Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An exploratory comparison of electronic commerce adoption in large and small enterprises

This study compares the reasons why small and large companies are adopting electronic commerce (e-commerce) and compares the benefits realized from the adoption of e-commerce by these two groups of companies. Two surveys that were undertaken contemporaneously on the use of e-commerce by small and large companies in the UK were used as the empirical basis for this study. The study found that the use of e-commerce for responding to competitors, providing enhanced customer services and improving relations with suppliers was driving the uptake by smaller businesses to a greater extent than by their larger counterparts. Only in the area of improved operational efficiency did larger businesses express greater interest in adopting e-commerce. The study also found that smaller businesses believed that they had achieved greater benefits from their e-commerce services than had the larger firms in all areas explored.
Classifying Frames at the Sentence Level in News Articles

Previous approaches to generic frame classification analyze frames at the document level. Here, we propose a supervised based approach based on deep neural networks and distributional representations for classifying frames at the sentence level in news articles. We conduct our experiments on the publicly available Media Frames Corpus compiled from the U.S. Newspapers. Using (B)LSTMs and GRU networks to represent the meaning of frames, we demonstrate that our approach yields at least 14-point improvement over several baseline methods.
Marital Status and Frailty in Older People: Gender Differences in the Progetto Veneto Anziani Longitudinal Study.

OBJECTIVES Marital status has been associated with disability and mortality, but its potential role as a factor influencing frailty has yet to be thoroughly investigated. The analysis of gender-related differences in the relationship between marital status and frailty is another interesting matter that remains to be fully elucidated. The aim of our study was to examine the association between marital status and the incidence of frailty in a cohort of older men and women over a 4.4-year follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS A sample of 1887 subjects older than 65 years, enrolled under the Progetto Veneto Anziani (Pro.V.A.) and with no evidence of frailty at baseline, were grouped by marital status. The incidence of frailty after 4.4 years was measured as the presence of at least three of the Fried criteria. RESULTS After the follow-up period, 414 (21.9%) new cases of frailty were identified. Multivariate logistic regression models demonstrated that male gender carried a higher risk of developing frailty among men who had never married (odds ratio [OR] = 3.84, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 2.76-5.35; p < 0.0001) and were widowed (OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.06-1.95, p = 0.02) than among married participants. For female gender, widows had significantly lower odds of becoming frail than married women (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.66-0.91, p = 0.002). The determinants of frailty more influenced by marital status were unintentional weight loss, low daily energy expenditure, and exhaustion. CONCLUSIONS Marital status seems to significantly influence the onset of frailty, with some gender-specific differences. Unmarried men were at higher risk of frailty, while widowed women carried a lower risk of becoming frail than married women.
Isolated ileal heterotopic pancreas in a child: A clinically undetected cause of ileoileal intussusception

Introduction: Pancreatic heterotopia has been described most frequently in stomach and duodenum. Isolated occurrence of heterotopic pancreas in ileum is exceptional and is usually discovered incidentally during surgery. In rare cases, heterotopic pancreas has been reported as a lead point of ileoileal intussusception. case report: A one-year-old boy was presented with recent onset of constipation and abdominal distention. radiologic investigation suggested a diagnosis of midgut volvulus with ileoileal intussusception. resection anastomosis of the intussusception was performed. Histologic examination of the resected specimen showed heterotopic pancreas in the wall of intussusceptum at its tip. No other significant pathology was found. conclusion: Ileal heterotopic pancreas is a rare cause of intussusception at any age and is usually not evident clinically. Hence, careful examination of the lead point of intussusceptum in resection specimens is mandatory to delineate the underlying etiology of these cases.
Does Location of Epicardial Adipose Tissue Correspond to Endocardial High Dominant Frequency or Complex Fractionated Atrial Electrogram Sites During Atrial Fibrillation?

Background— Although increased epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume is known to be associated with increased prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF), the exact mechanisms are unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether EAT locations were associated with high dominant frequency (DF) sites or complicated fractionated atrial electrogram sites during AF. Methods and Results— Three-dimensional reconstruction computed tomography images depicting EAT volumes (obtained by 320-detector-row multislice computed tomography) were merged with NavX-based DF and complicated fractionated atrial electrogram maps obtained during AF for 16 patients with paroxysmal AF and for 18 patients with persistent AF. Agreement between locations of the EAT, especially EAT surrounding the left atrium, and of high DF or complicated fractionated atrial electrogram sites was quantified. In addition, serum biomarker levels were determined. EAT surrounding the left atrium volumes was significantly greater in patients with persistent AF than in patients with paroxysmal AF (52.9 cm3 [95% CI, 44.2–61.5] versus 34.8 cm3 [95% CI, 26.6–43.0]; P=0.007). Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 levels were significantly higher in persistent AF patients than in paroxysmal AF patients (median high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, 969 ng/mL [interquartile range, 307–1678] versus 320 ng/mL [interquartile range, 120–660]; P=0.008; median interleukin-6, 2.4 pg/mL [interquartile range, 1.7–3.2] versus 1.3 [interquartile range, 0.8–2.4] pg/mL; P=0.017). EAT locations were in excellent agreement with high DF sites (&kgr;=0.77 [95% CI, 0.71–0.82]) but in poor agreement with complicated fractionated atrial electrogram sites (&kgr;=0.22 [95% CI, 0.13–0.31]). Conclusions— Increased EAT volume and elevation of inflammatory biomarkers are noted in persistent AF rather than paroxysmal AF patients. High DF sites are located adjacent to EAT sites. Thus, EAT may be involved in the maintenance of AF.
Determining the Effect of Natural Selection on Linked Neutral Divergence across Species

A major goal in evolutionary biology is to understand how natural selection has shaped patterns of genetic variation across genomes. Studies in a variety of species have shown that neutral genetic diversity (intra-species differences) has been reduced at sites linked to those under direct selection. However, the effect of linked selection on neutral sequence divergence (inter-species differences) remains ambiguous. While empirical studies have reported correlations between divergence and recombination, which is interpreted as evidence for natural selection reducing linked neutral divergence, theory argues otherwise, especially for species that have diverged long ago. Here we address these outstanding issues by examining whether natural selection can affect divergence between both closely and distantly related species. We show that neutral divergence between closely related species (e.g. human-primate) is negatively correlated with functional content and positively correlated with human recombination rate. We also find that neutral divergence between distantly related species (e.g. human-rodent) is negatively correlated with functional content and positively correlated with estimates of background selection from primates. These patterns persist after accounting for the confounding factors of hypermutable CpG sites, GC content, and biased gene conversion. Coalescent models indicate that even when the contribution of ancestral polymorphism to divergence is small, background selection in the ancestral population can still explain a large proportion of the variance in divergence across the genome, generating the observed correlations. Our findings reveal that, contrary to previous intuition, natural selection can indirectly affect linked neutral divergence between both closely and distantly related species. Though we cannot formally exclude the possibility that the direct effects of purifying selection drive some of these patterns, such a scenario would be possible only if more of the genome is under purifying selection than currently believed. Our work has implications for understanding the evolution of genomes and interpreting patterns of genetic variation.
Risk Factors for Postoperative Pneumonia After Cardiac Surgery and Development of a Preoperative Risk Score*

Objectives:The aims of this study were, first, to identify risk factors for microbiology-proven postoperative pneumonia after cardiac surgery and, second, to develop and validate a preoperative scoring system for the risk of postoperative pneumonia. Design and Setting:A single-center cohort study. Patients:All consecutive patients undergoing cardiac surgery between January 2006 and July 2011. Interventions:None. Measurements and Main Results:Multivariate analysis of risk factors for postoperative pneumonia was performed on data from patients operated between January 2006 and December 2008 (training set). External temporal validation was performed on data from patients operated between January 2009 and July 2011 (validation set). Preoperative variables identified in multivariate analysis of the training set were then used to develop a preoperative scoring system that was validated on the validation set. Postoperative pneumonia occurred in 174 of the 5,582 patients (3.1%; 95% CI, 2.7–3.6). Multivariate analysis identified four risk factors for postoperative pneumonia: age (odds ratio, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01–1.03), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (odds ratio, 2.97; 95% CI, 1.8–4.71), preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction (odds ratio, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96–0.99), and the interaction between RBC transfusion during surgery and duration of cardiopulmonary bypass (odds ratio, 2.98; 95% CI, 1.96–4.54). A 6-point score including the three preoperative variables then defined two risk groups corresponding to postoperative pneumonia rates of 1.8% (score < 3) and 6.5% (score ≥ 3). Conclusion:Assessing preoperative risk factors for postoperative pneumonia with the proposed scoring system could help to implement a preventive policy in high-risk patients with a risk of postoperative pneumonia greater than 4% (i.e., patients with a score ≥3).
The Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein as a Target of Endocrine Disruption in Male Reproduction

Development of the adult male reproductive tract requires proper spatial-temporal expression of the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen during fetal developmental stages and at puberty. Exogenous agents that disrupt the production and/or actions of the testosterone and estrogen and cause aberrant reproductive tract development can be thought of as endocrine disruptors (ED). This review will focus on the impact of ED on testosterone production by Leydig cells during fetal development and in the adult. In particular, the genes encoding the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and cytochrome P450 17α hydroxylase/17,20 lyase (CYP17A1) within the steroid hormone biosynthetic pathway are highlighted as ED targets. We begin with an overview of steroidogenesis and regulation of StAR then summarize the published literature on the effects of diethylstibesterol, phthalate esters, and arsenite on male reproduction with a focus on the expression and function of StAR.
Psychological, Cognitive, and Interpersonal Correlates of Attributional Change in Adolescents

Examined the role of attributional style in adolescent's psychological functioning. Specifically, we examined the cross-sectional correlates of attributional style, as well as the correlates of changes in attributional style over time. A sample of 841 adolescents with either maladaptive or adaptive attributional styles completed a battery of self-report measures at 2 points in time, 1 year apart. Measures assessed depressive symptoms and suicidality, cognitive functioning (self-esteem, pessimism, coping skills), and interpersonal functioning (social competence, conflict with parents, social support from family and friends). Results indicated that attributional style is associated with multiple depression-related variables. In addition, youth experienced significant changes in their attributional styles over time (from adaptive to maladaptive and vice versa). Finally, changes in attributional style were associated with changes in psychological symptoms and other psychosocial variables. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the prevention and treatment of adolescent depression.
Ketoconazole enantiomer for the treatment of diabetes mellitus

The impact of hypercortisolism on multiple metabolic conditions is well recognized; the metabolic manifestations of Cushing's syndrome overlap with those seen in type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. Ketoconazole (KTZ), a widely used antifungal agent that inhibits various enzymes in adrenal cortisol synthesis, is effective in treating hypercortisolemia, but its use is limited by toxicities. KTZ is a racemic compound of two cis-enantiomers: (2R,4S)-(+)-KTZ and (2S,4R)-(-)-KTZ. The consideration of an enantiomer with selective effect but minimal metabolic toxicity has driven the development of DIO-902 ([2S,4R]-[-]-KTZ) for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. To evaluate the safety profile and effect of KTZ enantiomer, (2S,4R)-(-)-KTZ, on cortisol production, glycemia, and lipid profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes. Review of multiple published studies and examination of preliminary results from a Phase IIb clinical trial. Twelve weeks of treatment with DIO-902 resulted in reduced levels of HbA1c, FPG, total and LDL cholesterol as well as weight loss and decreased BP. In a previously conducted Phase IIa study, C-reactive protein levels decreased with DIO-902 treatment. Unfortunately, the development of this agent has been terminated due to unacceptable safety profiles.
Exposure-Response Analyses of Tigecycline Efficacy in Patients with Complicated Skin and Skin-Structure Infections

ABSTRACT Exposure-response analyses were performed for the microbiological and clinical efficacy of tigecycline in the treatment of complicated skin and skin-structure infections, where Staphylococcus aureus and streptococci are the predominant pathogens. A prospective method was developed to create homogeneous patient populations for PK-PD analyses. Evaluable patients from three clinical trials were pooled for analysis. Patients received a tigecycline 100-mg loading dose/50 mg every 12 h or a 50-mg loading dose/25 mg every 12 h. At the test-of-cure visit, microbiologic and clinical responses were evaluated. Patients were prospectively evaluated and classified into cohorts based on baseline pathogens: S. aureus only (cohort 1), monomicrobial S. aureus or streptococci (cohort 2), two gram-positive pathogens (cohort 3), polymicrobial (cohort 4), or other monomicrobial infections (cohort 5). A prospective procedure for combining cohorts was used to increase the sample size. Logistic regression evaluated steady-state 24-h area under the concentration-time curve (AUC24)/MIC ratio as a predictor of response, and classification and regression tree (CART) analyses were utilized to determine AUC/MIC breakpoints. Analysis began with pooled cohorts 2 and 3, the focus of these analyses, and included 35 patients with 40 S. aureus and/or streptococcal pathogens. CART analyses identified a significant AUC/MIC breakpoint of 17.9 (P = 0.0001 for microbiological response and P = 0.0376 for clinical response). The continuous AUC/MIC ratio was predictive of microbiological response based on sample size (P = 0.0563). Analysis of all pathogens combined decreased the ability to detect exposure-response relationships. The prospective approach of creating homogeneous populations based on S. aureus and streptococci pathogens was critical for identifying exposure-response relationships.
Fever of unknown origin in adults: 40 years on

Abstract. Knockaert DC, Vanderschueren S, Blockmans D. (Gasthuisberg University Hospital, Leuven, Belgium). Fever of unknown origin in adults: 40 years on (Review). J Intern Med 2003; 253: 263–275.
Implementation Success of Internet-based Electronic Commerce for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises in Australia

This study surveys the perceptions and experience of Australian small- and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) in the adoption and implementation of Internet-based Electronic Commerce. Employing Rogers (1995) model of innovation diffusion as the framework and considering Electronic Commerce (EC) as a form of new innovation, we analyse factors affecting EC implementation success. With a sample of 71 small businesses in Australia, preliminary results show that respondents‘ perception of the attributes of Internet-based EC are pre-dominantly positive. However, a further analysis was carried out regressing overall satisfaction of EC implementation on the five attributes of innovation. It was found that only 3 characteristics - perceived relative advantage, compatibility and complexity to make a significant contribution to the implementation success of Internet-based EC adoption.
The Effect of Disodium Cromoglycate on In Vitro Mast Cell Degranulation in Human Jejunal Mucosa

The in vitro effect of disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) on IgE antigen‐induced mast cell degranulation is described. Serum from an egg white allergic patient was used to sensitize jejunal mucosa from nine individuals. Egg white was used to challenge the IgE sensitized mast cells. DSCG in concentrations 3 × 10−7 M to 3 × 10−4 M was added to the mucosal specimens before antigen challenge. Mast cell degranulation in the sensitized specimens challenged with egg white was 38%. Mast cell degranulation in sensitized specimens treated with DSCG before and during antigen challenge was reduced to 2% at a concentration of 3 × 10−5 M of DSCG (P= 0.006) and to 28% at a concentration of 3 × 10−6 M (p=0.027). No significant reduction of mast cell degranulation was seen at concentrations of 3 × 10−7 M and 3 × 10−4 M.
The Ala54Thr Polymorphism of the Fatty Acid Binding Protein 2 Gene Does Not Influence Insulin Sensitivity in Finnish Nondiabetic and NIDDM Subjects

Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia are major predictors of NIDDM. Since several studies have demonstrated that heredity plays a significant role in the development of insulin resistance (1), defects in genes that regulate insulin action could potentially contribute to the risk of NIDDM. A locus on chromosome 4q has been shown to be linked with fasting insulin levels (2), 2-h insulin levels (3,4), and insulin action (2) in Pima Indians and Mexican-Americans, suggesting that the fatty acid binding protein 2 (FABP2) gene is a promising candidate gene for insulin resistance and NIDDM.
Enhanced Inhibition of L-type Ca2+ Current by β3-Adrenergic Stimulation in Failing Rat Heart

β3-adrenergic receptors (AR) have recently been identified in mammalian hearts and shown to be up-regulated in heart failure (HF). β3-AR stimulation reduces inotropic response associated with an inhibition of L-type Ca2+ channels in normal hearts; however, the effects of β3-AR activation on Ca2+ channel in HF remain unknown. We compared the effects of β3-AR activation on L-type Ca2+ current (ICa,L) in isolated left ventricular myocytes obtained from normal and age-matched rats with isoproterenol (ISO)-induced HF (4 months after 340 mg/kg s.c. for 2 days). ICa,L was measured using whole-cell voltage clamp and perforated-patch recording techniques. In normal myocytes, superfusion of 4-[-[2-hydroxy-(3-chlorophenyl)ethylamino]propyl]phenoxyacetate (BRL-37,344; BRL), a β3-AR agonist, caused a dose-dependent decrease in ICa,L with maximal inhibition (21%, 1.1 ± 0.2 versus 1.4 ± 0.1 nA) (p < 0.01) at 10–7 M. In HF myocytes, the same concentration of BRL produced a proportionately greater inhibition (31%) in ICa,L (1.1 ± 0.2 versus 1.6 ± 0.2 nA) (p < 0.05). A similar inhibition of ICa,L was also observed with ISO (10–7 M) in the presence of a β1- and β2-AR antagonist, nadolol (10–5 M). Inhibition was abolished by the β3-AR antagonist (S)-N-[4-[2-[[3-[3-(acetamidomethyl)phenoxy]-2-hydroxypropyl]amino]ethyl]phenyl]benzenesulfonamide (L-748,337; 10–6 M), but not by nadolol. The inhibitory effect of BRL was attenuated by a nitric-oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (10–4 M), and was prevented by the incubation of myocytes with pertussis toxin (PTX; 2 μg/ml, 36°C, 6 h). In conclusion, β3-AR activation inhibits L-type Ca2+ channel in both normal and HF myocytes. In HF, β3-AR stimulation-induced inhibition of Ca2+ channel is enhanced. These effects are likely coupled with PTX-sensitive G-protein and partially mediated through a NOS-dependent pathway.
Costos de la maternidad adolescente en Barbados, Chile, Guatemala y México

¿Contribuye la maternidad temprana a perpetuar la pobreza? ¿Qué impacto social y económico tiene la maternidad adolescente sobre las madres y sus hijos? Para responder estas preguntas, en este documento se resumen los resultados de cuatro estudios llevados a cabo en la región que incluyeron un grupo de contraste de mujeres que tuvieron su primer hijo cuando adultas, información retrospectiva sobre la vida de las madres e indicadores de bienestar en los niños. Los estudios se llevaron a cabo en Barbados, Chile, Guatemala y México. Los cuatro estudios mencionados analizan las consecuencias de la maternidad adolescente sobre las oportunidades económicas y sociales de las madres y el bienestar de sus primogénitos.
Effects of gestational age on brain volume and cognitive functions in generally healthy very preterm born children during school-age: A voxel-based morphometry study

Objective To determine whether the relationship of gestational age (GA) with brain volumes and cognitive functions is linear or whether it follows a threshold model in preterm and term born children during school-age. Study design We studied 106 children (M = 10 years 1 month, SD = 16 months; 40 females) enrolled in primary school: 57 were healthy very preterm children (10 children born 24–27 completed weeks’ gestation (extremely preterm), 14 children born 28–29 completed weeks’ gestation, 19 children born 30–31 completed weeks’ gestation (very preterm), and 14 born 32 completed weeks’ gestation (moderately preterm)) all born appropriate for GA (AGA) and 49 term-born children. Neuroimaging involved voxel-based morphometry with the statistical parametric mapping software. Cognitive functions were assessed with the WISC-IV. General Linear Models and multiple regressions were conducted controlling age, sex, and maternal education. Results Compared to groups of children born 30 completed weeks’ gestation and later, children born <28 completed weeks’ gestation had less gray matter volume (GMV) and white matter volume (WMV) and poorer cognitive functions including decreased full scale IQ, and processing speed. Differences in GMV partially mediated the relationship between GA and full scale IQ in preterm born children. Conclusions In preterm children who are born AGA and without major complications GA is associated with brain volume and cognitive functions. In particular, decreased brain volume becomes evident in the extremely preterm group (born <28 completed weeks’ gestation). In preterm children born 30 completed weeks’ gestation and later the relationship of GA with brain volume and cognitive functions may be less strong as previously thought.