Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of hedonic/utilitarian expectations and social influence on continuance intention to play online games

Purpose – The focus in this study is a model that predicts continuance intention of online multi-player games. In this integrated model, the social cognitive theory (SCT) lays out the foundation of two types of pre-use (pre-play) expectations, the flow theory captures the affective feeling with the game as a moderator for the effect from the two pre-use expectations, and subjective norm together with its associated antecedents cover a wide spectrum of social influences. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was designed and pre-tested before distributing to target respondents. The reliability and validity of the instrument both met the commonly accepted guidelines. The integrated model was assessed first by examining its measurement model and then the structural model. Findings – The integration of cognitive, affective and social influence in this model explains a larger amount of variance compared to the competing models and existing studies. Originality/value – Unlike a popular trend that studie.
Therapeutics , Targets , and Chemical Biology p 21-Activated Kinase 1 Is Required for Ef fi cient Tumor Formation and Progression in a Ras-Mediated Skin Cancer Model

The RAS genes are the most commonly mutated oncogenes in human cancer and present a particular therapeutic dilemma, as direct targeting of Ras proteins by small molecules has proved difficult. Signaling pathways downstream of Ras, in particular Raf/Mek/Erk and PI3K/Akt/mTOR, are dominated by lipid and protein kinases that provide attractive alternate targets in Ras-driven tumors. As p21-activated kinase 1 (Pak1) has been shown to regulate both these signaling pathways and is itself upregulated in many human cancers, we assessed the role of Pak1 in Ras-driven skin cancer. In human squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), we found a strong positive correlation between advanced stage and grade and PAK1 expression. Using amousemodel ofKras-driven SCC, we showed that deletion of the mouse Pak1 gene led to markedly decreased tumorigenesis and progression, accompanied by near total loss of Erk and Akt activity. Treatment of Kras mice with either of two distinct small molecule Pak inhibitors (PF3758309 and FRAX597) caused tumor regression and loss of Erk and Akt activity. Tumor regression was also seen in mice treated with a specific Mek inhibitor, but not with an Akt inhibitor. These findings establish Pak1 as a new target in KRAS-driven tumors and suggest a mechanism of action through the Erk, but not the Akt, signaling pathway. Cancer Res; 72(22); 5966–75. 2012 AACR.
Evaluation of a novel method to estimate absolute bioavailability of drugs from oral data

The goal of this investigation was to evaluate the performance of a novel method allowing estimation of absolute bioavailability from oral data only. In contrast to the traditional method, which compares areas under the drug concentration time curves after oral and intravenous administration in subjects with normal renal function, the novel method uses total and renal clearance values following oral administration from subjects with varying renal functions to estimate bioavailability. The novel method can also provide estimates for nonrenal clearance.
Phase I clinical trial of the CYP17 inhibitor abiraterone acetate demonstrating clinical activity in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer who received prior ketoconazole therapy.

PURPOSE Abiraterone acetate is a prodrug of abiraterone, a selective inhibitor of CYP17, the enzyme catalyst for two essential steps in androgen biosynthesis. In castration-resistant prostate cancers (CRPCs), extragonadal androgen sources may sustain tumor growth despite a castrate environment. This phase I dose-escalation study of abiraterone acetate evaluated safety, pharmacokinetics, and effects on steroidogenesis and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in men with CPRC with or without prior ketoconazole therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Thirty-three men with chemotherapy-naïve progressive CRPC were enrolled. Nineteen patients (58%) had previously received ketoconazole for CRPC. Bone metastases were present in 70% of patients, and visceral involvement was present in 18%. Three patients (9%) had locally advanced disease without distant metastases. Fasted or fed cohorts received abiraterone acetate doses of 250, 500, 750, or 1,000 mg daily. Single-dose pharmacokinetic analyses were performed before continuous daily dosing. RESULTS Adverse events were predominantly grade 1 or 2. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed. Hypertension (grade 3, 12%) and hypokalemia (grade 3, 6%; grade 4, 3%) were the most frequent serious toxicities and responded to medical management. Confirmed > or = 50% PSA declines at week 12 were seen in 18 (55%) of 33 patients, including nine (47%) of 19 patients with prior ketoconazole therapy and nine (64%) of 14 patients without prior ketoconazole therapy. Substantial declines in circulating androgens and increases in mineralocorticoids were seen with all doses. CONCLUSION Abiraterone acetate was well tolerated and demonstrated activity in CRPC, including in patients previously treated with ketoconazole. Continued clinical study is warranted.
P4I-3 A Magnified Lamb Wave Source Based on the Resonant Cavity of Phononic-Crystal Plates

In this paper, we analyzed Lamb wave generation based on the resonant cavity of a phononic-crystal plate. The phononic-crystal plate is composed of circular steel cylinders which form a square lattice in an epoxy plate and the resonant cavity is created by arranging defect inside the periodic structure. The dispersion and eigenmodes of acoustic waves are analyzed by the finite-difference time-domain method. By exciting the specific resonant mode in an asymmetric cavity, the enlarged displacement field is observed which propagates away from the cavity. The asymmetric cavity shows a directional propagation and the magnified ratio of Lamb wave can be two-order larger than the normal one.
Prognosis of tetanus patients in the intensive care unit of Provincial Hospital Jason Sendwe, Lubumbashi, DR Congo

Tetanus is still a public health problem in developing countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo. The objective of this study was to determine the prognosis of patients with tetanus admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Provincial Hospital Jason Sendwe, Lubumbashi, DR Congo. This is a descriptive study which collected information from registers and medical records of patients admitted for tetanus in the ICU of Jason Sendwe Hospital, between January 2005 and December 2009. We calculated the parameters of position, dispersion as well as frequencies. We used the test of independent association of prognosis (death versus survival). Tetanus constituted 2.1% of admissions in the ICU during the 5-year period. The average age of patients was 39.38 ± 17; majority of patients were males (95.5%). The majority of patients lived the townships of Kampemba (27.3%), Kenya (22.7%), and Annexe (18.2%). All patients presented the generalized form of the infection. The door of entry was detectable in 71.5% of cases, localized mainly to the lower limbs (61.9%). The average length of stay was 11.29 ± 11.39 days. Mortality was observed in 52.4% of cases. This mortality was statistically significant in patients aged mrore than 40 years (p=0.029) but not not related to the length of stay (p=0.080) nor the location of point of entry(p=0.28). In our environment the prognosis of tetanus remains severe. This disease is still frequent in the city of Lubumbashi; sensibilisation of population on preventive strategies as well as setting up appropriate structures for better management of cases is required.
Bilateral Diagonal Earlobe Crease and Coronary Artery Disease: A Significant Association

Background: The association between the presence of diagonal earlobe crease (ELC) and coronary artery disease (CAD) still remains controversial. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between bilateral ELC and CAD. Methods: 415 patients were examined for the presence or absence of bilateral ELC, angiographic evidence of CAD and coronary risk factors. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to angiographic evidence of CAD. Results: Bilateral ELC was significantly and positively correlated with CAD, hypertension, age, male gender, cigarette smoking and family history of CAD. The ELC was an independent variable for CAD. The observed sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the bilateral ELC for the diagnosis of CAD were in the following order: 51.3, 84.8, 89.4 and 41.2%. Conclusion: The presence of bilateral ELC was significantly associated with CAD and coronary risk factors. The bilateral ELC was an important dermatological indicator of CAD, and it might be a useful diagnostic tool in the clinical examination of patients.
Clinical expression and course in patients with late onset systemic lupus erythematosus.

BACKGROUND To analyze the pattern of clinical expression and the 5-year disease course in Caucasian patients with late onset of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to compare the findings with an early onset SLE group. METHODS Medical records of 551 patients who presented with SLE at hospitals of the region of Thessaloniki between 1989 and 2007 were studied. Patients who developed SLE at or after the age of 50 years were classified as the late onset group, while younger patients served as the early onset group. Data on clinical manifestations and damage accrual at disease onset and at 5 years was obtained and compared between the two groups. RESULTS In 121 patients, the disease started after the age of 50 years. Elderly patients showed less pronounced female predominance and less often presented with malar rash, nephropathy, fever and lymphadenopathy, while lung involvement, pericarditis and sicca syndrome were more frequent. Damage accrual was similar in both groups. The main causes of damage at 5 years differed, with the elderly exhibiting more cardiovascular damage. They also had a higher incidence of hypertension and osteoporosis at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS Caucasian SLE patients with late onset of the disease present with different clinical manifestations, suggesting that age affects the expression of SLE. Damage accrual at 5 years is similar in the elderly and the younger patients. However, the causes of this damage and the occurrence of other comorbidities follow a different pattern, possibly reflecting the disease process and the effects of aging.
Prevalence of Genital Human Papilloma Virus Infection and Genotypes among Young Women in Sicily, South Italy

Infection with oncogenic human papilloma virus (HPV) types is a necessary cause of cervical cancer. This study assessed the prevalence of HPV infection and genotypes among 1,006 randomly selected women, ages 18 to 24 years, living in Sicily (south Italy). The overall HPV rate was 24.1% (95% confidence interval, 21.5-26.9). The most frequent types were HPV-16 (4.5%), HPV-53 (2.7%), and HPV-84 (2.6%). The prevalence of vaccine types HPV-6, HPV-11, and HPV-18 was 1.4%, 0.1%, and 1.3%, respectively. Cytologic abnormalities were uncommon (3.1%) and associated with HPV detection (P < 0.0001). The only risk factor for HPV infection was the number of sexual partners (women with 2-3 partners versus women with 1 partner: odds ratio, 3.86; 95% confidence interval, 2.45-6.09). Genital HPV infection is relatively high in young Italian women. The high prevalence of viral types other than vaccine types should be taken into account to ensure accurate postvaccine surveillance and early detection of a possible genotype replacement. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(8):2002–6)
Effect of topical nifedipine in treatment of chronic anal fissure

Chronic anal fissure is the most common cause of anal pain associated with internal anal sphincter hypertonia. Reduction of hypertonocity is a special treatment for fisssure healing. For this purpose chronic anal fissure were conventionally treated by anal dilatation or by lateral sphincterotomy. However, both of these methods may cause a degree of incontinence in some patients. The uptake of medical therapies that create a reversible chemical sphincterotomy has recently become widespread. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of nifedipine in heling anal fissure, a calcium channel blocker that reduces sphincter pressure. An observational study conducted with 100 patients of chronic anal fissures treated with 0.3% nifedipine and 1.5% lignocaine. A net 52(52%) patients got there fissures healed with nifedipine. Remaining 48(48%) patients underwent surgery and there fissures healed with out complication. 4(4%) patients reported mild head ache with nifedipine use. Even though significant number of fissures heal with nifedipine recurrence is common. Another finding is low complication rate with nifedipine.
Validity and Utility of Alternative Predictors of Job Performance

Meta-analysis of the cumulative research on various predictors of job performance shows that for entry-level jobs there is no predictor with validity equal to that of ability, which has a mean validity of . 53. For selection on the basis of current job performance, the work sample test, with mean validity of . 54, is slightly better. For federal entry-level jobs, substitution of an alternative predictor would cost from $3.12 billion (job tryout) to $15.89 billion per year (age). Hiring on ability has a utility of $15.61 billion per year, but affects minority groups adversely. Hiring on ability by quotas would decrease this utility by 5%. A third strategy—using a low cutoff score—would decrease utility by 83%. Using other predictors in conjunction with ability tests might improve validity and reduce adverse impact, but there is as yet no data base for studying this possibility.
Efficient In Vitro System of Homologous Recombination in Brome Mosaic Bromovirus

ABSTRACT Recent in vivo studies have revealed that the subgenomic promoter (sgp) in brome mosaic bromovirus (BMV) RNA3 supports frequent homologous recombination events (R. Wierzchoslawski, A. Dzianott, and J. Bujarski, J. Virol. 78:8552-8564, 2004). In this paper, we describe an sgp-driven in vitro system that supports efficient RNA3 crossovers. A 1:1 mixture of two (−)-sense RNA3 templates was copied with either a BMV replicase (RdRp) preparation or recombinant BMV protein 2a. The BMV replicase enzyme supported a lower recombination frequency than 2a, demonstrating a role of other viral and/or host factors. The described in vitro system will allow us to study the mechanism of homologous RNA recombination.
Genomics of the marA/soxS/rob regulon of Escherichia coli: identification of directly activated promoters by application of molecular genetics and informatics to microarray data

Microarray analyses are providing a plethora of data concerning transcriptional responses to specific gene regulators and their inducers but do not distinguish between direct and indirect responses. Here, we identify directly activated promoters of the overlapping marA, soxS and rob regulon(s) of Escherichia coli by applying informatics, genomics and molecular genetics to microarray data obtained by others. Those studies found that overexpression of marA, or the treatment of cells with salicylate to derepress marA, or treatment with paraquat to induce soxS, resulted in elevated transcription of 153 genes. However, only 27 out of the promoters showed increased transcription under at least two of the aforementioned conditions and eight of those were previously known to be directly activated. A computer algorithm was used to identify potential activator binding sites located upstream of the remaining 19 promoters of this subset, and conventional genetic and biochemical approaches were applied to test whether these sites are critical for activation by the homologous MarA, SoxS and Rob transcriptional activators. Only seven out of the 19 promoters were found to be activated when fused to lacZ and tested as single lysogens. All seven contained an essential activator binding site. The remaining promoters were insensitive to stimulation by the inducers suggesting that the great majority of elevated microarray transcripts either were misidentified or resulted from indirect effects requiring sequences outside of the promoter region. We estimate that the total number of directly activated promoters in the regulon is less than 40.
Gait analysis on force treadmill in children: comparison with results from ground-based force platforms

Gait analysis (GA) typically includes surface electromyographic (sEMG) recording from several lower limb muscles, optoelectronic measurement of joint rotations, and force recordings from ground-based platforms. From the latter two variables, the muscle power acting on the lower limb joints can be estimated. Recently, gait analysis on a split-belt force treadmill (GAFT) was validated for the study of adult walking. It showed high reliability of spatiotemporal, kinematic, dynamic, and sEMG parameters, matching those obtainable with GA on the basis of ground walking. GAFT, however, still needs validation in children. Potential differences with respect to adult GAFT relate to (a) possible high signal-to-noise ratio, given the lower forces applied; (b) higher differences between treadmill and over-ground walking; and (c) limited compliance with the experimental setup. This study aims at investigating whether GAFT provides results comparable with those obtainable from ground walking in children and consistent with results from GAFT in adults. GAFT was applied to three groups of healthy children aged 5–6 years (n=6), 7–8 years (n=6), and 9–13 years (n=8) walking at the same average speed spontaneously adopted overground. The results were compared with those obtained from another study applying GA to an age-matched and speed-matched sample of 47 children, and with those obtained from GAFT in adults. The reliability (as indicated by the SD) of both spatiotemporal and dynamic parameters was higher in GAFT compared with GA. In the 5–6-, 7–8-, and 9–13-year-old groups, at average speeds of 0.83, 1.08, and 1.08 m/s, step length was shorter by 9.19, 3.57, and 2.30% compared with GA in controls at comparable speeds, respectively. For the youngest group, a lower power generation from the plantar flexors (peak power: 1.35±0.32 vs. 2.11±1.02 W/kg) and a slightly more flexed posture of the hip, knee, and ankle joints were observed during GAFT compared with GA in controls. The other gait parameters were very similar between the GAFT and the GA groups. The shortening of step length during GAFT, relative to GA at superimposable speed, was on average of all children 6.8%, in line with the 8% decrease found in adults. The profiles of sEMG and joint rotations, and all of the weight-standardized joint power parameters, matched those recorded in adults. The entire experimental session lasted about 1 h. All children complied with the experimental setting and easily completed the requested tests. In conclusion, GAFT seems to be a promising alternative to conventional GA in children.
Failure to induce oral tolerance to a soluble protein in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Defective suppressor/regulatory T-cell activation has been proposed as a mechanism to explain the uncontrolled inflammatory process seen in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Previous studies have suggested that inappropriate activation of CD4+ T cells may occur in the gastrointestinal tract in these patients. Because suppressor/regulatory T cells are thought to be one mechanism for the promotion of oral tolerance, we attempted to induce tolerance in normal controls (n = 21) and patients with either Crohn's disease (CD, n = 12) or ulcerative colitis (UC, n = 13). METHODS Subjects were fed keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) before subcutaneous immunization and booster immunization. Blood for KLH-induced T-cell proliferation and serum for anti-KLH antibody was obtained at baseline and after feeding, immunization, and booster. RESULTS In the control group, KLH feeding (50 and 250 mg) before immunization and booster resulted in reduced KLH-specific T-cell proliferation compared with the group that was not fed KLH (P < 0.002). However, both CD and UC patients showed significantly enhanced proliferation, without tolerance induction, when compared with baseline values (P < 0.035 and 0.02, respectively). Serum antibody to KLH was present only after immunization in the control group; however, anti-KLH antibody was seen after oral administration in both the UC and CD groups. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these data suggest that oral antigen administration does not result in tolerance in CD and UC patients, and might actually result in active immunity. This may reflect an in vivo functional defect in mucosal suppression of immune responses in IBD.
Achievable rates in the SIMO-Uplink/MISO-downlink of an FDD system with imperfect CSI

In practical systems, the available CSI for coherent transmission can not always be assumed to be perfect. For instance, in the MISO-downlink of a single-user FDD system with multiple antennas at the BS and a single antenna at the user, the available transmit CSI is actually estimated, quantized, outdated and affected by feedback errors. On the other hand, in the reverse link of this FDD system, i.e. the SIMO-uplink, the available receive CSI is only estimated. The two links of this FDD system represent a two-way system, in which we encounter a tradeoff between the MISO-downlink and SIMO-uplink rate due to the feedback of the transmit CSI in the uplink. Taking into account this tradeoff, we analyze the achievable rates in both links of the described FDD system considering imperfect CSI and limited feedback.
Social and cultural determinants of anticipated acceptance of an oral cholera vaccine prior to a mass vaccination campaign in Zanzibar

Despite improvements in sanitation and water supply, cholera remains a serious public health burden. Vaccination is included among recommendations for cholera control. Cultural concepts of illness are likely to affect vaccine acceptance. This study examined social and cultural determinants of anticipated acceptance of an oral cholera vaccine (OCV) prior to a mass vaccination campaign in Zanzibar. Using a cultural epidemiological approach, 356 unaffected adult residents were studied with vignette-based semi-structured interviews. Anticipated acceptance was high for a free OCV (94%), but declined with increasing price. Logistic regression models examined social and cultural determinants of anticipated acceptance at low (USD 0.9), medium (USD 4.5) and high (USD 9) price. Models including somatic symptoms (low and high price), social impact (low and medium) and perceived causes (medium and high) explained anticipated OCV acceptance better than models containing only socio-demographic characteristics. Identifying thirst with cholera was positively associated with anticipated acceptance of the low-priced OCV, but acknowledging the value of home-based rehydration was negatively associated. Concern about spreading the infection to others was positively associated at low price among rural respondents. Confidence in the health system response to cholera outbreaks was negatively associated at medium price among peri-urban respondents. Identifying witchcraft as cause of cholera was negatively associated at medium and high price. Anticipated acceptance of free OCVs is nearly universal in cholera-endemic areas of Zanzibar; pre-intervention assessments of community demand for OCV should not only consider the social epidemiology, but also examine local socio-cultural features of cholera-like illness that explain vaccine acceptance.