Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antigens onto bare skin: a ‘painless’ paradigm shift in vaccine delivery

The skin is an attractive route for delivery of vaccines because it is accessible and contains immunocompetent cells. This opens up the possibility that, in the future, vaccines could be administered in a simple, safe and practical way without requiring the use of needles and syringes. This review focuses on the methods developed to deliver vaccines via the intact skin. Candidate vaccine antigens can be delivered topically using particulate delivery systems and patch formulations containing the antigen with an ADP-ribosylating exotoxin as an adjuvant. The duration and type of elicited immune responses depend on the antigen, the adjuvant and the method of delivery. Already, the first clinical trial of transcutaneous delivery of vaccines has demonstrated the proof of the principle. However, despite these successes, there are several challenges ahead to be addressed before vaccines administered with a patch will be available over the counter.
Real and Financial Sector Interaction Under Liberalization in an Open Developing Economy

A short-run model incorporates instantaneous portfolio equilibrium with macroeconomic flows to clarify the structure of real-financial sector interactions. If equity and foreign exchange markets are introduced in structuralist theories of asset markets in developing countries, the key result that a fall in money supply raises the rate of inflation now holds only under special conditions on partial derivatives. But there is a tendency for interest rates to rise and for fluctuations in asset prices. Fuller integration of asset markets moderates these fluctuations. Outcomes are stable in spite of the generalized complementarity distinguishing equity markets from loan markets. Expectations play a major role. Implications for policy are to link domestic interest rates to foreign, remove artificial barriers to market integration, and stimulate demand as well as supply.
Comparison of urokinase and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for treatment of childhood empyema.

BACKGROUND Despite increasing incidence and morbidity, little evidence exists to inform the best management approach in childhood empyema. AIM To compare chest drain with intrapleural urokinase and primary video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for the treatment of childhood empyema. METHODS Children were prospectively randomized to receive either percutaneous chest drain with intrapleural urokinase or primary VATS. The primary outcome was the number of hospital days after intervention. Secondary end points were number of chest drain days, total hospital stay, failure rate, radiologic outcome at 6 mo, and total treatment costs. RESULTS Sixty children were recruited. The two groups were well matched for demographics; baseline characteristics; and hematologic, biochemical, and bacteriologic parameters. No significant difference was found in length of hospital stay after intervention between the two groups: VATS (median [range], 6 [3-16] d) versus urokinase (6 [4-25] d) (p = 0.311; 95% confidence interval, -2 to 1). No difference was demonstrated in total hospital stay: VATS versus urokinase (8 [4-17] d and 7 [4-25] d) (p = 0.645); failure rate: 5 (16.6%); and radiologic outcome at 6 mo after intervention in both groups. The mean (median) treatment costs of patients in the urokinase arm US dollars 9,127 (US dollars 6,914) were significantly lower than those for the VATS arm US dollars 11,379 (US dollars 10,146) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS There is no difference in clinical outcome between intrapleural urokinase and VATS for the treatment of childhood empyema. Urokinase is a more economic treatment option compared with VATS and should be the primary treatment of choice. This study provides an evidence base to guide the management of childhood empyema.
Implementation of an electronic system for medication reconciliation.

PURPOSE The feasibility of implementing an electronic system for targeted pharmacist- and nurse-conducted admission and discharge medication reconciliation and its effects on patient safety, cost, and satisfaction among providers and nurses were studied. METHODS This study was conducted in two phases: a preimplementation phase and a postimplementation phase. In the preimplementation phase, admission medication histories and discharge medication counseling followed standard care processes. During postimplementation, pharmacists and nurses collaborated to electronically complete admission and discharge medication reconciliation documentation. Four reports were developed for medication reconciliation documentation: (1) home medication profile report, (2) home medication reconciliation report, (3) discharge medication reconciliation report, and (4) patient discharge medication report. Patients were contacted after discharge to measure their satisfaction with the medication counseling and medication instructions received. Health care providers completed a survey indicating their satisfaction with the electronic medication reconciliation processes. RESULTS A total of 283 patients were included in the study. Patients in the postimplementation group took significantly more prescription and nonprescription medications, and their total number of medications significantly exceeded the number taken by the preimplementation group. Pharmacists completed significantly more dosage changes in the postimplementation phase than in the preimplementation phase. In the preimplementation phase, nurses identified more incomplete medication orders, dosage changes, and allergies than they did in the postimplementation phase. Patients in the postimplementation group reported a higher level of agreement on all survey items regarding adequate discharge medication instructions. CONCLUSION Patients who had their medications electronically reconciled reported a greater understanding of the medications they were to take after discharge from the hospital, including medication administration instructions and potential adverse effects.
Beyond the Technological and the Social Paradigms: A Political Reading of Abstract Labour as the Substance of Value

De Angelis proposes an approach to value which gives central place to the capital-labour relation, and specifically to the category of abstract labour as the form taken by work under capitalism—alienated, imposed, and inherently boundless. This approach is counter-posed to alternative readings of the labour theory of value in both the technological and social paradigms.
Pooling in two-location inventory systems with non-negligible replenishment lead times

This paper deals with the analysis of two-location periodic review inventory systems with non-negligible replenishment lead times. Emergency transshipments are used in these systems as a recourse action to reduce the occurrence of shortages. A class of partial pooling policies is proposed for the control of transshipments. The cost performance of this class of policies is shown to be inferior to that of complete pooling. An approximate model and a heuristic algorithm are introduced to compute near-optimal stocking policy solutions. Comparisons with simulation results verify the satisfactory performance of the approximate model and algorithm. Numerical sensitivity analysis provides additional insight into the nature of optimal transshipment behavior.
Imaging Thymoma

Thymoma is a rare tumor, although it is the most common primary neoplasm of the anterior mediastinum. In the majority of thymoma patients, imaging is requested for investigation of symptoms related to their tumor, although an increasing number of asymptomatic patients are discovered incidentally due to the increased utilization of computed tomography for screening or for imaging of other unrelated diseases. This review will focus on the goals of imaging thymoma, the imaging features of thymoma, as well as the advantages and limitations of each imaging modality in establishing the diagnosis, staging, and prognosis of thymoma.
The Impact of the Change to International Accounting Standards on Debt Covenants: A UK Perspective1

Abstract This paper examines the impact on covenants in the debt contracts of companies of the impending change to international accounting standards (IAS). The primary focus of the paper is the UK debt market, but comparisons are drawn with other EU countries that will also be affected by the adoption of IAS. Existing evidence of the nature of debt covenants and the impact of accounting regulation change on such covenants is briefly reviewed. It is argued that the adoption of IAS will have a significant impact both on reported earnings and on balance sheet values. Moreover, it is argued that the adoption of IAS will increase the volatility of earnings. It is further argued that, as a consequence of these effects, there will be a significant impact on debt covenants given the widespread use of rolling GAAP. A number of cases and hypothetical examples are provided to illustrate the impact of the adoption of IAS.
Geldanamycin Induces Heat Shock Protein Expression Through Activation of HSF1 in K562 Erythroleukemic Cells

HSP90 is one of the most abundant heat shock proteins (HSPs) in eukaryotic cells and is found in complex with several regulatory proteins such as kinases and transcription factors. Geldanamycin (GA), a benzoquinone ansamycin, specifically binds to HSP90 and disrupts the interaction of HSP90 and target proteins. Thus, GA has been used as a specific inhibitor of HSP90. In this study, we examined whether GA could affect protein synthesis and gene expression in the human erythroleukemic cell line K562. Treatment with GA, but not herbimycin A (another benzoquinone ansamycin), highly induced a 70‐kDa protein, which was revealed to be HSP70 by immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation with anti‐HSP70 antibody. The expression of HSP28 was also enhanced by GA. Furthermore, GA induced the activation of heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), but not HSF2, as determined by electromobility shift and electromobility supershift assay. In addition, similar to heat shock treatment, GA induced the phosphorylation of HSF1. Heat shock element‐binding activity and phosphorylation of HSF1 were attenuated 3 h after GA treatment. These results indicate that the functional inactivation of HSP90 by GA potentially stimulates the expression of heat shock proteins through activation of HSF1.
Incidence of Visceral Pain during Cesarean Section: The Effect of Varying Doses of Spinal Bupivacaine

The safety of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine, as well as the incidence and severity of visceral pain, were evaluated in 36 women undergoing elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia who, randomly divided into two groups, received different dose ranges according to height, 7.5–10 mg in group A and 10–12.5 mg in group B. When sensory block to at least the fourth thoracic dermatome was established, surgery was begun and the occurrence and severity of visceral pain recorded (visual analog scale) by an observer unaware of patient data. The level of analgesia to pinprick was determined when and if there was onset of pain intraoperatively, and supplementary medication was administered as needed. Hypotension, the incidence of which was similar in both groups, was treated as necessary with ephedrine. No patients experienced pain until after delivery of the infant. Thereafter, moderate to severe pain, in association with peritoneal traction, occurred in 12 patients in group A (70.5%) but only in 6 patients in group B (31.6%). In patients experiencing moderate to severe pain, the mean time between induction of anesthesia and onset of pain was similar in both groups, as was the amount of systemic narcotic given. Total time for regression of sensory analgesia to L5 was longer in patients in group B (243.9 versus 195.4 min), and the incidence of complete motor blockade was greater in group B. Increasing the amount of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine per spinal segment reduces the occurrence of moderate to severe visceral pain during elective cesarean section without jeopardizing mother or fetus.
Total Factor Productivity Growth in Agriculture: A Malmquist Index Analysis of 93 Countries, 1980-2000 *

In this paper we examine levels and trends in agricultural output and productivity in 93 developed and developing countries that account for a major portion of the world population and agricultural output. We make use of data drawn from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and our study covers the period 1980-2000. Due to the non-availability of reliable input price data, the study uses data envelopment analysis (DEA) to derive Malmquist productivity indexes. The study examines trends in agricultural productivity over the period. Issues of catch-up and convergence, or in some cases possible divergence, in productivity in agriculture are examined within a global framework. The paper also derives the shadow prices and value shares that are implicit in the DEA-based Malmquist productivity indices, and examines the plausibility of their levels and trends over the study period.
[Reliability and validity studies of Turkish translation of Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised-Abbreviated].

OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to examine the reliability and the validity of the Turkish translation of the Eysneck Personality Questionnaire Revised-abbreviated Form (EPQR-A) (Francis et al., 1992), which consists of 24 items that assess neuroticism, extraversion, psychoticism, and lying. METHOD The questionnaire was first translated into Turkish and then back translated. Subsequently, it was administered to 756 students from 4 different universities. The Fear Survey Inventory-III (FSI-III), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scales (RSES), and Egna Minnen Betraffande Uppfostran (EMBU-C) were also administered in order to assess the questionnaire's validity. The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and validity were subsequently evaluated. RESULTS Factor analysis, similar to the original scale, yielded 4 factors; the neuroticism, extraversion, psychoticism, and lie scales. Kuder-Richardson alpha coefficients for the extraversion, neuroticism, psychoticism, and lie scales were 0.78, 0.65, 0.42, and 0.64, respectively, and the test-retest reliability of the scales was 0.84, 0.82, 0.69, and 0.69, respectively. The relationships between EPQR-A-48, FSI-III, EMBU-C, and RSES were examined in order to evaluate the construct validity of the scale. Our findings support the construct validity of the questionnaire. To investigate gender differences in scores on the subscales, MANOVA was conducted. The results indicated that there was a gender difference only in the lie scale scores. CONCLUSIONS Our findings largely supported the reliability and validity of the questionnaire in a Turkish student sample. The psychometric characteristics of the Turkish version of the EPQR-A were discussed in light of the relevant literature.
How much is information worth? Willingness to pay for expert and non-expert informational goods compared to material goods in lay economic thinking

Economists consider information a paradoxical good of uncertain value. This experimental study compares the valuation of economic information to the valuation of material goods when subjects possess perfect information so that uncertainty about the outcome of the transaction is eliminated. It also aims to study the participants' justifications of their valuations, in order to examine the underlying cognitive processes. The main hypotheses were that: (a) even if subjects deal with perfect information they will underestimate its value compared to the value of material goods; (b) underestimation of the value of information will be greater in conditions of high involvement, that is when expected payoff and therefore investment and risk are high; and (c) expert information will be valued more highly than non-expert information, since it should be regarded as more reliable. In the main study, two groups of students in the same university were asked to value and justify their valuation of material goods, under conditions of certain low (1000) and high (100,000) payoffs, respectively. Two other groups were asked to value and to justify their valuation of non-expert information under the same conditions of profit. Finally, two more groups of students were asked to value and justify their valuation of expert information, again under conditions of low or high expected profit. The findings of the study show that under all conditions subjects underestimate the value of information both absolutely and relatively in comparison to material goods, especially under conditions of high involvement. The participants' justifications of their own valuations are heuristics which seem to take into account the uncertain character of informational goods.
IJOEET ENFORCING SECURE & PRIVACY PRESERVING INFORMATION BROKERING IN DISTRIBUTED INFORMATION SHARING Boppana

Today’s organizations (e.g. enterprise, government agencies, libraries, “Smart” Home) raise increasing needs for information sharing via on-demand information access. A Information Brokering System (IBS) is a peer-to-peer overlay network that comprises diverse data servers and brokering components helping client queries locate the data server(s). Peer-to-peer (P2P) systems are gaining increasing popularity as a scalable means to share data among a large number of autonomous nodes. We study the privacy in Privacy-Preserving Information Brokering in Distributed Information Sharing through an innovative automaton segmentation scheme and query segment encryption and data management issues for processing XML data in a p2p setting, namely indexing, replication and query routing and processing.
Morphological and secretory properties of bronchoalveolar lavage mast cells in respiratory diseases

We have studied various functional and morphological characteristics of mast cells obtained in bronchoalveolar lavage from fifty‐two patients with several lung diseases. The percentage of mast cells ranged from 0.04 to 0.6% (bronchial carcinoma). 0.05–0.3% (sarcoidosis), 0.06–0.25% (asthma), 0.04–1.8% (miscellaneous) and 0.02–0.04% (normals). There were no significant differences in the mast cell counts between the disease groups. Lung mast cells exhibited heterogeneity of size, shape and intensity of staining. Cells from thirty‐seven subjects were further studied for total histamine content and histamine release using various secretagogues. There was a significant correlation (P<0.001) between the histamine content of the total lavage cell population and mast cell counts. The calculated mean histamine content per mast cell was 6.35 pg. Histamine was released in a dose‐dependent fashion after stimulation with anti‐IgE, calcium ionophore and phorbol myristate acetate with a time course of histamine release characteristic of the mast cell. Unlike peripheral blood basophils, no release was observed following incubation with f‐met‐leu‐phe (10−6‐10−8m) and neither cell type released histamine following incubation with 48/80 (10 μg/ml). Inhibition of anti‐IgE‐induced histamine release was obtained following pre‐incubation with salbutamol (10−4‐10−6m). These studies indicate that bronchoalveolar lavage is a suitable model for the study of human lung mast cells.
Gauging Exchange Rate Targeting

In this paper, we examine whether a monetary authority targets the exchange rate, per se, or instead simply appears to do so as it responds to the exchange rate and other variables in service to inflation and output targets. We combine data-rich estimation with a system of forward-looking equations in order to disentangle the possibilities. The combined approach reveals the potentially misleading nature of standard estimates of the extent of exchange rate and inflation targeting. We illustrate the approach by applying it to two de jure inflation targetters, Canada and Korea. In contrast to standard methods and much past work, we find that neither country targets its exchange rate; and, both are bona fide inflation targetters.
Throughput Maximization for Decode-and-Forward Relay Channels with Non-Ideal Circuit Power

This paper studies the throughput maximization problem for a three-node relay channel with direct link and non-ideal circuit power. The relay operates in a half- duplex manner, and the decode-and-forward (DF) relaying is adopted. Considering the extra power consumption by the circuits, the optimal power allocations over infinite time horizon are investigated. First, two special scenarios, i.e., the direct link transmission (only use the direct link to transmit) and the relay assisted transmission (the source and the relay transmit with equal probability), are studied. By solving two non-convex optimization problems, the solutions show that the source and the relay transmit with certain probability, which is determined by the average power budgets, circuit power consumptions, and channel gains. Then, based on the above results, the optimal power allocation for the original throughput maximization problem is investigated, which is shown to be a mixed transmission scheme between the direct link transmission and the relay assisted transmission.
Fatty acid transporters in plasma membranes of cardiomyocytes in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND Long-chain fatty acids are one of the major cardiac energy substrates. Although the exact mechanism of myocardial fatty acid uptake is not known, several proteins, including the integral membrane proteins FATP1 (fatty acid transport protein 1) and FAT (fatty acid translocase), are being implicated in this process. The aim of this study was to further investigate FATP1 and FAT in the heart and its potential role in myocardial fatty acid utilization. - METHODS The expression of FATP1 and FAT in mouse myocardium and in myocardial biopsies of 14 patients with different cardiomyopathies was detected by immunocytochemistry and visualized with a laser scanning microscope. - RESULTS FAT and FATP1 are co-expressed on the plasma membrane of cardiac endothelial cells and on the sarcolemma of cardiomyocytes. The staining-pattern and the intensity of signal for both transport proteins was constant in different cardiomyopathies compared with the expression in biopsies of patients with other cardiac diseases and the expression in the myocardium of healthy mice. - CONCLUSION Cardiac endothelial cells and cardiomyocytes express FAT and FATP1 in vivo, suggesting an active part of these proteins in the uptake process of long-chain fatty acids. However, we did not find evidence for an altered expression of fatty acid transport proteins in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, suggesting that these proteins are of minor importance in this kind of heart failure.
Cryoanalgesia with dichlorotetrafluoroethane spray versus ice packs in patients treated with botulinum toxin-a for palmar hyperhidrosis: Self-controlled study.

Botulinum toxin-A (BTX-A) therapy has been established as an efficient and safe treatment for focal hyperhidrosis. The only drawback of the method in palmar hyperhidrosis is the considerable pain experienced by the majority of patients. Efforts to decrease pain associated with the injections have been made, utilizing topical anesthetics, regional anesthesia, nerve blocks, ice packs, and Dermojet. Bauman and colleagues recently reported the successful use of cryoanalgesia using a refrigerant spray containing dichlorotetrafluoroethane in a patient with multiple treatment sessions and unsatisfactory pain control techniques. We decided to evaluate subjective scoring of the pain, by using dichlorotetrafluoroethane spray on one hand and ice packs on the other, during BTX-A injections in a larger sample of patients undergoing therapy for palmar hyperhidrosis.