Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of the Conjugated Linoleic Acid in the Prevention of Cancer

There are multiple lines of evidence that a variety of natural fatty acids are effective in health promotion. Among these fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)—a collective term referring to a mixture of positional and geometric isomers of linoleic acid (LA, cis-9, cis-12-octadecadienoic acid)—is currently under intensive investigation due to its health-promotion potential. The antitumor activity of CLA is of special interest, since it shows inhibitory effects against multistage carcinogenesis at relatively low dietary levels. Many studies using in vivo and in vitro models have shown that CLA suppresses the development of multistage carcinogenesis at different sites. The research to date on CLA has provided a vast amount of information about the mechanism on how CLA functions in the prevention of cancer. This article discusses characteristics of CLA in the prevention of cancer in both in vivo and in vitro studies and the possible underlying chemoprevention mechanisms.
Tinnitus: A Cost Study

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the costs of tinnitus in The Netherlands from a health care and a societal perspective. Furthermore, the impact of disease characteristics and demographic characteristics on these costs were examined. Methods: A bottom-up cost of illness study was performed, using the baseline data on a cost questionnaire of a randomized controlled trial investigating the (cost) effectiveness of an integral multidisciplinary treatment for tinnitus versus care as usual. Mean yearly costs were multiplied by the prevalence figure of tinnitus for the adult general population to estimate the total cost of illness of tinnitus to society. Because cost data usually are not normally distributed, a nonparametric bootstrap resampling procedure with 1000 simulations was performed to determine statistical uncertainty of the cost estimates per category. Several questionnaires measuring disease and demographic characteristics were administered. The impact of disease characteristics and demographics on costs was investigated using a multivariate regression analysis. Results: Total mean societal cost of illness was &OV0556;6.8 billion (95% confidence interval: &OV0556;3.9 billion–&OV0556;10.8 billion). The larger part of total cost of illness was not related to health care. Total mean health care costs were &OV0556;1.9 billion (95% confidence interval: &OV0556;1.4 billion–&OV0556;2.5 billion). Significant predictors of both health care costs and societal costs were tinnitus severity, age, shorter duration of tinnitus, and more severe depression. Conclusion: The economical burden of tinnitus to society is substantial, and severity of tinnitus is an important predictor of the costs made by patients.
The Impact of an Assurance System on the Quality of Teaching and Learning—Using the Example of a University in Russia and One of the Universities in Germany

In this paper we consider the question of how quality assurance can have a real, positive impact on the quality of teaching and learning at universities, considering the realities of different systems—the system of control and the system of quality culture—in using the example of two universities: the KNITU-KAI in Russia and the TU Dresden in Germany. The study involved 40 lecturers of technical courses and 120 third-year students of technical courses from both universities. The authors put forward a working hypothesis that quality assurance has a positive effect on the quality of teaching and learning if it carries out its informational, motivational and administrative functions. The results have shown that the aforementioned functions are not fulfilled by both universities and a special organizational culture is not the only condition that must be met for effective evaluation efforts. In order to fulfill motivational, informational and administrative functions, it is important as well that the quality assurance system is transparent and that all participants see that the surveyed data and results lead to measures for quality development. It is equally important that all university members participate in the process of quality assurance.
A double‐blind, multicentre study of paroxetine versus clomipramine in depressed elderly patients

Methods Seventy-nine patients aged 60 years or older who, after initial screening and a seven-day placebo washout period, fulfilled DSM-I11 criteria for major depressive disorder, had a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) (1) total score (21-item) of more than 20, and a Newcastle Scale (2) score of at least 6, were randomized to treatment with either paroxetine or clomipramine. Patients whose HAMD total scores, at the end of the washout period, had decreased by more than 20% of their values at entry were excluded from the study. The planned duration of double-blind treatment was six weeks. The dosage regimens of the study drugs were as follows: paroxetine 20mg in the morning during week 1 of active treatment and 30mg in the morning from weeks 2 to 6; clomipramine 2Smgatnightduringdays 1 to3 ofweekl,50mg (25mg twice daily) during days 4 to 7 of week 1, and 7Smg (25mg three times daily) from weeks 2 to 6. The double-blind nature of the study was achieved by the use of the doubledummy technique. The only permitted concomitant psychotropic medications were short half-life benzodiazepines of the oxazepam type for the control of agitation, anxiety, or insomnia. Efficacywas assessed at the end of the placebo washout period and at the end of each week of treatment, and wasmeasuredusing the HAMD, Wang Anxiety, and Widlocher scales, and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI). Assessment of tolerability was based on reports of adverse experiences (AER), both spontaneously reported and elicited in response to a side-effect symptom checklist, physical examination, ECG, vital signs, and laboratory investigations. Demographic characteristics of patients in the two treatment groups were comparable. The mean ages of patients in the paroxetine and clomipramine groupswere 69.3 and 68.1 years, respectively, and the sex ratios (male/female) were 15/25 and9/30,respectively. The average duration of previous depressive episodes was 5.8 months in the paroxetine group and 3.5 in the clomipramine group, while the total number of previous episodes was 2.2 and 3.3, respectively. The duration ofthe present illness was4.4 weeks in the paroxetine group and 2.0 in the clomipramine group.
Paths to remarriage.

The authors use data from the Current Population Survey to examine the extent and timing of remarriage in the United States, social factors associated with remarriage, and the impact of the event (divorce or widowhood) that preceded remarriage. Factors found to influence the likelihood and timing of remarriage include length of first marriage, age at widowhood, age at first marriage, number of children from first marriage, and education
Thoracic CT in the intensive care unit: assessment of clinical usefulness.

PURPOSE To determine the clinical usefulness of thoracic computed tomography (CT) in patients in a general intensive care unit (ICU). MATERIALS AND METHODS Images obtained in 108 consecutive thoracic CT examinations and the associated bedside chest radiographs and medical records in 85 patients (55 men, 30 women; age range, 19-92 years) in the ICU of an institution were retrospectively reviewed. CT findings were compared with concurrent bedside chest radiographic findings. The clinical importance of each CT finding was determined by reviewing the clinical record. RESULTS Of the 232 chest radiographic findings, 199 (86%) were confirmed at CT; when disagreement about mild congestive heart failure was excluded, there was a 93% agreement (199 of 213 findings). However, only CT demonstrated 250 (52%) of the 482 total findings (232 + 250 findings). Although many of these new findings were not clinically important, 32 (30%) of the 108 CT examinations had at least one new clinically important finding. These important new findings most often were (a) abscesses or postoperative fluid collections in the mediastinum, chest wall, or retroperitoneum; (b) malignancies that were detected, staged, or evaluated; (c) unsuspected pneumonia; or (d) pleural effusions. The CT findings resulted in changes in clinical management in 24 (22%) of the 108 examinations. CONCLUSION CT of the thorax is clinically useful in selected situation in patients in ICUs.
Incorporating natural enemy units into a dynamic action threshold for the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines (Homoptera: Aphididae).

BACKGROUND Recommended action thresholds for soybean aphid, Aphis glycines, do not adjust for natural enemy impact, although natural enemies contribute important biological control services. Because individual natural enemy species have varied impacts on pest population dynamics, incorporating the impact of a diverse predator guild into an action threshold can be cumbersome. RESULTS Field surveys identified an aphidophagous natural enemy complex dominated by Orius insidiosus, Coccinella septempunctata, Harmonia axyridis and Aphelinus certus. Functional responses of O. insidiosus were determined in the laboratory, while predation rates of all other natural enemies were obtained from the literature. Natural enemy impacts were normalized using natural enemy units (NEUs), where 1 NEU = 100 aphids consumed or parasitized. A dynamic action threshold (DAT) was developed by combining NEUs with an A. glycines population growth model. With the DAT, an insecticide application was only triggered if natural enemy numbers were insufficient to suppress pest populations. In field experiments, DAT provided equivalent yields to the conventional action threshold and reduced the average number of pesticide applications. CONCLUSION The DAT approach has the potential to reduce pesticide use, will help preserve natural enemy populations and can be applied to other pest systems with diverse natural enemy guilds.
Long-term effects of a multifaceted intervention to encourage the choice of the oral route for proton pump inhibitors: an interrupted time-series analysis

Problem: Drugs are often given intravenously even when the patient is able to swallow and when an oral form would be more cost-effective. Design: Evaluation of the impact of a multifaceted intervention on the early switch from intravenous to oral administration of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) in a hospital setting. The interrupted time series of intravenous PPI consumption was analysed. Background and setting: At a French University Hospital, the Drug Committee, composed of multidisciplinary pharmacy and medical staff, addressed the issue of increasing consumption of intravenous PPI drugs (May 2003). Strategy for change: Letters to department heads, academic analyses from members of the Drug Committee, paper reminders at the point of care and audit-feedbacks by pharmacists. Monitoring of consumption and repeated reminder letters were planned. Effect of change: The consumption of PPI was stable before the first intervention (mean level: 954 units/month). An immediate decrease occurred after the first Drug Committee letter (30% relative reduction, 95% CI −16% to −46%; p<0.001) with a significant trend change during the first multifaceted intervention (−24 units/month, 95% CI −42 to −7; p = 0.007). After the end of the outreach visits (July 2004), the consumptions increased (+32 units/month, 95% CI: 14 to 50, p<0.001). The second intervention had no significant impact. Lessons learnt: A complex intervention (audit, feedbacks, outreach visits) had an effect on practice. It was not sustained even after a less resource-intensive intervention. Other types of interventions are needed that could be continuously implemented to improve ordering practices long term.
Screening for pre-eclampsia: a systematic review of tests combining uterine artery Doppler with other markers

Abstract Aims: To perform a systematic review of screening for pre-eclampsia (PE) with the combination of uterine artery Doppler (UAD), maternal history, mean arterial pressure and/or maternal serum markers. Methods: We identified eligible studies through a search of Medline, and, for each included study, we assessed the risk of bias and extracted relevant data. We reported the performance of screening tests according to the target population (low- or high-risk), the trimester of screening (first and/or second) and the subset of PE screened for (early and late). Results: Several tests provided moderate or convincing prediction of early PE, but screening for late PE was poor. Although UAD is more accurate in the second trimester, we found encouraging results for first-trimester screening when it was combined with other markers. Performance of screening was consistently lower in populations with risk factors for PE in the maternal history. Conclusions: We present encouraging results for the prediction of early PE, even in the first trimester of pregnancy. The different performance of tests in screening for early vs. late PE, and of low- vs. high-risk populations, supports the concept that PE is a heterogeneous disease.
Pharmacological characterization of behavioural responses to SK&F 83959 in relation to ‘D1‐like’ dopamine receptors not linked to adenylyl cyclase

1 Behavioural responses to the new benzazepine derivative, SK&F 83959, a compound that both fails to stimulate adenylyl cyclase and inhibits the stimulation of adenylyl cyclase induced by dopamine, were characterized in detail. 2 In rat striatal membrane preparations, radioligand binding studies with [3H]‐SCH 23390 and [3H]‐spiperone indicated SK&F 83959 had a high affinity and > 250 fold selectivity for D1 over D2 receptors. 3 Using a rapid time‐sampling behavioural check list technique, SK&F 83959 (0.01‐1.25 mg kg−1) induced grooming in the manner of all known D1 receptor agonists, together with some vacuous chewing, which declined at higher doses with the emergence of directed chewing and rearing as an adjunct to prominent sniffing; no stereotyped behaviour was evident. 4 Grooming to SK&F 83959 (0.05 mg kg−1) was blocked by the selective D1 receptor antagonists, SCH 23390 (0.01‐1.0 mg kg−1) and BW 737C (0.04–5.0 mg kg−1) and was attenuated by the selective D2 receptor antagonist, YM 09151‐2 (0.005‐0.5 mg kg−1); vacuous chewing to SK&F 83959 was not influenced by either SCH 23390 or BW 737C and was enhanced by YM 09151‐2. 5 The paradoxical induction of typical D1 receptor agonist‐induced grooming by SK&F 83959, an agent satisfying criteria for a D1 receptor antagonist as classically defined, together with its blockade by typical D1 antagonists, strongly suggests mediation via a ‘D1‐like’ site that appears to respond similarly to agents independent of whether they exert agonist or antagonist actions at the classical adenylyl cyclase‐coupled D1 receptor. This direct functional evidence for a ‘D1‐like’ site that is not linked to adenylyl cyclase readily complements neurochemical data suggesting the existence of a cyclase‐independent ‘D1‐like’ receptor that may be coupled to phosphoinositide hydrolysis.
Prostanoid EP4 receptor stimulation produces ocular hypotension by a mechanism that does not appear to involve uveoscleral outflow.

PURPOSE As part of a systematic elucidation of the pharmacology of prostaglandin's (PG) effects on intraocular pressure in the monkey, the prototypical selective prostanoid EP(4) receptor agonist (3,7-dithia PGE(1)) was examined. It was found to be highly efficacious in nonhuman primates, and its mechanism of ocular hypotensive activity was investigated. METHODS Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured by pneumatonometry in conscious monkeys restrained in custom-designed chairs. All other animal experiments were performed in animals sedated with ketamine or anesthetized with ketamine/diazepam and given drug or vehicle for various lengths of time. Aqueous flow was determined by fluorophotometry. Total outflow facility was measured by the two-level, constant-pressure method and by 2-minute tonography in both normotensive and hypertensive monkey eyes. Uveoscleral outflow was measured by perfusing the anterior chamber with FITC-labeled dextran for 30 minutes at a fixed IOP of approximately 15 mm Hg. Isometric responses to drugs were measured in longitudinal and radial preparations of monkey and human isolated ciliary smooth muscle specimens. RESULTS The selective EP(4) receptor agonist 3,7-dithia PGE(1) and an isopropyl ester prodrug thereof reduced IOP in monkeys. A single dose of 3,7-dithia PGE(1) isopropyl ester, at a 0.01% or 0.1% dose, decreased IOP in the glaucomatous monkey in the range of 40% to 50%. Studies on total outflow facility by the two-level, constant-pressure perfusion method and tonography indicated that EP(4) receptor stimulation facilitated aqueous humor outflow facility. No effect on aqueous flow was apparent. In contrast to all PGs and prostamides studied to date, 3,7-dithia PGE(1) exerted no effect on uveoscleral outflow measured directly. Moreover, it did not relax longitudinal or radial preparations of isolated human or monkey ciliary muscles. CONCLUSIONS The EP(4) receptor agonist 3,7-dithia PGE(1) is a highly efficacious IOP-lowering drug in monkeys. It has no effect on uveoscleral outflow but does increase total outflow facility, which accounts for a substantial proportion of the ocular hypotensive activity.
The effects of partial retinal lesions on activity and size of cells in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus

The nasal parts of the adult cat retina were photocoagulated. In the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) the projection of the remaining innervation was shown by anterograde transport of 3H‐proline after eye injections. The neuronal activity was measured from single cells across the border region between innervated and deafferented parts of layer A of the dLGN contralateral to the lesions. A gradual decrease from normal light‐excitability to total inexcitability was observed over a range of 300 μm. The perikaryal cell sizes measured in the same part of the dLGN displayed a concomitant decrease. Blockage of the afferent impulses by chronic application of tetrodotoxin did not change the results, suggesting that it is the loss of connections, not the loss of activity, that produces the transneuronal atrophy in the adult cat dLGN.
An Empirical Investigation of the Antecedents and Consequences of Privacy Uncertainty in the Context of Mobile Apps

When using mobile apps that extensively collect user information, privacy uncertainty, which is consumers’ difficulty in assessing the privacy of the data they entrust to others, is a major concern. Using a simulated app-buying experiment, we find that privacy uncertainty, which is mainly driven by uncertainty about what data are collected and how they are used and protected, is indeed a significant influencer of one’s intentions to use a mobile app and the perceived risk associated with that use, as well as the price a potential consumer is willing to pay for an app. Our results further show that the uncertainty concerning the data collected while using a mobile app drives consumers’ decisions more than the uncertainty regarding data that are collected at the time an app is downloaded. To investigate whether privacy uncertainty continues to be a factor after a consumer has already started using an app, we conducted a survey of users of wellness and personal finance apps. The results indicate that privacy uncertainty is a lingering concern because it continues to influence a user’s intention to continue using an app and the perceived risk associated with that continued use.
Comparison of the Influence of CO 2-laser and Scalpel Skin Incisions on the Surgical Wound Healing Process

Background: Several factors influence the development of the surgical wound healing process. Conventional incisions with a scalpel are always associated with greater haemorrhaging, resulting in increased surgical time and inflammatory reaction, in contrast to CO2-laser incisions. Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the influence of CO2-laser and scalpel skin incisions on the surgical wound healing process Animals: We used a sample of 70 dogs (N = 70) of both genders submitted to elective spay surgeries. Methods: The sample was divided in two groups according to the surgical method performed: group S (scalpel) and group L (CO2 laser). Assessment was made over three time points: T0 (before surgery), T1 (48 hours after surgery) and T2 (8 days after surgery). Blood samples were collected to quantify the variations in white blood cells (WBC), plasmatic protein total (PPT) and serum albumin (ALB). To rate a patient’s pain level, we used the Melbourne Pain Scale (MPS). We followed up with the patients to evaluate the wound for closure time, dehiscence and scar appearance. Results: Skin incisions made with the CO2 laser are associated with lower WBC counts and minor tissue trauma because the endothelial wall does not incur as much injury as with scalpel incisions, thus decreasing the PPT and ALB extravasation levels and promoting the healing process. At T1, the individuals in group L had lower pain levels and consequently exhibited greater post-operative patient comfort. The cosmetic results were different between the methods, with 100% of the group L patients showing very good scar appearances eight days after surgery. Conclusion: These findings show that the method selected to perform skin incisions influences the healing process of the affected tissues.
Antler stiffness in moose (Alces alces): Correlated evolution of bone function and material properties?

The material properties of bone can vary considerably among skeletal elements from different parts of the body that serve different functions. However, functional demands placed on a specific type of skeletal element also can vary at a variety of scales, such as between different parts of the element, among individuals of a species, and across species. Variation in bone material properties might be correlated with differing functional demands at any of these scales. In this study we performed three‐point bending tests on bone specimens extracted from antlers of moose (Alces alces) to test for three types of variation in bone material stiffness (Young's modulus): within the antler structure, between populations of moose, and between moose and other deer species. Because superficial portions of the antler are exposed to greater bending stress and strain than deeper portions, and because the antler beam (the basal shaft that attaches to the skull) is subjected to greater bending moments than more distal parts of the antler, we predicted that superficial bone and bone from the beam would be stiffer than bone from other parts of the antler. Instead, we identified no significant differences in these comparisons. There were also no significant differences in antler stiffness between moose from Michigan and the Yukon, even though the rapid growth required of antlers from northern latitudes like the Yukon has the potential to compromise bone material properties. However, moose have significantly stiffer antlers (11.6 ± 0.45 GPa, mean ± SE) than any other deer in the odocoileine lineage. Moreover, phylogenetic reconstructions of the evolution of antler stiffness in deer indicate a strong potential that high antler stiffness is a derived feature of moose. The unusual palmate shape of moose antlers likely subjects their antler beams to higher bending moments than found in other odocoileines, a factor that may have contributed to the evolutionary divergence of moose antler stiffness from that of other members of this clade. Although similarities in the mineral composition of bone across species likely limit the overall range of phylogenetic variation in bone material properties, our results demonstrate that evolutionary diversity in bone material properties can show correspondence with phylogenetic differences in mechanical or ecological demands on skeletal elements. J. Morphol. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.