Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk of atherosclerosis: interaction of smoking and glutathione S-transferase genes.

BACKGROUND Cigarette smoking is a well-known risk factor for not only incident events of coronary heart disease, but also preclinical atherosclerosis. Enzymes including glutathione S-transferase mu (GSTM1) and theta (GSTT1) are involved in the metabolism of tobacco smoke chemicals and are expressed in human vessels and smooth muscle cells. METHODS We estimated the effect of interaction of smoking with the deletion polymorphisms of GSTM1 and GSTT1 on the risk of carotid artery atherosclerosis. We analyzed a stratified random sample of 1394 individuals from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, which is a prospective cohort study of 15,792 white and black men and women randomly selected from four U.S. communities between 1987 and 1989. As an index of generalized atherosclerosis, we used carotid artery intimal-medial thickness, as determined by B-mode ultrasound at the baseline or first follow-up examination in asymptomatic individuals. RESULTS We found a suggestion of an interaction between the functional GSTT-1 genotype (GSTT-1) and heavy smoking. For 20 or more pack-years and GSTT1-1, the odds ratio for increased intimal-medial thickness was 4.7 (95% confidence interval = 1.9-11.8); for 20 or more pack-years and GSTT1-0, 1.7 (0.5-5.5); and for nonsmokers and GSTT1-1, 0.7 (0.3-1.5). We found no interaction between smoking and GSTM1. CONCLUSIONS The results of this analysis of preclinical atherosclerosis extend reports from the ARIC study of an interaction between smoking and GSTT1-1 in relation to the risk of incident coronary heart disease and lower extremity arterial disease.
Cloning of GT box-binding proteins: a novel Sp1 multigene family regulating T-cell receptor gene expression

Analysis of a T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) alpha promoter from a variable gene segment (V) revealed a critical GT box element which is also found in upstream regions of several V alpha genes, TCR enhancer, and regulatory elements of other genes. This element is necessary for TCR gene expression and binds several proteins. These GT box-binding proteins were identified as members of a novel Sp1 multigene family. Two of them, which we term Sp2 and Sp3, were cloned. Sp2 and Sp3 contain zinc fingers and transactivation domains similar to those of Sp1. Like Sp1, Sp2 and Sp3 are expressed ubiquitously, and their in vitro-translated products bind to the GT box in TCR V alpha promoters. Sp3, in particular, also binds to the Sp1 consensus sequence GC box and has binding activity similar to that of Sp1. As the GT box has also previously been shown to play a role in gene regulation of other genes, these newly isolated Sp2 and Sp3 proteins might regulate expression not only of the TCR gene but of other genes as well.
Pan-genome of the dominant human gut-associated archaeon, Methanobrevibacter smithii, studied in twins

The human gut microbiota harbors three main groups of H2-consuming microbes: methanogens including the dominant archaeon, Methanobrevibacter smithii, a polyphyletic group of acetogens, and sulfate-reducing bacteria. Defining their roles in the gut is important for understanding how hydrogen metabolism affects the efficiency of fermentation of dietary components. We quantified methanogens in fecal samples from 40 healthy adult female monozygotic (MZ) and 28 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs, analyzed bacterial 16S rRNA datasets generated from their fecal samples to identify taxa that co-occur with methanogens, sequenced the genomes of 20 M. smithii strains isolated from families of MZ and DZ twins, and performed RNA-Seq of a subset of strains to identify their responses to varied formate concentrations. The concordance rate for methanogen carriage was significantly higher for MZ versus DZ twin pairs. Co-occurrence analysis revealed 22 bacterial species-level taxa positively correlated with methanogens: all but two were members of the Clostridiales, with several being, or related to, known hydrogen-producing and -consuming bacteria. The M. smithii pan-genome contains 987 genes conserved in all strains, and 1,860 variably represented genes. Strains from MZ and DZ twin pairs had a similar degree of shared genes and SNPs, and were significantly more similar than strains isolated from mothers or members of other families. The 101 adhesin-like proteins (ALPs) in the pan-genome (45 ± 6 per strain) exhibit strain-specific differences in expression and responsiveness to formate. We hypothesize that M. smithii strains use their different repertoires of ALPs to create diversity in their metabolic niches, by allowing them to establish syntrophic relationships with bacterial partners with differing metabolic capabilities and patterns of co-occurrence.
Questionamento em manuais escolares de ciências: que contributos para a aprendizagem baseada na resolução de problemas da "sustentabilidade na terra"?

Apesar da grande implantacao que recursos didacticos baseados na internet tem vindo a alcancar, as escolas portuguesas continuam a ter que, periodicamente, seleccionar o manual escolar a adoptar para cada uma das disciplinas e para cada ano de escolaridade, em conformidade com as regras estabelecidas pelo Ministerio da Educacao. Estes manuais serao, depois, o recurso didactico unico, para alguns alunos, e o recurso didactico privilegiado, para outros. As praticas pedagogicas dos professores, por sua vez, sao influenciadas pelas abordagens didacticas apresentadas pelos manuais (Yore, 1991), especialmente pelo manual adoptado na escola em que leccionam. Esta influencia parece ser tanto maior quanto menos experiente e o professor, talvez porque os professores menos experientes encontram no manual escolar uma concretizacao do curriculo, o que lhes facilita a tarefa de reinterpretacao deste e minimiza as suas lacunas em termos de repertorio de estrategias e actividades didacticas para leccionacao de determinados temas. Para muitos professores, o manual escolar, em vez de ser uma possivel reinterpretacao do curriculo, assume mesmo o estatuto de curriculo (Yore, 1991). Assim, a reinterpretacao que cada manual faz do curriculo deveria ser o mais adequada possivel, nao so em termos de temas e conceitos a abordar mas tambem nas formas de os abordar. Em Portugal, o Curriculo Nacional do Ensino Basico (DEB, 2001) propoe os temas a abordar, enuncia as competencias a desenvolver em cada um deles, e da orientacoes em termos de metodologias de ensino a adoptar nessa abordagem. Contudo, apresenta tambem competencias gerais relevantes, para qualquer cidadao, a desenvolver nas diversas disciplinas, as quais incluem o desenvolvimento de competencias de resolucao de problemas, com vista a aprendizagem, bem como de competencias de questionamento. Uma vez que o manual escolar e um mediador do curriculo, para cumprir bem a sua funcao, deveria preocupar-se, tambem, com estes aspectos, usando e estimulando atitudes favoraveis ao questionamento e adoptando a Aprendizagem Baseada na Resolucao de Problemas (a que Leite e Afonso (2001) atribuiam o acronimo ABRP), como uma forma de abordar conteudos cientificos, especialmente os que envolvem uma componente socio-cientifica. Os manuais escolares portugueses recorrem a perguntas quando desenvolvem os diversos temas programaticos (Leite et al., 2007). Contudo, nem todas essas perguntas sao relevantes do ponto de vista da ABRP. As perguntas que interessam para este efeito sao as perguntas de nivel cognitivo elevado, cuja resposta requer reflexao e, pelo menos, compreensao dos assuntos.
Effect of spinal transection on the metabolism of 5-hydroxyindoles formed in vivo from 3H-tryptophan in the rat spinal cord.

The nerve impulse flow in 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) neurons descending to the caudal part of the spinal cord of rats was interrupted by a spinal transection. At various time intervals after the operation 3H-tryptophan was administered i.v. and the accumulations of labelled 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the cord were determined. 6–8 days after the section the cord caudal to the lesion was almost depleted of 5-HT and very little 3H-5-HT was formed from the labelled precursor. Between 8 and 24 h post-lesion the level of 5-HT was increased by 20 % below the lesion, whereas the accumulation of 3H-5-HT was markedly reduced. Immediately after the transection the endogenous 5-HT level as well as the 3H-5-HT accumulation were unchanged in the caudal cord. The accumulation of 3H-5-HIAA below the section was reduced at all time intervals after the operation. The specific activity of tryptophan seemed to be increased following nerve section. The results indicate that 5-HIAA synthesis is controlled by nerve impulse activity. The synthesis of 5-HT was not directly dependent on neuronal activity or tryptophan levels but seemed to be inversely correlated to the endogenous 5-HT level.
Crustal structure beneath Istra peninsula based on receiver function analysis

The structure of the Earth’s crust has been determined at three temporary seismic stations in Istra (Croatia) installed as a part of the passive seismic experiment ALPASS-DIPS (Alpine Lithosphere and Upper Mantle PASsive Seismic Monitoring - DInarides-Pannonian Segment). The stations were located at the north-eastern edge of the Adriatic microplate. The knowledge of the crustal structure under Istra will help the understanding of the tectonic evolution within the broader region of the contact between Adria and Eurasia. Teleseismic data recorded at three-component stations were analyzed using the P receiver functions method, which allows detecting seismic discontinuities within the crust and upper mantle below the stations. To determine more detailed crustal structure, we have done 1 D forward modelling of receiver functions. The results of modelling are the S-wave velocity models of the crust beneath the stations. Calculated receiver functions showed three converted phases in the first 5 s of delay time, thus suggesting three seismic discontinuities in the crust, that is, discontinuity in the shallowest part of the upper crust, intracrustal discontinuity, and the Mohorovicic discontinuity. A forward modelling approach at all three stations showed a shallow high velocity zone observed at a depth between 2 and 8 km. This zone may probably be related to an anhydrite series with dolomite alternations characterised by high seismic velocity. Intracrustal discontinuity is defined at a depth between 18 and 21 km. Models of the shear velocity at the three stations show a decreasing of the Moho depth from 43 km at the northern Istra to 37 km at the south-eastern part of Istra.
The Effects of Organizational Forms of Mutual Fund Management Company on Mutual Fund Performance

The organizational form of a company indicates whether it is publicly-traded or privately-held. The effects of the organizational forms on a company’s operations and performances have been well documented. However, because the organizational form of companies in the finance industry is so different from those in other industries, the effect on performance is quite different. There has been little research done to determine how the organizational form of mutual fund management companies affect the performance of their mutual funds. This thesis examines the impact of mutual fund management companies on the performance of their managed funds using data that cover the period 2007 to 2016 on 782 different firms. The results showed that the performance of mutual funds managed by publicly-traded mutual fund management companies was significantly compared to those managed by privately-held companies. Based on the sample data, the hypothesis of this thesis is that publicly-traded and privately-held fund management companies have different incentives and interests that impact mutual fund performance. The thesis also addresses the issues of discontinuous returns and endogenous organizational form variables. The test results examined in this thesis support the notion that mutual funds managed by publicly-traded companies underperform compared to industry ii benchmarks. In addition, funds managed by publicly-traded management companies perform poorer in general compared to funds managed by privately-held companies.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia: is zero possible?

There is a growing impetus to eliminate ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). In the United States, 2 key developments are exerting considerable pressure on hospitals to tackle VAP: mandatory public reporting of health care–associated infections and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposal to add VAP to their list of nonreimbursable complications. Concerted advocacy by patient safety organizations, such as the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, complements these pressures. In response, many hospitals have adopted bundled sets of prevention measures to try to drive down their VAP rates. The implicit and often explicit goal of these campaigns is to reach a VAP rate of zero [1–3]. The evidence base informing the design, implementation, and impact of VAP bundles, however, is limited [4]. Different hospitals have adopted different VAP bundles and report highly variable results (Table 1) [5–17]. Whether a VAP rate of zero is an achievable (and indeed appropriate) goal is controversial [18–21]. As with other areas of quality improvement, there
Potential applications of high pressure homogenisation in processing of liquid milk

Studies of the potential of high pressure homogenisation (HPH) for the combined pasteurisation/homogenisation of raw bovine milk were undertaken. Raw milk was preheated to 45 °C and HPH-treated at 150, 200 or 250 MPa; milk outlet temperature at these pressures were 67, 76·8 and 83·6 °C, respectively, with a holding time of ~20 s. Raw and commercially pasteurized and homogenized (CPH) milk samples were analysed as controls. Fat globules in HPH samples were approximately half the size of those in CPH samples, although differences were not significant (P>0·05). β-Lactoglobulin was denatured at pressures [ges ]150 MPa, although little denaturation of α-lactalbumin was observed. Numbers of psychrotrophic bacteria in raw milk were reduced by 2·73 log cycles by HPH at 150 MPa and were uncountable following HPH at 200 or 250 MPa. Mesophilic bacterial counts were reduced by 1·30, 1·83 and 3·06 log cycles by HPH at 150, 200 or 250 MPa, respectively. No viable Staphylococcus aureus nor coliform cells remained in any HPH milk samples. HPH did not affect the colour of milk and HPH samples did not cream during refrigerated storage. The activities of plasmin, alkaline phosphatase and lactoperoxidase in milk were all greatly reduced by HPH. Pseudomonas fluorescens, inoculated into milk (~106 cfu/ml), was reduced to undetectable levels by HPH at 200 MPa (milk inlet temperature, ~10 °C); however, Ps. fluorescens proteinase was quite resistant to HPH under such conditions. Overall, owing to the significant increase in temperature and the possibility of varying the holding time, there may be potential applications for HPH as a novel liquid milk processing technique, combining many advantages of conventional homogenization and pasteurization of milk in a single process.
The Effect of Internal Control Deficiencies on Audit Fees and Audit Report Lags

An audit can be viewed as a part of an entity’s overall financial reporting system, and as such an audit has its substitutes and complements. As the benefits of a well-functioning financial reporting system, of which both internal controls and auditing are a part of, are in liability avoidance, it follows that internal control is a substitute for auditing, and vice versa. Therefore, a weakness in internal control affects the amount of audit work, which is reflected both in the price of an audit and the length of an audit. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, implemented in the aftermath of several accounting fraud scandals, aims to enhance financial disclosures and prevent fraudulent accounting. Internal control reporting requirements in Section 404 have been arguably one of the most controversial aspects of SOX as they require the management to document, evaluate, and publicly report the effectiveness of internal controls and the auditor to attest to and report on this assessment. Section 404 internal control disclosures provide more insight into the internal controls of an entity, and open up a new way to research the effects that internal control has on auditing. This thesis investigates how a reported material weakness in internal control influences audit fees and audit report lag. As a weakness in internal control will likely lead to more audit work, the assumption is that a material weakness in internal control affecting financial reporting will increase the price of an audit and prolong the audit report lag. The first hypothesis is that audit fees will be higher for companies that have reported one or more internal control deficiencies under SOX Section 404. The second hypothesis is that the audit report lag will be longer for companies that have reported one or more internal control deficiencies under SOX Section 404. The hypotheses are evaluated using multivariate regression analysis. The analyses will be carried out to model the relationships that audit fees and audit report lags have to their determinants. The data used is taken from Compustat and AuditAnalytics databases and consists of financial information of U.S. companies with fiscal year end dates between 01/01/2005 and 31/12/2015. The results are that a reported material weakness in internal control has a significant positive relationship with audit fees and audit report lags. The percentage effect of an internal control deficiency on audit fees is 20.2 % and 9.4 % on audit report lag. These findings are consistent with previous research, and add to the body of knowledge concerning the effects of reported internal control deficiencies.
New inequalities for g-frames in Hilbert C^✻-modules

In this paper, we establish several new inequalities for g-frames in Hilbert C∗ -modules which are different in structure from those previously obtained by Balan et al. for Hilbert space frames. We also present some equalities and inequalities for g-frames in Hilbert C∗ -modules with Moore–Penrose inverses and show that they are more general and cover some results in [Xiao, XC, Zeng, XM: Some properties of g-frames in Hilbert C∗ -modules. J. Math. Anal. Appl. 363 (2), 399–408 (2010)]. Mathematics subject classification (2010): 46L99, 42C15, 46H25.
The impact of a nurse-led support and education programme for spouses of stroke patients: a randomized controlled trial.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of a nurse-led support and education programme for improving the spouses' perceived general quality of life, life situation, general well-being and health state. BACKGROUND Stroke is a disease with great consequences for the patients and their families. The spouses often feel obligated to care for the patient, providing psychological and physical support and having to cope with the patient's physical and cognitive impairments. This might lead to increased problems, as family members struggle to adapt to their new roles and responsibilities. DESIGN AND METHODS Longitudinal, randomized controlled trial. One hundred spouses were randomly assigned to intervention or control groups, 50 in each group. The intervention group participated in a support and education programme, six times during six months, led by stroke specialist nurses. Both groups were followed for 12 months. RESULTS No significant differences were found, between intervention and control groups, over time. In the sub analyses, we found that the group attending 5-6 times had a significant decrease in negative well-being and increased quality of life over time, while the group attending fewer times had a significant decrease in positive well-being and health state, similar to the control group, which also had a significant decrease in negative and general well-being. CONCLUSIONS A support and education programme might have a positive effect on spouses' well-being, on condition that they attend at least five times. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE To facilitate the spouses' role as informal caregivers to the stroke patients, further development of the support and education programme used in the present study is needed, including empowerment approach and implementation of coping strategies.
Glomerular Disturbances in Preeclampsia: Disruption Between Glomerular Endothelium and Podocyte Symbiosis

Background. Preeclampsia (PE) is the commonest cause of glomerular disease worldwide. Glomerular endotheliosis has been considered as the hallmark of PE, but this lesion is also found in non-proteinuric hypertensive pregnant women. Lately, podocyte alterations have been related to PE. Proposal. Although it has been demonstrated that glomerular endothelium and podocyte alterations are related to PE, we could locate no formal academic discussion that integrates these two phenomena. The demonstration that alterations of the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by podocytes result in a dramatic endothelial phenotype and that induced production of endothelin-1 by glomerular endothelium provokes podocyte damage could indicate that glomerular lesions in PE result from disruption of the symbiosis between these cells rather than from events occurring independently. We shall try to describe a holistic way of viewing renal disease in PE women, in which the hypertensive emergency is produced by the effects of antiangiogenic proteins on the vascular endothelium, while renal lesion and proteinuria result from the effects of these proteins on both the glomerular endothelium and the podocyte. Conclusions. VEGF deficiency within the glomerulus in women with PE leads to the disruption of podocyte and glomerular endothelium symbiosis. The evidence demonstrating that exogenous VEGF administration in a rat model of PE could alleviate hypertension and proteinuria in these animals are encouraging in view of looking for therapeutic approaches in this direction, nonetheless further evidence should be provided in humans to directly demonstrate that VEGF supplementation could mitigate the symptoms of PE.
Health‐related quality of life in children with objectively diagnosed staple food allergy assessed with a disease‐specific questionnaire

Among Swedish children of 0–12 years old, we investigated various food allergy‐related exposures associated with health‐related quality of life using a food allergy‐specific questionnaire among children allergic to the staple foods cow's milk, hen's egg and/or wheat, and contextualised worse food allergy‐associated health‐related quality of life using a generic questionnaire versus controls.
Transforming growth factor-b and epithelial – mesenchymal transition are associated with pulmonary metastasis in adenoid cystic carcinoma

1368-8375/$ see front matter 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi. org/10.1016/j.oraloncology. 2013.07. 012 Abbreviations: ACC, adenoid cystic carcinoma; b-catenin RM, membrane expression of b-catenin; CAMs, Ca-independent immunoglobulin-like cell adhesion molecules; EMT, epithelial–mesenchymal transition; H-score, immunohistochemical score; p-Smad2, phospho-Smad2; ROC, receiver operating characteristic; TGF-b1, transforming growth factor. ⇑ Corresponding authors. Address: Central Laboratory, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, 22 Zhongguancun Nandajie, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, PR China. Tel. : +86 10 82195534; fax: +86 10 62173402 (S.-L. Li), Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, 22 Zhongguancun Nandajie, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, PR China. Tel. : +86 10 62191099; fax: +86 10 62173402 (G.-Y. Yu). E-mail addresses: kqshlli@bjmu.edu. cn (S.-L. Li), gyyu@263.net (G.-Y. Yu). 1 Co-first authors. Ling Dong , Xi-Yuan Ge , Yi-Xiang Wang , Lin-Qian Yang , Sheng-Lin Li a,b,⇑, Guang-Yan Yu c,⇑, Yan Gao , Jia Fu b