributions from scholars in economics, management and sociology, that are collected in a book entitled The Shift to the Entrepreneurial Society: A Built Economy in Education, Sustainability and Regulation, to be published by Edward Elgar Publishing in July 2012.
Gas Sensing Interactions at Hydrogenated Diamond Surfaces

Hydrogenated diamond (HD) samples exhibit a p-type surface conductivity (SC) which is caused by transfer doping to an adsorbed liquid electrolyte layer. We report on gas sensing experiments showing that such samples selectively respond to NO2 and NH3 gases at room temperature. Successive substitution of H-terminated surface sites by O-termination ones causes an increase in both the sensor baseline resistance and the gas-induced resistance changes. Thermal desorption of the surface electrolyte layer, on the other hand, causes the sensor baseline resistance to increase and the gas sensing effect to disappear. Readsorption of the surface electrolyte reestablishes both the sensor baseline resistance and the gas sensing effect. Our results indicate that the gas sensing effect is caused by local pH-changes due to acid/base reactions of the adsorbed gas molecules in the surface electrolyte layer. It is argued that this dissociative gas sensing mechanism represents a valuable complement with regard to the established surface combustion mechanism that is operative on heated metal oxide surfaces.
Disparities in cancer incidence and mortality by area-level socioeconomic status: a multilevel analysis

Background Disparities in cancer incidence and mortality have been observed by measures of area-level socioeconomic status (SES); however, the extent to which these disparities are explained by individual SES is unclear. Methods Participants included 60 756 men and women in the VITamins And Lifestyle (VITAL) study cohort, aged 50–76 years at baseline (2000–2002) and followed through 2010. We constructed a block group SES index using the 2000 US Census and fit Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the association between area-level SES (by quintile) and total and site-specific cancer incidence and total cancer mortality, with and without household income and individual education in the models. Results Lower area-level SES was weakly associated with higher total cancer incidence and lower prostate cancer risk, but was not associated with risk of breast cancer. Compared with the highest-SES areas, living in the lowest-SES areas was associated with higher lung (HR: 2.21, 95% CI 1.69 to 2.90) and colorectal cancer incidence (HR: 1.52, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.09) and total cancer mortality (HR: 1.68, 95% CI 1.47 to 1.93). Controlling for individual education and household income weakened the observed associations, but did not eliminate them (lung cancer HR: 1.43, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.91; colorectal cancer HR: 1.35, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.88; cancer mortality HR: 1.28, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.48). Conclusions Area-level socioeconomic disparities exist for several cancer outcomes. These differences are not fully explained by individual SES, suggesting area-level factors may play a role.
Unveiling abundance and distribution of planktonic Bacteria and Archaea in a polynya in Amundsen Sea, Antarctica.

Polynyas, areas of open water surrounded by sea ice, are sites of intense primary production and ecological hotspots in the Antarctic Ocean. This study determined the spatial variation in communities of prokaryotes in a polynya in the Amundsen Sea using 454 pyrosequencing technology, and the results were compared with biotic and abiotic environmental factors. The bacterial abundance was correlated with that of phytoplankton, Phaeocystis spp. and diatoms. A cluster analysis indicated that the bacterial communities in the surface waters of the polynya were distinct from those under the sea ice. Overall, two bacterial clades, Polaribacter (20-64%) and uncultivated Oceanospirillaceae (7-34%), dominated the surface water in the polynya while the Pelagibacter clade was abundant at all depths (7-42%). The archaeal communities were not as diverse as the bacterial communities in the polynya, and marine group I was dominant (> 80%). Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that the oceanographic properties facilitated the development of distinct prokaryotic assemblages in the polynya. This analysis of the diversity and composition of the psychrophilic prokaryotes associated with high phytoplankton production provides new insights into the roles of prokaryotes in biogeochemical cycles in high-latitude polynyas.
luxI- and luxR-Homologous Genes of Rhizobium etli CNPAF512 Contribute to Synthesis of Autoinducer Molecules and Nodulation of Phaseolus vulgaris

ABSTRACT Autoinduction plays an important role in intercellular communication among symbiotic and pathogenic gram-negative bacteria. We report here that a nitrogen-fixing symbiont of Phaseolus vulgaris, Rhizobium etli CNPAF512, produces at least seven different autoinducer molecules. One of them exhibits a growth-inhibitory effect like that of the bacteriocin small[N-(3R-hydroxy-7-cis-tetradecanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone]. At least two of the other autoinducers are synthesized by a LuxI-homologous autoinducer synthase. The correspondingluxI homologous gene (raiI) and aluxR homolog (raiR) have been identified and characterized. Enhanced expression of raiI is dependent on cell density and on the presence of one or more autoinducer molecules synthesized by R. etli CNPAF512. A raiI mutant was shown to release only three different autoinducer molecules; araiR mutant releases four different autoinducer molecules. Examination of different mutants for nodulation of beans showed thatraiI is involved in the restriction of nodule number, whereas nitrogen-fixing activity in terms of acetylene reduction per nodule was not affected.
Adequacy of inhaler technique used by people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

INTRODUCTION Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are ongoing concerns to the health system. Poor inhaler technique results in less than optimal delivery of medicine to the lungs and consequent inadequate symptom control. AIM This study aimed to assess inhaler technique amongst people with asthma and/or COPD. The secondary aims were to investigate who provided education on inhaler technique and whether age, gender or ethnicity was associated with poor inhaler technique. METHODS People with asthma or COPD who presented to a community pharmacy with a prescription for a respiratory inhaler were invited to participate in the study. Participants completed a brief questionnaire and had their inhaler technique assessed against a standard checklist. RESULTS There were 103 participants from 26 pharmacies, 86 with asthma and 17 with COPD. Just over half (52.5%) of the assessments indicated good inhaler technique, with 68% of people using the Turbuhaler having good technique compared to 53% for the pressurised metered dose inhaler (pMDI) with spacer and 47% for the pMDI alone. The majority of people (76%) received their initial inhaler technique instruction from their doctor. Over half of participants did not recall having their inhaler technique rechecked. DISCUSSION After prescribing appropriate therapy, correct inhaler technique is a cornerstone of achieving adequate therapy. Rechecking inhaler technique is a gap in care that needs to be addressed from an interdisciplinary perspective.
Serum leptin levels in healthy ageing men: are decreased serum testosterone and increased adiposity in elderly men the consequence of leptin deficiency?

The limited information on serum leptin levels in elderly men suggests the occurrence of an age‐related decrease, with disruption of the relationship between fat mass and leptin levels. A relative leptin deficiency might thus be implicated in the increase of fat mass and decrease of serum testosterone levels in elderly men. Therefore, we have reevaluated the age‐related changes in serum leptin levels and their relationship with adiposity and androgen levels in a large group of community dwelling men.
Does FDI Crowd Out Domestic Firms? Micro-Level Evidence from the Republic of Korea

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the foreign investment on the exit and sales of the domestic firms. Furthermore, it studies whether domestic firms undergo different influences by foreign firms according to the size of domestic firms. Design/methodology/approach Korean firm-level data for the period of 2006 through 2013 provided by Statistics Korea are used to study the impact of the foreign investment on the exit and sales of the domestic firms. Findings The result shows that foreign firms crowd out small firms from the market and take their shares in the domestic market. On the other hand, larger firms rather enjoy positive spillover effect from foreign firms, reducing its exit probability and increasing sales. It may be that large firms have enough competitiveness and ability to learn and apply the advanced technology of the foreign firms. Practical implications Despite the strong belief on the positive impacts of the foreign firms such as knowledge spillovers or job creation, there might be crowding-out or market-stealing effect from the presence of foreign firms. If the latter effect is larger than positive effect, the incentives provided by host country government to the multinational firms cannot be justified. In this regard, the question addressed in this paper is very important. Originality/value While most of previous papers have focused on the impacts of the foreign firms on productivity of the domestic firms, this paper deals with their impacts on the exit and sales of the domestic firms in order to examine more direct crowding-out and market-stealing effect of foreign firms.
Effects of deficit irrigation on winter silage maize production in Zimbabwe

A study was carried out to determine the effects of deficit irrigation on silage maize production at Clysdale farm in Banket, Mashonaland West province of Zimbabwe. The experiment was carried out on three main plots representing three treatments with six replications for each treatment. The three treatments were irrigating at 100% (T 100), 80% (T 80) and 60% (T 60) of crop water requirements. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design. Water use efficiency, cob yield, leaf area and total fresh yield were determined. The results showed that leaf area, total fresh yield and cob yield decreased by 13.38%, 22.18% and 15.23 respectively while water use efficiency increased by 15.87 % under T80 treatment during the 2008 season. For T60 leaf area, total fresh yield and cob yield decreased by 30.59%, 39.66% and 27.08% while water use efficiency increased by 31.46% during the 2008 season. The same trend was observed again for T80 in 2009 where leaf area, fresh yield and cob yield decreased by 15.99%, 16.47% and 11.23% respectively while water use efficiency increased by 18.1%. For T60 during the same season leaf area, fresh yield and cob yield decreased by 35.2%, 42.37% and 25.94% respectively while water use efficiency increased by 28.39%. From the experiment it can be concluded that deficit irrigation results in a significant decline in silage maize yield and an increase in water use efficiency.
The effects of earmuff on physiologic and motor responses in premature infants admitted in neonatal intensive care unit

Background: Continuous high-intensity noise in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is stressful for premature infants and its reduction is considered as a nursing care. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of earmuffs’ use on the physiologic and motor responses of premature infants. Materials and Methods: This is a clinical trial conducted on 64 premature infants admitted to the NICU, who met the inclusion criteria, and were randomly assigned to study and control groups. Earmuffs were used for premature infants for 2 h in the morning and 2 h in the afternoon for two consecutive days to reduce the noise intensity in the busiest time of the NICU. The group with earmuff (study group) was compared with the control group receiving only routine care. Infants’ physiologic and motor responses were observed before, during, immediately, and 1 h after the intervention. Analysis of covariance and repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the data. Results: When infants wore the earmuffs, they had significantly higher mean arterial oxygen saturation, the less frequent motor response, and a decrease in their pulse and respiratory rate. Conclusion: Paying attention to environmental noise can help the patients, especially the neonates in the NICU, and can be considered as a nursing care. Wearing earmuffs can protect premature infants against noise in the NICU and improve their physiological and motor state.
A Comparative Study of Sleep and Mood Between Young Elite Athletes and Age-Matched Controls.

BACKGROUND Sleep and mood have seldom been compared between elite athletes and nonelite athletes, although potential differences suggest that physical activity may affect these parameters. This study aims to explore whether adolescent elite athletes differ from controls in terms of sleep, positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA). METHODS Forty-eight elite athletes and 26 controls participating in organized and nonorganized sport completed a questionnaire, and a 7-day sleep diary. RESULTS On school days, the athletes and the controls who participated in organized and nonorganized sport differed in bedtime (22:46, 23:14, 23:42, P < .01), sleep onset (23:03, 23:27, 00:12, P < .01), and total sleep time (7:52, 8:00, 6:50, P < 01). During weekend, the athletes, the controls who participated in organized and nonorganized sport differed in bedtime (23:30, 00:04, 00:49, P < .01), sleep onset (23.42, 00:18, 01:13, P < .01), rise time (9:15, 9:47, 10:55, P < .01), sleep efficiency (95.0%, 94.2%, 90.0%, P < 05), and sleep onset latency (11.8, 18.0, 28.0 minutes, P < .01). Furthermore, the athletes reported less social jetlag (0:53) and higher score for PA (34.3) compared with the controls who participated in nonorganized sport (jetlag: 1:25, P < .05, PA: 29.8, P < .05). CONCLUSIONS An almost dose-response association was found between weekly training hours, sleep, social jetlag and mood in adolescents.
Same Fight, Different Player: An Insight Into Culture, Information Sharing, And Team Performance

iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . vi TABLE OF CONTENTS . viii LIST OF FIGURES . xi LIST OF TABLES . xii LIST OF ACRONYMS / ABBREVIATIONS . xiv CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION . 1 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW . 8 Teams . 10 Information Sharing . 11 Information Sharing and Team Performance . 11 Culture . 22 Defining Culture . 23 Cultural Frameworks . 25 Hofstede’s Cultural Values . 26 Trompenaar’s Waves of Culture . 27 Schwartz Value Survey . 28 The GLOBE Project . 29
CTL Induction of Tumoricidal Nitric Oxide Production by Intratumoral Macrophages Is Critical for Tumor Elimination

To characterize mechanisms of CTL inhibition within an ocular tumor microenvironment, tumor-specific CTLs were transferred into mice with tumors developing within the anterior chamber of the eye or skin. Ocular tumors were resistant to CTL transfer therapy whereas skin tumors were sensitive. CTLs infiltrated ocular tumors at higher CTL/tumor ratios than in skin tumors and demonstrated comparable ex vivo effector function to CTLs within skin tumors indicating that ocular tumor progression was not due to decreased CTL accumulation or inhibited CTL function within the eye. CD11b+Gr-1+F4/80− cells predominated within ocular tumors, whereas skin tumors were primarily infiltrated by CD11b+Gr-1−F4/80+ macrophages (Mϕs), suggesting that myeloid derived suppressor cells may contribute to ocular tumor growth. However, CD11b+ myeloid cells isolated from either tumor site suppressed CTL activity in vitro via NO production. Paradoxically, the regression of skin tumors by CTL transfer therapy required NO production by intratumoral Mϕs indicating that NO-producing intratumoral myeloid cells did not suppress the effector phase of CTL. Upon CTL transfer, tumoricidal concentrations of NO were only produced by skin tumor-associated Mϕs though ocular tumor-associated Mϕs demonstrated comparable expression of inducible NO synthase protein suggesting that NO synthase enzymatic activity was compromised within the eye. Correspondingly, in vitro-activated Mϕs limited tumor growth when co-injected with tumor cells in the skin but not in the eye. In conclusion, the decreased capacity of Mϕs to produce NO within the ocular microenvironment limits CTL tumoricidal activity allowing ocular tumors to progress.
Motivational interviewing‐based training enhances clinicians’ skills and knowledge in psoriasis: findings from the Pso Well® study

Psoriasis is a common long‐term, immune‐mediated skin condition associated with behavioural factors (e.g. smoking, excess alcohol, obesity), which increase the risk of psoriasis onset, flares and comorbidities. Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence‐based approach to health‐related behaviour change that has been used successfully for patients with long‐term conditions. This study assessed change in clinicians’ MI skills and psoriasis knowledge following Psoriasis and Wellbeing (Pso Well®) training.