Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of olanzapine on the 5 dimensions of schizophrenia derived by factor analysis: combined results of the North American and international trials.

BACKGROUND The choice of drug to treat a patient with schizophrenia is one of the most critical clinical decisions. Controversy exists on the differential efficacy of olanzapine. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION Raw data from all 4 registrational double-blind, random-assignment studies of olanzapine compared with placebo or haloperidol were obtained from Eli Lilly and Company for this meta-analysis. METHOD Analysis of covariance of the intent-to-treat last-observation-carried-forward endpoint scores was used to assess efficacy on Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total scores and the 5 factors derived by factor analysis (negative symptoms, positive symptoms, disorganized thoughts, impulsivity/hostility, and anxiety/depression). RESULTS Olanzapine produced a statistically significantly greater reduction in schizophrenic symptoms than haloperidol (p < .05) on total scores on the BPRS and PANSS on each of the 5 factors as well as on almost all items. Olanzapine induced a response at a rate equal to that induced by haloperidol in the first few weeks, but by the end of the study produced a greater percentage of responders. Compared with haloperidol, olanzapine produced a somewhat greater response on symptoms responsive to haloperidol, but a markedly better response on symptoms unresponsive to haloperidol. This difference favoring olanzapine occurred to an equal degree in all subgroups examined. The incidence of parkinsonism or akathisia following olanzapine treatment was extremely low and not statistically distinguishable from placebo. CONCLUSION Olanzapine produced a greater improvement than haloperidol particularly by benefiting a much larger number of items or factors. Extrapyramidal side effects and akathisia during olanzapine treatment were statistically indistinguishable from effects seen with placebo.
Expression of Plasmodium falciparum G6PD‐6PGL in laboratory parasites and in patient isolates in G6PD‐deficient and normal Nigerian children

Summary. As the production of NADPH in the pentose phosphate pathway is the main antioxidant defence mechanism available to the Plasmodium falciparum, we have studied the expression of P. falciparum glucose 6‐phosphate dehydrogenase‐6‐phosphogluconolactonase (PfG6PD‐6PGL) in G6PD‐deficient and normal erythrocyte host cells. Both erythrocytes infected in vitro with a laboratory isolate and erythrocytes from natural human infections were used. Total RNA was prepared from parasites collected from five G6PD‐deficient and nine G6PD‐normal children in Ibadan, Nigeria, selected after screening 189 rural schoolchildren and 68 clinical malaria patients, and was subjected to Northern blot analysis. The probe was a cDNA fragment of the G6PD domain of the PfG6PD‐6PGL gene, with an internal control probe of P. falciparum 18S ribosomal RNA. Quantification was performed using a phosphoimager. Relative to internal control, the abundance of PfG6PD‐6PGL mRNA (mean ± standard deviation) was lower in parasites from G6PD‐deficient children (0·29 ± 0·27) than in G6PD‐normal control subjects (0·74 ± 0·26) (P = 0·014, Mann–Whitney U‐test). Although confirmation in a larger study is required, our results suggest a lower relative abundance of PfG6PD‐6PGL, and presumably antioxidant activity, in malaria parasites from G6PD‐deficient hosts, thus extending the current knowledge of the mechanism of G6PD‐deficiency related host protection.
Comparison and validation of high frequency ultrasound detection techniques in a mouse model for renal tumors

The goal of this study is to compare and validate high frequency (20 - 50 MHz) ultrasound imaging techniques for early detection and follow-up of renal tumors in a murine Wilms' tumor model. Mice (N = 16) were imaged every 3 to 4 days in vivo using a 25 MHz ultrasonic imaging system until tumor detection. For 8 mice, maximum tumor cross sections were then estimated from images along three orthogonal axes for confrontation with post-sacrifice caliper measurements. Tumor size in the 8 remaining mice was followed every 4 days up to 4, 8, 12 or 16 days. The mouse was then sacrificed and kidneys were imaged in situ (40 MHz or 50 MHz). Finally, histological study assessed tumor position and nature.
Collaboration for innovation and project failure. A dynamic analysis

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to investigate the hypothesis that there is a complex and bidirectional relation between collaboration and failure in innovation projects. On the one hand, collaboration in innovative activities may increase the likelihood of project failure. At the same time, the failure in innovation projects may induce the firm to collaborate in order to overcome the problems that determined the failure of innovation projects (induced collaboration). Up to now, we are not aware about the existence of any empirical paper analysing the interaction between these two mechanisms. This paper aims at filling this gap by providing a motivation for the induced collaboration and testing its empirical relevance in a dynamic framework. The empirical analysis is carried out by using two consecutive German Community Innovation Surveys referring to the period 2006–2010. The empirical results support the hypothesis of a bidirectional causal relationship between collaboration and failure.
An empirical model of diagnostic x-ray attenuation under narrow-beam geometry.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a mathematical model to describe narrow-beam attenuation of kilovoltage x-ray beams for the intended applications of half-value layer (HVL) and quarter-value layer (QVL) estimations, patient organ shielding, and computer modeling. METHODS An empirical model, which uses the Lambert W function and represents a generalized Lambert-Beer law, was developed. To validate this model, transmission of diagnostic energy x-ray beams was measured over a wide range of attenuator thicknesses [0.49-33.03 mm Al on a computed tomography (CT) scanner, 0.09-1.93 mm Al on two mammography systems, and 0.1-0.45 mm Cu and 0.49-14.87 mm Al using general radiography]. Exposure measurements were acquired under narrow-beam geometry using standard methods, including the appropriate ionization chamber, for each radiographic system. Nonlinear regression was used to find the best-fit curve of the proposed Lambert W model to each measured transmission versus attenuator thickness data set. In addition to validating the Lambert W model, we also assessed the performance of two-point Lambert W interpolation compared to traditional methods for estimating the HVL and QVL [i.e., semi-logarithmic (exponential) and linear interpolation]. RESULTS The Lambert W model was validated for modeling attenuation versus attenuator thickness with respect to the data collected in this study (R2 > 0.99). Furthermore, Lambert W interpolation was more accurate and less sensitive to the choice of interpolation points used to estimate the HVL and/or QVL than the traditional methods of semilogarithmic and linear interpolation. CONCLUSIONS The proposed Lambert W model accurately describes attenuation of both monoenergetic radiation and (kilovoltage) polyenergetic beams (under narrow-beam geometry).
A New Filter-Bank Multicarrier System With Two Prototype Filters for QAM Symbols Transmission and Reception

A filter-bank multicarrier-quadrature amplitude modulation (FBMC-QAM) system with two prototype filters for transmitting QAM symbol is proposed, and the orthogonality conditions for the FBMC-QAM system without the intrinsic interference is derived. The proposed transmitter performs the individual filtering for the even and odd-numbered sub-carrier symbols, respectively. In order to satisfy the derived orthogonality conditions, we perform a sub-block wise reverse ordering procedure for the outputs of the odd-numbered sub-carrier filter. Also, this paper shows that the proposed FBMC-QAM system satisfies the suggested orthogonality conditions and can use the multiple-input multiple-output transmission schemes as the conventional orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. The signal-to-interference power ratio and the bit error rate (BER) for the proposed FBMC-QAM system are evaluated. Numerical results show that the proposed FBMC-QAM system has almost the same BER performance compared with the FBMC-OQAM and OFDM systems.
Flipped Classroom in China: Design, Practice, and Implications

The flipped classroom method has the potential to transform schools by promising an innovative instructional design that merges a student-centered approach with a technology-assisted application. The method has attracted attention over the past 10 years. The Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China has supported the inclusion of technology, digital learning environments, and new instructional models as an important aspect of educational reform. The chapter begins with a background of the flipped classroom, including origin, history, and usage. Next there is a discussion of the design models that have been addressed in the research field
Catalytic Mechanism of Cyclic Di-GMP-Specific Phosphodiesterase: a Study of the EAL Domain-Containing RocR from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

ABSTRACT EAL domain proteins are the major phosphodiesterases for maintaining the cellular concentration of second-messenger cyclic di-GMP in bacteria. Given the pivotal roles of EAL domains in the regulation of many bacterial behaviors, the elucidation of their catalytic and regulatory mechanisms would contribute to the effort of deciphering the cyclic di-GMP signaling network. Here, we present data to show that RocR, an EAL domain protein that regulates the expression of virulence genes and biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO-1, catalyzes the hydrolysis of cyclic di-GMP by using a general base-catalyzed mechanism with the assistance of Mg2+ ion. In addition to the five essential residues involved in Mg2+ binding, we propose that the essential residue E352 functions as a general base catalyst assisting the deprotonation of Mg2+-coordinated water to generate the nucleophilic hydroxide ion. The mutation of other conserved residues caused various degree of changes in the k cat or Km , leading us to propose their roles in residue positioning and substrate binding. With functions assigned to the conserved groups in the active site, we discuss the molecular basis for the lack of activity of some characterized EAL domain proteins and the possibility of predicting the phosphodiesterase activities for the vast number of EAL domains in bacterial genomes in light of the catalytic mechanism.
Novel interleaved spiral imaging motion correction technique using orbital navigators

Although spiral imaging seldom produces apparent artifacts related to flow, it remains sensitive to rapid object motion. In this article, a new correction method is presented for rapid rigid body motion in interleaved spiral imaging. With this technique, an identical circular navigator k‐space trajectory is linked to each spiral trajectory. Data inconsistency due to both rotation and translation among spiral interleaves can be corrected by evaluating the magnitudes and phases of the data contained in the navigator “ring. ” Further, it is difficult to create a frequency field map for off‐resonance correction when an object moves during a scan, because there is motion‐dependent misregistration between the two images acquired with different TEs. However, this difficulty can be overcome by combining the motion‐correction method with a recently proposed technique (off‐resonance correction using variable‐density spirals (ORC‐VDS)), thereby enabling both motion compensation and off‐resonance correction with no additional scanning. Magn Reson Med 50:423–428, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nonradioactive ribonuclease protection analysis using digoxygenine labeling and chemiluminescent detection

A sensitive nonradioactive ribunouclease protection assay is described which we have used to study c‐myc gene transcription and promoter usage in GLC4, a human small cell lung carcinoma cell line with amplified gene. For in vitro transcription we used digoxygenine (DIG)‐rUTP instead of [α‐32P]CTP or [α‐32P]UTP and after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis the protected probes were transferred to a nylon membrane from Boehringer Mannheim using electroblotting. Subsequently the membrane was analyzed by chemiluminescent detection. Results were obtained after 1 h of exposure and were comparable with those using radioactivity.
Evaluation of a parent-designed programme to support tooth brushing of infants and young children.

OBJECTIVES This study developed and tested an intervention to help parents establish a routine of brushing their young children's teeth twice a day. METHODS Community-based participatory research methods were used to engage parents in the design of the intervention to maximize its relevance and acceptability to others. Input was obtained by interviews and focus groups. The resulting intervention was four 90-min small-group sessions that provided educational information, direct instruction, practice and peer-to-peer problem-solving. A pre- to post-non-randomized design was used to evaluate the intervention's effect to increase or maintain parents' twice daily brushing. RESULTS Intervention participants were 67 primary caregivers of children under six years of age. Of the 67 initial participants, 50 completed a post-intervention questionnaire administered 4 to 8 weeks following the intervention. The proportion of parents who reported brushing their young children's teeth twice a day increased significantly from 59 per cent prior to the intervention to 89 per cent post-intervention (McNemar's X(2) = 10.71, P = 0.002). There were concomitant and statistically significant increases over the study period in parents' confidence for brushing twice a day, attitudes about the importance of brushing and their self-efficacy for tooth brushing. Parents' knowledge of children's oral health, assessed by a 15-item scale developed for this study ('Things to Know About Baby Teeth'), also increased significantly. CONCLUSIONS Twice daily tooth brushing is a low-cost, effective strategy to reduce the risk of childhood caries. As demonstrated here, community-based efforts can help parents achieve this important health behaviour.
Gut CD103+ dendritic cells express indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase which influences T regulatory/T effector cell balance and oral tolerance induction

Objective CD103+ gut dendritic cells (DCs) have been shown to be required for de novo conversion of adaptive T regulatory (Treg) cells. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is an enzyme involved in tryptophan catabolism that is expressed by DCs isolated from tumour-draining lymph nodes. IDO-expressing DCs sustain and differentiate Tregs. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and the possible physiological role of IDO in the tolerogenic properties of intestinal DCs. Design The expression level of IDO in CD103+ and CD103− DCs was analysed by qRT-PCR, western blot and immunofluorescence. CD103+ and CD103− DCs were sorted from mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) and the small intestinal lamina propria, and the role of IDO in the conversion of Tregs and Th effector cell development was evaluated via specific inhibition or gene deletion. Oral tolerance, experimental colitis and T cell differentiation in vivo were assessed upon IDO inactivation. Results We show that, primarily, CD103+ but not CD103− gut DCs express IDO whose inhibition results in reduced CD4+Foxp3+ T regulatory cell conversion and enhanced T cell proliferation. When IDO was inhibited or genetically deleted there was an increase in Th1 and Th17 differentiation both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, in vivo IDO blockade affected the development of Tregs specific for orally administered antigens, impaired oral tolerance induction and exacerbated colitis. Conclusions We identified a new IDO-dependent pathway leading to acquisition of tolerogenic functions in mucosal CD103-expressing DCs, indicating IDO as a possible therapeutic target for gut disorders.
Inter-organizational fit and environmental innovation in supply chains: A configuration approach

Purpose Through examining the two constructs of inter-organizational complementarity and inter-organizational compatibility in supply chains, the purpose of this paper is to develop a taxonomy of focal firms’ inter-organizational fit (IOF) configurations with their suppliers and customers, and examine the relationship between these configurations and environmental innovation (EI) in order to answer the question of “with whom” to collaborate for EI development. Design/methodology/approach A survey instrument was elaborated and data from a sample of 171 US firms were collected. The authors adopted cluster analysis to identify the IOF taxonomy. Canonical discriminant analysis was employed to uncover underlying dimensions between clustering variables and cluster membership. Then, ANOVA tests were conducted to investigate relationships between IOF configurations in the context of EI in supply chains. Findings Three configurations were identified based on the complementarity and compatibility between focal firms and their supply chain partners. It is observed that the overall IOF level is positively related to firms’ EI outcomes. Moreover, inter-organizational complementarity facilitates incremental EI while inter-organizational compatibility plays a more crucial role in radical EI. Both are required to achieve the best innovation outcome. Originality/value This research develops the first taxonomy for depicting IOF in a supply chain innovation context and also clarifies different rationale behind the development of incremental and radical EI through examining distinctive effects of the complementarity and compatibility with supply chain partners.
Evaluation of spatio-temporal data fusion methods for generating NDVI time series in cropland areas

Spatio-temporal data fusion model is a feasible way to obtain high spatial resolution and high temporal resolution images in crop monitoring. As vegetation indices such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) are generally used directly to monitor the vegetation growth, in this study, two recently proposed spatio-temporal data fusion methods (FSDAF and DPM-STVIFM) were evaluated for generating NDVI time series in cropland areas. It is found that both methods have limitations and the performances of the two methods vary with the dates of available fine-resolution images and the degree of land cover changes between the available fine-resolution images and the synthetic fine-resolution images.
Symptomatology Patterns in Children with Allergic Rhinitis

Background Although allergic rhinitis (AR) is recognized as a growing global health disease with considerable importance for patients’ lives, especially among children and adolescents, there is a lack of population studies concerning symptomatology patterns of the disease. The present study aimed to explore symptoms prevalence among school-aged children, to detect any correlation between allergen sensitivities with symptomatology patterns, and, finally, to evaluate the association of the sensitivity grade score with symptoms severity or seasonality. Material/Methods This was a cross-sectional, observational study in a childhood population. The first stage included recruitment of children and parental-completed questionnaires. The second stage included skin-prick tests for the most common allergens. Severity of symptoms was self-evaluated using a scale that ranged from “0” (no symptoms), “1” (mild), and “2” (moderate-to-severe). AR was classified as seasonal (SAR) or perennial (PAR). Results The most frequent symptoms were reported for nasal obstruction, sneezing, and rhinorrhea. All nasal symptoms were significantly more profound among children with HDM sensitivity. However, more symptoms, not only nasal, but also ocular and general ones, were detected among patients with grass pollen sensitivity. Patients with PAR reported more severe symptoms. SAR was associated with mild disease. Finally, the sensitivity grade score was significantly correlated with symptom severity. Conclusions Our results suggest that allergen sensitivity may be correlated with symptomatology patterns among children who have allergic rhinitis.
DAPPLE 2: a Tool for the Homology-Based Prediction of Post-Translational Modification Sites.

The post-translational modification of proteins is critical for regulating their function. Although many post-translational modification sites have been experimentally determined, particularly in certain model organisms, experimental knowledge of these sites is severely lacking for many species. Thus, it is important to be able to predict sites of post-translational modification in such species. Previously, we described DAPPLE, a tool that facilitates the homology-based prediction of one particular post-translational modification, phosphorylation, in an organism of interest using known phosphorylation sites from other organisms. Here, we describe DAPPLE 2, which expands and improves upon DAPPLE in three major ways. First, it predicts sites for many post-translational modifications (20 different types) using data from several sources (15 online databases). Second, it has the ability to make predictions approximately 2-7 times faster than DAPPLE depending on the database size and the organism of interest. Third, it simplifies and accelerates the process of selecting predicted sites of interest by categorizing them based on gene ontology terms, keywords, and signaling pathways. We show that DAPPLE 2 can successfully predict known human post-translational modification sites using, as input, known sites from species that are either closely (e.g., mouse) or distantly (e.g., yeast) related to humans. DAPPLE 2 can be accessed at http://saphire.usask. ca/saphire/dapple2 .
Exploring the relationship between job satisfaction and organizational commitment: an instrumental variable approach

Abstract The possible role of job satisfaction (JS) on organizational commitment (OC) has been a very important and hotly debated topic among experts. However, existing studies have yielded mixed results potentially due to utilization of small datasets, different methodological designs, estimation techniques that do not control for potential endogeneity between the variables, or a combination of these issues. Using a large matched employer-employee data-set from Britain (WERS2011), we find that increases in employees’ JS positively influence OC. We also show that this relationship holds when an instrumental variable framework (IV ordered probit/IV probit) is adopted to take into account the potential endogeneity of JS. However, throughout the analysis, the IV estimates are smaller in magnitude in comparison to where JS is considered as an exogenous variable. Moreover, utilising a two-stage probit least square (2SPLS) estimator, we support our previous findings i.e. increased JS is likely to lead to enhanced OC, but we also show that greater OC leads to higher levels of JS suggesting that JS and OC are likely to be reciprocally related. Overall, the IV estimates confirm the importance of addressing the endogeneity issue in the analysis of the relationship between JS and OC.