Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Síndrome metabólico, resistencia a la acción de la insulina y enfermedad cardiovascular en la diabetes mellitus tipo 1

El sindrome metabolico (SM) es un trastorno complejo representado por un conjunto de factores de riesgo cardiovasculares relacionados al deposito central de grasa y a la resistencia a la accion de la insulina (RI), y se asocia a mortalidad precoz en individuos no diabeticos y en pacientes con diabetes mellitus (DM) tipo 2. La presencia del SM y sus componentes viene siendo descripta tambien en pacientes con DM tipo 1 y puede contribuir al elevado riesgo de enfermedad cardiovascular observado en esta poblacion de pacientes. El objetivo de este trabajo fue revisar las evidencias disponibles sobre el papel del SM y de la RI en el desarrollo de la enfermedad cardiovascular en los pacientes con DM tipo 1.
In vivo administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage CSF, interleukin-1 (IL-1), and IL-4, alone and in combination, after allogeneic murine hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

BALB/c mice (H-2d) given 10 Gy total body irradiation (TBI) followed by 10(7) bone marrow (BM) and 10(6) spleen cells from C57BL/6 (H-2b) donor mice received recombinant cytokines intraperitoneally (IP) twice daily. The effect on neutrophil recovery rate, graft-v-host disease (GVHD), and survival was assessed. Four reagents were used: granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF), interleukin-1 (IL-1) and IL-4, both alone and in combination. The most effective combination for increasing the circulating absolute neutrophil account (ANC) above the control value at day 7 posttransplant was the combination of G-CSF and IL-1 (mean ANC 2.4 +/- 1.6 x 10(9)/L as compared with control value of 0.07 +/- 0.05, P less than . 02), followed by G-CSF alone (mean ANC 1.1 +/- 0.2, P less than .0001), the combination of GM-CSF plus IL-1 (mean ANC 0.8 +/- 0.3, P less than .002), and the combination of G-CSF plus GM-CSF (mean ANC 0.8 +/- 0.3, p less than .005). At day 10 posttransplant, the most effective combination in raising the ANC was the combination of G-CSF plus GM-CSF (mean ANC 7.5 +/- 2.3 as compared with control value of 3.5 +/- 1.1, P less than .01), followed by G-CSF alone (mean ANC 6.9 +/- 2.1, P less than .02). At the doses used, neither G-CSF nor GM-CSF had a deleterious effect on the incidence or severity of GVHD; indeed, GM-CSF was associated with improved survival. In contrast, IL-1 at doses greater than or equal to 100 ng twice daily caused marked early mortality, and there was a suggestion that IL-4 at doses of 500 ng twice daily resulted in increased late mortality, possibly owing to exacerbation of GVHD. This model appears to be of value for exploring the use of hematopoietic growth factors before they are used clinically in marrow allograft recipients.
Community Equipoise and the Architecture of Clinical Research

Equipoise is an essential condition to justify a clinical trial. The term, describes a state of uncertainty: the data suggest but do not prove a drug's safety and efficacy The only way to resolve this uncertainty is further study In many cases, a clinical trial seems to be the most efficient way to prove safety and efficacy Equipoise is therefore not an esoteric philosophic construct applied to research ethics. Rather, since it is vital for the justification of clinical trials, it is part of how society regulates medical progress. Where there is equipoise, drug design and development proceeds according to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) regulations. When that equipoise ends, a drug is either not approved or becomes standard care.
Tailoring smoking cessation for older adults

Background. Older adults are an important audience for smoking cessation programs. Over 4.5 million older adults (older than age 65) continue to smoke, and the majority are long term, heavy smokers. There is evidence that smoking cessation programs tailored to older smokers can be effective. American Cancer Society (ACS) materials and programs represent an important opportunity to meet the needs of older smokers.
Reforms, Globalization, and Endogenous Agricultural Structures

In this paper I draw lessons from two quasi-natural experiments (the transition process in former Communist countries and the rapid globalization of food chains) on the optimality of farms and agricultural structures more generally. I argue that (a) the farm structures that have emerged from the transition process are much more diverse than expected ex ante; (b) this diversity is to an important extent determined by economic mechanisms which are influenced by initial conditions (eg technology) and reform policies; (c) non-traditional farm structures have played an important role during transition since they were optimal to address the specific institutional and structural constraints imposed by the transition process; (d) there is more diversity than often argued in the farms that are integrated in global food chains; (e) endogenous institutional (contracting) innovations in food chains may lock existing farm structures in a long-run institutional framework; and (f) indicators based on farm structures are not a good measure of welfare effects of the globalization of food chains.
Decentralization, Privatization, and the Solvency of Local Governments in Reforming Economies: The Case of Budapest

In many reforming socialist economics like Hungary, the ownership of previously state-owned assets has been transferred to local governments as part of the decentralization and privatization reforms. The authors discuss these recent reforms in Budapest, and examine their impact on the solvency of local governments there. The analysis suggests that a continuation of the current pricing policies now in place in Budapest will pose serious long-run solvency problems for the new local governments that have been given ownership of the assets, effectively decapitalizing many of them. Even so, the privatization is unlikely to lead to a change in these pricing policies, and it may well lead the local governments to undertake actions that adversely affect the broader stabilization program.
Might More Women Make a Difference? Gender, Party and Ideology among Canada's Parliamentary Candidates

Abstract The policy consequences of having more women in positions of political power remain an issue of debate in the literature on women and politics. Since differences in the attitudes of women and men politicians are important to this question, data on gender differences in the opinions of politicians are a welcome contribution to the debate. This article explores the question of gender differences in opinion among a sample of candidates for the 1993 Canadian general election and considers whether differences persist once party is taken into account. The findings confirm the view that on issues particularly related to women, gender does structure opinion. On other issues, while party plays a predominant role in differentiating opinion, gender has an imprint, albeit variable by party and attitudinal domain. Résumé Les conséquences politiques découlant du nombre croissant de femmes occupant des postes d'autorité au sein du pouvoir demeurent un sujet de débat dans la littérature portant sur la participation des femmes dans la vie politique. Puisque les différences d'orientation des femmes et des hommes en politique représentent un élément capital de ce débat, les statistiques concernant ces différences d'opinion y apportent une contribution opportune. Cet article se penche sur un sondage réalisé auprès d'un échantillon de candidats et de candidates à l'occasion de l'élection fédérale canadienne de 1993 afin de voir si les différences persistent lorsque l'affiliation partisane est prise en considération. Les résultats confirment la thèse selon laquelle les opinions exprimées par les répondants et les répondantes sont reliées aux intérêts exprimés par les femmes et à l'appartenance sexuelle. Dans d'autres domaines, bien que le parti joue un rôle prédominant dans les divergences d'opinion, le sexe a un impact, ce dernier fluctuant entre les parties et la gamme des attitudes qu'ils affichent.
Serum interleukin-8 level is a more sensitive marker than serum interleukin-6 level in monitoring the disease activity of recurrent aphthous ulcerations.

BACKGROUND Recurrent aphthous ulcerations (RAU) are common oral inflammatory lesions. Interleukin (IL)-8 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine of host response to injury and inflammation. Our recent study has found that measurement of serum IL-6 level can detect only 24% RAU patients with an abnormal serum level. In this study, we examined both the serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels in a group of RAU patients. The abilities of IL-6 and IL-8 to detect patients with an abnormal serum level were compared in order to find out whether IL-8 was a more sensitive serum marker than IL-6 in monitoring the disease activity of RAU. METHODS In this study, we used a solid-phase, two-site sequential chemiluminescent immunometric assay to determine the baseline serum levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in 146 patients with RAU, 9 patients with traumatic ulcers (TU), and 54 normal control (NC) subjects. Eighty-two RAU patients, with the serum IL-6 or IL-8 levels higher than the upper limit of normal serum concentration, were treated with levamisole for 0.5-3.5 months, and their serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels were measured after treatment. RESULTS We found that 25% (37/146) RAU patients, as well as 33% (20/61) major-type, 19% (13/69) minor-type, and 25% (4/16) herpetiform-type RAU patients, had a serum level of IL-6 greater than the upper normal limit of 4.7 pg/ml. In contrast, 60% (87/146) RAU patients, as well as 59% (36/61) major-type, 59% (41/69) minor-type, and 63% (10/16) herpetiform-type RAU patients, had a serum level of IL-8 greater than the upper normal limit of 8.7 pg/ml. In 82 RAU patients with the serum IL-6 or IL-8 levels higher than the upper limit of normal serum concentration, treatment with levamisole for a period of 0.5-3.5 months could significantly reduce the serum IL-6 level from 12.0 +/- 1.6 to 3.0 +/- 0.5 pg/ml (P < 0.001), and could significantly lower the serum IL-8 level from 70.9 +/- 11.2 to 13.8 +/- 3.1 pg/ml (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Because measurement of serum IL-8 level can detect 60% RAU patients with an abnormal serum level, while measurement of serum IL-6 level can detect only 25% RAU patients with an abnormal serum level, we conclude that serum IL-8 level is a more sensitive marker than serum IL-6 level in monitoring the disease activity of RAU. Levamisole can modulate both the serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels in RAU patients. IL-8, like IL-6, is also a useful serum marker in evaluating therapeutic effects of levamisole on RAU patients.
A new emitter design of InGaP/GaAs HBTs for high-frequency applications

An HBT (heterojunction bipolar transistor) structure using an AlGaAs-InGaP emitter is proposed. The AlGaAs-InGaP configuration introduces an electron launcher in the emitter and makes use of the velocity overshoot effect. This enhances the emitter transport and reduces the electron accumulation in the emitter. Simulations show that, by using the AlGaAs-InGaP structure, the emitter charging time can be greatly reduced compared to the conventional AlGaAs emitter design. As a result, the cutoff frequency can be substantially increased. A cutoff frequency of 235 GHz has been predicted. <<ETX>>
Knowledge management in regional innovation networks: The case of Lahti, Finland1

ABSTRACT This article focuses on knowledge creation and management in regional innovation networks. A knowledge management system for a regional innovation network is designed. Besides explicit and tacit knowledge, self-transcending knowledge is taken into account within the knowledge management system. In addition, considerations of knowledge vision as well as methods from futures studies are incorporated into the system. An innovation network of the Lahti regional innovation system, Finland, is used as a case example in the article. The article highlights the importance of combining loose network development and an explicit, systematic approach to planning and working on knowledge-related matters within regional innovation networks.
How Can Personalized Online Services Affect Customer Loyalty: The Relationship Building Perspective

Personalization that uses information technology to tailor content and products/services to the preferences and tastes of individual customers has become a useful function in online relationship marketing. Many techniques have been developed, and research on personalized services has increased substantially in recent years. The objective of this research is to propose a relationship-building perspective that treats the relational benefits resulting from personalized services as the important mediated factors that affect customer loyalty. Both cognitive benefits and affective benefits are included in order to investigate their relative influences. In this study, a controlled laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate how different tactics of personalization on a website affect customer loyalty. There are three tactics for designing website personalization, including social ness, self-reference, and content relevance. The results showed that personalized services can contribute to customer loyalty by bringing relational benefits to customers, and the impact of affective benefit on customer loyalty is greater than that of cognitive benefits. The findings extend our existing understanding of personalization, and offer valuable information to practitioners on enhancing their website design.
Identification of renal infiltration based on urinary findings in a child with Burkitt leukemia/lymphoma

A 9-year-old boy was admitted to hospital with oliguria, hypertension and periorbital edema. A complete blood count showed hemoglobin concentration 83 g/L, platelet count 43 3 10/L and leukocyte count 46 3 10/L. Biochemical investigations revealed elevated uric acid (9 mg/dL) and lactate dehydrogenase (2400 IU/L). The diagnosis of precursor B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (CD10, CD19, CD22, CD34, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT), CD79a, HLA-DR positive) was made based on the finding of 60% L3 Burkitt-type lymphoblasts in the bone marrow (Figure 1A,B). The patient was diagnosed with t(8;14)(q24;q32) positive precursor B ALL with central nervous system involvement and tumor lysis syndrome (Figure 1C). The patient’s electrolyte imbalance resolved but his urine output remained inadequate despite effective hydration and hemodialysis for tumor lysis syndrome. Radiological imaging and urinalysis suggested renal infiltration secondary to acute leukemia. Macroscopically, the patient’s urine resembled lipemic plasma (Figure 1D), and microscopic examination revealed abundant blast cells (Figure 1E). These observations were supported by positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings consistent with renal infiltration, including bilateral renal enlargement and pathological increased uptake of 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose. Epstein-Barr virus PCR was negative at diagnosis.
Scale and Structure in Natural Food Webs

The degree to which widely accepted generalizations about food web structure apply to natural communities was determined through examination of 50 pelagic webs sampled consistently with even taxonomic resolution of all trophic levels. The fraction of species in various trophic categories showed no significant overall trends as the number of species varied from 10 to 74. In contrast, the number of links per species increased fourfold over the range of species number, suggesting that the link-species scaling law, defined on the basis of aggregated webs, does not reflect a real ecological trend.
Direct and Indirect Effects in a Survival Context

A cornerstone of epidemiologic research is to understand the causal pathways from an exposure to an outcome. Mediation analysis based on counterfactuals is an important tool when addressing such questions. However, none of the existing techniques for formal mediation analysis can be applied to survival data. This is a severe shortcoming, as many epidemiologic questions can be addressed only with censored survival data. A solution has been to use a number of Cox models (with and without the potential mediator), but this approach does not allow a causal interpretation and is not mathematically consistent. In this paper, we propose a simple measure of mediation in a survival setting. The measure is based on counterfactuals, and measures the natural direct and indirect effects. The method allows a causal interpretation of the mediated effect (in terms of additional cases per unit of time) and is mathematically consistent. The technique is illustrated by analyzing socioeconomic status, work environment, and long-term sickness absence. A detailed implementation guide is included in an online eAppendix (http://links.lww.com/EDE/A476).
Social Responsibility as a Driver for Local Sustainable Development

The increased interconnection among local and global players induced by globalization, as well as the need for a complete application of the “subsidiarity principle”, calls for a re-thinking of the “corporate social responsibility” concept. This new concept broadens the perspective of the single company interacting with its own stakeholders in relation to specific social and environmental impacts, to a network of organizations, with different aims and natures, collaborating on relevant sustainability issues. In this paper, the authors will provide a definition of “Territorial Social Responsibility”, sustaining the multi-stakeholder approach as a driver toward local sustainable development. Firstly, theoretical approaches to sustainable development at the territorial level will be examined, identifying the most innovative ideas about governance, network relation and development theories. The idea of development focuses not only on the economic aspects, but on the structural and institutional factors. The existence of cooperative territorial networks is essential to fulfil the creation of tangible and intangible assets at the local level. At the same time, the effectiveness of the decision-making and rules’ system can stimulate and empower territorial networks to tackle sustainable development. An analytical framework, scheme-shaped, will be set in order to identify the main aspects, indicators and practices characterizing the territorial social responsibility concept. It will represent a first attempt to create a feasible instrument aimed at understanding how cooperative social responsible actors, operating in the same territory, could direct the path toward sustainable development.
Preliminary study: effects of social instability stress on depressive behaviours in ovariectomised rats.

BACKGROUND Depression is one of the common post-menopausal symptoms. In addition to estrogen deficiency, social instability stress may contribute as an additional underlying factor in the development of depressive behaviour in females. Therefore, this study was aimed at examining the influence of social instability stress on depressive behaviour in ovariectomized rats. METHODS The rats were divided into four groups (n = 5 per group); (i) sham-operated control without stress, (ii) sham-operated control with stress, (iii) ovariectomized without stress, and (iv) ovariectomized with stress. These rats were subjected to social instability stress procedures for 15 days prior to an enforced swimming test. Struggling, immobility, and swimming times were recorded promptly. RESULTS The results were analysed using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a P value of < 0.05 was considered as significant. The mean durations of struggling, immobility, and swimming behaviour were significantly distinct among the four groups. Ovariectomized rats exhibited a substantial decrease in struggling and swimming behaviour, and an increase in immobility behaviour in comparison with the sham-operated controls (P < 0.05). Ovariectomized rats with stress displayed a supplementary decrease in struggling and swimming behaviour as well as an advanced increase in immobility behaviour, compared to sham-operated controls with or without stress (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION In summary, these findings suggest that ovariectomized rats encountered an augmented amount of depressive behaviour following social instability stress.
MASS PRODUCTION OR PRODUCTION BY THE MASSES? TRACTORS, COOPERATIVES, AND THE POLITICS OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN POST-INDEPENDENCE ZAMBIA*

ABSTRACT The fall of colonial regimes across Africa was accompanied by the rise in expectations for rapid and inclusive rural economic progress. In Zambia, the cooperative production unit was one of two key initiatives at the centre of the United National Independence Party's ambitious development efforts. The other was the tractor. By following these two interlinked initiatives in the years immediately following independence, this article contributes to the under-explored history of early postcolonial development. It argues that both the power of expert groups and the level of continuity between late colonial and postcolonial development was not always as great as has recently been suggested. Cooperative mechanization policies emerged from a confluence of competing claims over knowledge, power and resources. However, as is demonstrated, they also reflected more fundamental tensions in the development endeavour between the prioritization of economically efficient mass production, and inclusive development for the masses.
Impact of terror incidents on the Foreign Tourist Arrivals in India: an econometric exploration

Important tourist locations and gateways in India have suffered recurrent terrorist attacks. However, a quantitative analysis of the impact of such incidents on Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in the country is lacking. This paper explores the effects of terror incidents in India on FTAs and the durability of such impacts using econometric tools of analysis. It is expected that the findings will be helpful for policy-makers to understand to what extent the campaigns launched by them in the aftermath of terror strikes succeed in restoring the confidence of the potential tourists and thereby in winning them back to travel to India.
Measuring discrimination facing ethnic minority job applicants: an Irish experiment

The role of employer discrimination in labour market matching is often acknowledged but challenging to quantify. What part of the ‘ethnic penalty’ in the labour market is due to recruitment discrimination? This experiment, the first of its kind in Ireland, explicitly measured this by sending out nearly 500 equivalent CVs from Irish and minority candidates in response to advertised vacancies in the greater Dublin area. We find that candidates with Irish names are over twice as likely to be called to interview as are candidates with an African, Asian or German name. This discrimination rate is high by international standards, and does not vary between minority groups. We develop the discussion of the role of prejudice and stereotypes in discrimination in this article, arguing that our findings may be linked to the fact that Ireland is a ‘new immigration’ country, with no established minority groups and a cohesive national identity.