Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ERICA: use of screens and consumption of meals and snacks by Brazilian adolescents

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To describe the length of exposure to screens and the prevalence of consumption of meals and snacks by Brazilian adolescents in front of screens. METHODS We evaluated 74,589 12 to 17-year old adolescents from 1,247 schools in 124 Brazilian municipalities. A self-administered questionnaire was used. Its segment regarding nutrition contained questions about using TV, computers, and video game systems, having meals while watching TV, and consuming snacks in front of screens. Consumption of meals and snacks in front of screens was analyzed according to the following variables: geographical region, gender, age range, type of school (public or private), and school shift. The prevalences and their respective 95% confidence intervals were estimated under a complex sampling design. RESULTS A great deal of the adolescents (73.5%, 95%CI 72.3-74.7) reported spending two or more hours a day in front of screens. That habit was more frequent among male adolescents, private school students, morning shift students, and students from Brazil’s South region. More than half of the adolescents (56.6%, 95%CI 55.4-57.8) reported almost always or always having meals in front of TV, and 39.6% (95%CI 38.8-40.5) of them said they consumed snacks in front of screens exactly as often. Both situations were the most prevalent ones among the girls, who attended public schools and were from Brazil’s Midwest region. CONCLUSIONS Length of exposure to screens and consumption of meals and snacks almost always or always in front of screens are high among Brazilian adolescents. It is necessary to develop strategies aiming to reduce the length of screen use, considering the media reality that children and adolescents have been experiencing from earlier and earlier ages. That context must therefore be analyzed in an indissociable way.
The Effects of China's Split-Share Reform on Firms’ Capital Structure Choice

China’s split-share structure reform in 2005--2006 mitigates agency conflicts between controlling shareholders and minority shareholders and thus may bring substantial changes to corporate financing behaviour. This article examines the impact of that reform on the capital structure decisions of firms by applying a variety of trade-off and pecking-order models. Using data from 1176 non-financial Chinese listed firms during the period 2000--2012, we present empirical evidence indicating that equity tracks the financing deficit better than debt in Chinese firms, a finding which is not consistent with pecking-order theory. This phenomenon is more prominent after 2006 as share reform increases trading activity in the secondary stock market and improves the transparency of financial markets. In addition, Chinese firms have an optimal leverage ratio and they adjust below-target leverage ratios faster than above-target leverage ratios after the implementation of share structure reform, although they make symmetric adjustments towards the target leverage ratio before 2007. Finally, recent share reform has prompted Chinese firms to more quickly address the divergence of actual leverage ratios from long-term target levels, but has slowed their response to short-term target leverage divergence.
Association between mRNA expression of chemotherapy-related genes and clinicopathological features in colorectal cancer: A large-scale population analysis

To establish the individualized treatment of patients with colorectal cancer, factors associated with chemotherapeutic effects should be identified. However, to the best of our knowledge, few studies are available on this topic, although it is known that the prognosis of patients and sensitivity to chemotherapy depend on the location of the tumor and that the tumor location is important for individualized treatment. In this study, primary tumors obtained from 1,129 patients with colorectal cancer were used to measure the mRNA expression levels of the following genes associated with the effects of standard chemotherapy for colorectal cancer: 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-related thymidylate synthase (TYMS), dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPYD) and thymidine phosphorylase (TYMP); folate-related dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), folylpolyglutamate synthase (FPGS) and gamma-glutamyl hydrolase (GGH); irinotecan-related topoisomerase I (TOP1); oxaliplatin-related excision repair cross-complementing 1 (ERCC1); biologic agent-related vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Large-scale population analysis was performed to determine the association of gene expression with the clinicopathological features, in particular, the location of the colorectal cancer. From the results of our analysis of the mRNA expression of these 10 genes, we noted the strongest correlation between DPYD and TYMP, followed by TYMS and DHFR. The location of the colorectal cancer was classified into 4 regions (the right‑ and left-sided colon, rectosigmoid and rectum) and was compared with gene expression. A significant difference in all genes, apart from VEGF, was noted. Of the remaining 9 genes, the highest expression of TYMS and DPYD was observed in the right‑sided colon; the highest expression of GGH and EGFR was noted in the left-sided colon; the highest expression of DHFR, FPGS, TOP1 and ERCC1 was noted in the rectosigmoid, whereas TYMP expression was approximately equivalent in the right-sided colon and rectum, and higher than that in other locations. The data generated from this study may prove to be useful for the development of individualized chemotherapeutic treatments for patients with colorectal cancer, and will mean that the tumor location is taken into account.
The influence of network governance mechanisms on the performance of small firms

The study examines the influence of network governance on the performance of small firms, taking into consideration the effect of the network size (small, medium or large) in this relationship. To do this, a survey was carried out on 212 firms belonging to Brazilian small-firm networks (SFNs). The results indicate that network governance influences the performance of the participating members, and that the size of the network is relevant to the choice of the most appropriate governance. In large-sized networks, the centralisation of decisions and the adoption of sanctions have negative influences on performance, whereas the adoption of incentives positively influences the performance. The theoretical contribution of this paper is the identification of a dilemma inherent to increase in the number of SFN members. The SFN should be able to define governance mechanisms that ensure the efficiency and speed of decision-making processes without neglecting the individual interests of member firms.
Magnetic resonance imaging analysis of water flow in the mantle cavity of live Mytilus galloprovincialis

Water flow inside the shell of Mytilus galloprovincialis was measured by phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In seawater without algal cells at 23°C, water approached the mussel from the posterior-ventral side, and entered through the inhalant aperture at a velocity of 40–20 mm s−1. The flow rate in the lower mantle cavity decreased to 10–20 mm s−1, the water flowed in the anterior–dorsal direction and approached the demibranches at a velocity of 5–10 mm s−1. After passing through the lamellae to the upper mantle cavity, the water stretched the interlamellar cavity, turned to the posterior–dorsal direction and accumulated in the epibranchial cavity. The water flows came together at the ventral side of the posterior adductor muscle. The velocity increased more to than 50 mm s−1 in the exhalant siphon, and exhaled out in the posterior–dorsal direction. The anterior–posterior direction of the flow was imaged every 1.92 s by the inflow effect of T1-weighted MRI. The flow seemed to be constant, and no cyclic motion of the mantles or the gills was detected. Spontaneous closure of the shells caused a quick drop of the flow in the mantle cavity. In the opening process of the shells, water flow in the interlamellar cavities increased before the opening, followed by an increase of flows in the exhalant siphon and inhalant aperture with minimum delay, reaching a plateau within 1 min of the shells opening. This provides direct evidence that the lateral cilia drive water in the mussel M. galloprovincialis.
The Relationship between Bradycardia, Apnea, and Hypoxemia in Preterm Infants

ABSTRACT: The pathogenesis of bradycardias in preterm infants is poorly understood. Because their pathogenesis may involve both apnea and hypoxemia, we set out to analyze the proportion of bradycardias that were associated with an apneic pause and/or a fall in arterial oxygen saturation (Sao2), and the temporal sequence of the three phenomena, in overnight tape recordings of Sao2 (Nellcor N100 in beat-to-beat mode), breathing movements, nasal airflow, and ECG in 80 preterm infants at the time of discharge from hospital. A bradycardia was defined as a fall in heart rate of ≥33% from baseline for ≥4 s, an apneic pause as a cessation of breathing movements and/or airflow for ≥4 s, and a desaturation as a fall in Sao2 to ≤80%. A total of 193 bradycardias were found in 46 (58%) of the recordings (median, three per recording; range 1–18). There was a close relationship between bradycardias, apneic pauses, and desaturations: 83% of bradycardias were associated with apneic pauses and 86% with desaturations. Where all three phenomena occurred in combination, the time from the onset of apnea to the onset of the fall in Sao2 was shorter (median interval, 0.8 s; range −4.9-+11.5 s) than that from the onset of apnea to the onset of bradycardia (median, 4.8 s; range −4.0-+14.0 s). Hence, most bradycardias (86%) commenced after the onset of the fall in Sao2. We conclude that bradycardia, apnea, and hypoxemia are closely linked phenomena in preterm infants.
Reducing Mutual Coupling of MIMO Antennas With Parasitic Elements for Mobile Terminals

Mutual coupling is a critical problem in the design of MIMO antennas because it deteriorates the performance of MIMO systems, which not only affects the antenna efficiency but also influences the correlation. Therefore, in this paper, using parasitic elements to reduce mutual coupling is studied. By adding parasitic elements a double-coupling path is introduced and it can create a reverse coupling to reduce mutual coupling. As an example, a dual-slot-element antenna with parasitic monopoles for mobile terminals is described. The discussion on channel capacity shows that the antenna can be considered as a good candidate for MIMO systems. Furthermore, based on the study of current distributions, it is concluded that the technique is sensitive to relative positions between parasitic elements, and relative positions between active element and parasitic element. Finally, we also extend the technique to a tri-element antenna.
Receptor occupancy-based analysis of the contributions of various receptors to antipsychotics-induced weight gain and diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE Among various adverse reactions of atypical antipsychotics, weight gain and impaired glucose tolerance are clinically significant. The aim of this study is to analyze quantitatively the contributions of various receptors to these antipsychotics-induced adverse reactions based on the receptor occupancy theory. METHODS Two indices of antipsychotics-induced weight gain (the values estimated by a meta-analysis and the observed values in clinical trials) and the morbidity rate of type 2 diabetes mellitus during treatment with antipsychotics were taken from the literature. We calculated the estimated mean receptor occupancies of alpha1 adrenergic, alpha2 adrenergic, dopamine D2, histamine H1, muscarinic acetylcholine (mACh), serotonin 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors by antipsychotics by using the pharmacokinetic parameters and receptor dissociation constants, and analyzed the correlation between the occupancies and the extent of adverse reactions as assessed using the aforementioned indices. RESULTS There were statistically significant correlations between the estimated occupancies of H1 and mACh receptors and antipsychotics-induced weight gain estimated by meta-analysis (r(s) = 0.81 and r(s) = 0.83, respectively, p < 0.01). There were also statistically significant correlations between these receptor occupancies and observed weight gain in clinical trials (r(s) = 0.66 in each case, p < 0.01). The morbidity rate of type 2 diabetes mellitus was highly correlated with H1, mACh, and 5-HT2C receptor occupancies (r(s) = 0.90 in each case, p < 0.05). However, H1 receptor occupancy was also highly correlated with mACh receptor occupancy among antipsychotics, so that only one of them may be critically associated with the adverse reactions. Considering that these adverse reactions have not been reported for drugs with mACh receptor antagonistic action, other than antipsychotics, the H1 receptor may contribute predominantly to the antipsychotics-induced weight gain and diabetes mellitus. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION Model analysis based on receptor occupancy indicates that H1 receptor blockade is the primary cause of antipsychotics-induced weight gain and diabetes mellitus.
East of Eden: Polish living standards in a European perspective, ca. 1500-1800

This research contributes to the debate on economic growth and income inequalities in early modern Europe by estimating real wages expressed in subsistence-ratios in the rural and urban sectors of the Kingdom of Poland. Furthermore, a method of weighting the wages with data on the employment structure is outlined and implemented. A comparison of the Polish-weighted real wages with the English and Italian suggests two waves of supremacy of the North Sea Region. The first divergence occurred prior to the early modern period and the second resumed in the 17th century. The paper incorporates non-wage-earning farmers and agricultural workers paid partially in kind into the analytical framework.
Left atrial volumes, function and work before and after mitral valve repair in chronic mitral regurgitation.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY Despite the effect of mitral valve repair in left ventricular (LV) function having been extensively studied, investigations of left atrial (LA) performance indices are minimal. This prospective study was undertaken to analyze LA volumes, function and work in patients with chronic mitral valve regurgitation (MR) who underwent mitral valve repair; the analyses were conducted both before and six months after surgery. METHODS Twenty patients (15 males, five females; mean age 51.4 +/- 12.5 years) with severe MR (grade IV) due to floppy mitral valve/mitral valve prolapse (FMV/MVP; anterior, posterior or both) underwent mitral valve repair. LA volumes, maximal at mitral valve opening (LAmax); minimal at valve closure (LAmin); and at onset of atrial systole (P-wave on ECG, LAP); and transmitral Doppler A-wave velocity were measured before and six months after surgery. LA stroke volume (LASV) = LAP - LAmin; LA ejection fraction (LAEF) = LASV/LAP; LA kinetic energy (LAKE) = 1/2 x LASV x 1.06 (specific gravity of blood) x A2 (dyne x cm x 10(3)); LA and LV dimensions and functions were assessed at the same time. RESULTS NYHA functional class was improved postoperatively by at least one grade. LV systolic and diastolic dimensions were reduced significantly in all patients (p <0.001). LA volumes (LAmax, LAmin and LAP) were decreased significantly in all patients (p <0.001); LASV remained unchanged. LAEF and LAKE were increased significantly (both p <0.001). The A-wave was also increased (p <0.001). CONCLUSION Increased LA work (LAKE) after mitral valve repair, despite a decrease in LA volumes, suggests that LA muscle dysfunction was present before surgery. LA involvement may precede LV involvement. The determination of LA performance and work will help to optimize the timing of surgery in patients with FMV/MVP and MVR.
Brain Microdialysis Study of Meropenem in Two Patients with Acute Brain Injury

ABSTRACT Concentrations of unbound meropenem in the cerebral extracellular fluid (ECF) of two patients with acute brain injury were assessed by microdialysis. Brain ECF unbound-meropenem concentrations were lower than serum unbound-meropenem concentrations, with brain-to-serum area under the concentration-time curve ratios of 0.73 and 0.14. A pharmacokinetic model was developed to fit the experimental data adequately.
Genetic determinants of Sindbis virus neuroinvasiveness

After peripheral inoculation of mice, Sindbis virus replicates in a variety of tissues, leading to viremia. In some cases, the virus can enter the central nervous system (CNS) and cause lethal encephalitis. The outcome of infection is age and virus strain dependent. Recently, two pairs of Sindbis virus variants differing in neurovirulence and neuroinvasiveness were derived by limited serial passaging in mouse brain. Two early passage isolates (SVA and SVB) were neurotropic but did not cause lethal encephalitis. SVB, but not SVA, was neuroinvasive. A second independent pair of isolates (SVN and SVNI), which had undergone more extensive mouse brain passaging, were highly neurotropic and caused lethal encephalitis. Only SVNI could reach the brain after peripheral inoculation. From these isolates, virion RNAs were obtained and used to construct full-length cDNA clones from which infectious RNA transcripts could be recovered. The strains recovered from these clones were shown to retain the appropriate phenotypes in weanling mice. Construction and analysis of recombinant viruses were used to define the genetic loci determining neuroinvasion. For SVB, neuroinvasiveness was determined by a single residue in the E2 glycoprotein (Gln-55). For SVNI, neuroinvasive loci were identified in both the 5' noncoding region (position 8) and the E2 glycoprotein (Met-190). Either of these changes on the SVN background was sufficient to confer a neuroinvasive phenotype, although these recombinants were less virulent. To completely mimic the SVNI phenotype, three SVNI-specific substitutions on the SVN background were required: G at position 8, E2 Met-190, and Lys-260, which by itself had no effect on neuroinvasion. These genetically defined strains should be useful for dissecting the molecular mechanisms leading to Sindbis virus invasion of the CNS.
Football training improves lean body mass in men with prostate cancer undergoing androgen deprivation therapy

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) remains a cornerstone in the management of patients with prostate cancer (PCa) despite adverse effects on body composition and functional parameters. We compared the effects of football training with standard care in PCa patients managed with ADT (> 6 months). Fifty‐seven men aged 67 (range: 43–74) were randomly assigned to a football group (FG, n = 29) or a usual care control group (CON, n = 28). The primary outcome was change in lean body mass (LBM) assessed by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry scanning. Secondary outcomes included changes in knee‐extensor muscle strength (one repetition maximum), fat percentage, and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). Mean heart rate during training was 137.7 (standard deviation 13.7) bpm or 84.6 (3.9)% HRmax. In FG, LBM increased by 0.5 kg [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.1–0.9; P = 0.02] with no change in CON (mean group difference 0.7 kg; 95% CI 0.1–1.2; P = 0.02). Also, muscle strength increased in FG (8.9 kg; 95% CI 6.0–11.8; P < 0.001) with no change in CON (mean group difference 6.7 kg; 95% CI 2.8–10.7; P < 0.001). In FG, VO2max increased (1.0 mL/kg/min; 95% CI 0.2–1.9; P = 0.02) and fat percentage tended to decrease (0.7%; 95%CI 1.3–0.0; P = 0.06), but these changes were not significantly different from CON. In conclusion, football training over 12 weeks improved LBM and muscle strength compared with usual care in men with prostate cancer receiving ADT.
The Effect of Poison Control Center Consultation on Accidental Poisoning Inpatient Hospitalizations with Preexisting Medical Conditions

In 2005, the Kentucky Poison Control Center (PCC) recorded 46,625 poisoning calls; 27% received hospital treatment. Probabilistic data linkage of accidental poisoning inpatient hospital (IPH) discharge data and PCC data (years 2000–2004) was performed. This study compared IPH with/without preexisting medical conditions and IPH with/without PCC consultation, examining total length of stay and total hospitalization charges. When compared to the IPH reference group with no preexisting medical conditions and who did not consult the PCC (mean charges = $8748, mean length of stay = 3.2 d), PCC consultation without a preexisting medical condition was significantly associated with decreased total hospitalization charges and decreased length of stay (mean charges = $4999, mean length of stay = 1.9 d). When the patient had a preexisting medical condition, PCC consultation was still associated with decreased total hospitalization charges and length of stay (mean charges = $8145, mean length of stay = 2.4 d) compared to those patients with a preexisting medical condition who did not consult the PCC (mean charges = $10,607, mean length of stay = 3.6 d). These results suggest that after accounting for a patient's age and gender, consultation with the PCC is significantly associated with reduced total hospitalization charges and reduced length of stay for IPH, and this association holds for patients with and without a preexisting medical condition.
Research Note: Economic Benefits of Agritourism Development in Poland — An Empirical Study

This paper discusses the economic benefits of agritourism development, a topic in need of further research. Understanding the benefits of agritourism is especially important but empirical research on this matter remains limited. The results reported are based on a survey conducted among agritourism providers in Wielkopolskie Voivodeship, Poland. The findings show that agritourism can bring several economic benefits. It was found that the average income from agritourism accounted for about one-third of the overall household income of farmers. Moreover, food service is an important factor in the success of agritourism as it brings extra money to farmers. This research also identified an important relationship between the income obtained from agritourism activities only with the income obtained by providing meals to agritourists.
Health-related quality of life of Saudi hepatitis B and C patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Although usually asymptomatic, many chronic hepatitis C patients have extrahepatic manifestations and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQOL), while hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients have normal or nearly normal HRQOL. The aim of this study was to investigate HRQOL in Saudi patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) in comparison with patients infected with HBV in an effort to document the prevalence of and find factors associated with reduced HRQOL in these patients. DESIGN AND SETTING A prospective study that enrolled patients attending a tertiary care referral hepatology clinic in Riyadh from the period of February to July 2008. PATIENTS AND METHODS Consecutive patients who had a confirmed diagnosis of hepatitis C or hepatitis B were asked to fill out the SF-36 questionnaire. Information on epidemiological, educational, economic, and social parameters was collected. All clinical, laboratory, and available histological data were recorded. RESULTS Two hundred and twenty patients (107 with hepatitis B and 113 with hepatitis C) satisfied the inclusion criteria and participated in this study. Overall, 45% were men, and the average age was 41.6 (18.1) years. Patients with HCV had significantly lower scores in “physical functioning,” “role limitations due to physical functioning,” “social functioning,” and “bodily pain. ” No significant differences in other parameters were observed. Various epidemiological and laboratory parameters were correlated with different HRQOL domains. CONCLUSIONS Saudi hepatitis C patients showed significantly lower HRQOL scores in various domains compared to hepatitis B patients.