Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pros and cons of phage therapy

Many publications list advantages and disadvantages associated with phage therapy, which is the use of bacterial viruses to combat populations of nuisance or pathogenic bacteria. The goal of this commentary is to discuss many of those issues in a single location. In terms of “Pros”, for example, phages can be bactericidal, can increase in number over the course of treatment, tend to only minimally disrupt normal flora, are equally effective against antibiotic-sensitive and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, often are easily discovered, seem to be capable of disrupting bacterial biofilms, and can have low inherent toxicities. In addition to these assets, we consider aspects of phage therapy that can contribute to its safety, economics, or convenience, but in ways that are perhaps less essential to the phage potential to combat bacteria. For example, autonomous phage transfer between animals during veterinary application could provide convenience or economic advantages by decreasing the need for repeated phage application, but is not necessarily crucial to therapeutic success. We also consider possible disadvantages to phage use as antibacterial agents. These “Cons”, however, tend to be either relatively minor.
Effects of aging on hematology and serum clinical chemistry in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

A number of age‐related changes in physiological functions have been identified in macaques and humans. However, few studies have examined physiological aging in chimpanzees, despite the increasing age of the chimpanzee population. We documented age‐related changes in seven hematology and 17 clinical chemistry parameters in 49 adult chimpanzees (17 males, 32 females) as a comparative viewpoint with human and macaque aging. Longitudinal data were analyzed using weighted linear and quadratic mixed effects regression models. Male chimpanzees exhibited a significant age‐related increase in anemia risk, based on significant decreases in hemoglobin (F1,49=12.45, P=0.0009) and hematocrit (F1,49=15.42, P=0.0003). Both sexes exhibited significant age‐related decreases in both kidney and liver function. Decreases in kidney function were noted by significant increases in blood urea nitrogen (F1,45=3.92, P=0.036) and creatinine (F1,50=5.63, P=0.022) as well as changes in electrolyte (i.e., sodium, potassium, phosphorous, chloride) balance. Declining liver function was based on significant increases in globulin (F1,46=32.34, P<0.0001) and decreases in albumin (F1,48=23.42, P<0.0001). These changes were most evident beginning at 25–30 years of age in males and 30–35 years of age in females. We recommend amending chimpanzee age classes to categorize males over 25 years and females over 30 years as aged. Am. J. Primatol. 70:327–338, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Business attitudes to sustainable tourism: Self‐regulation in the UK outgoing tourism industry

Much debate about sustainable tourism has focused on how to change business practices which lead to environmental and social damage in tourist destinations. There is much disagreement between campaigners, who wish to make industry more responsible for sustainable tourism, and companies, which fear regulations may damage business performance. Many companies have adopted their own practices of sustainable tourism. Yet these are sometimes criticised by campaigners for being superficial. This paper describes research undertaken to list current practices of self‐regulation adopted by the UK outgoing tourism industry, and to identify how far these satisfy principles of sustainable tourism identified by campaigners. The research also identified perceived obstacles to the adoption of sustainable practices, and how practices could operate in the commercial favour of companies. Results indicated that many companies saw sustainable tourism practices to be of commercial benefit; in particular, they could add value to.
Market-Driven Journalism: Let the Citizen Beware?

Introduction The Rise of Market-Driven Journalism The Nature of News Reconsidered Environmental Influences on News Production How Culture, Technology, and Laws and Regulations Shape News Finding the Logic of Commercial News Production Does Serving the Market Conflict with Serving the Public? The First Stage of News Production Learning What's Happening The Second Stage of News Production Selecting Events for Coverage The Third Stage of News Production Reporting the Story The Journalists Respond So What? Market Journalism's Effect on Society Where Do We Go from Here?
Transcription Factor Nrf2 Coordinately Regulates a Group of Oxidative Stress-inducible Genes in Macrophages*

Electrophiles and reactive oxygen species have been implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases. Transcription factor Nrf2 was recently identified as a general regulator of one defense mechanism against such havoc. Nrf2 regulates the inducible expression of a group of detoxication enzymes, such as glutathione S-transferase and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase, via antioxidant response elements. Using peritoneal macrophages from Nrf2-deficient mice, we show here that Nrf2 also controls the expression of a group of electrophile- and oxidative stress-inducible proteins and activities, which includes heme oxygenase-1, A170, peroxiredoxin MSP23, and cystine membrane transport (system xc −) activity. The response to electrophilic and reactive oxygen species-producing agents was profoundly impaired in Nrf2-deficient cells. The lack of induction of system xc − activity resulted in the minimum level of intracellular glutathione, and Nrf2-deficient cells were more sensitive to toxic electrophiles. Several stress agents induced the DNA binding activity of Nrf2 in the nucleus without increasing its mRNA level. Thus Nrf2 regulates a wide-ranging metabolic response to oxidative stress.
A matter of chaos ‐ some issues for hospitality businesses

With reference to the concepts of chaos theory, proposes that long‐term strategic planning is of little benefit to businesses (especially small businesses) operating in the hospitality industry, and that managerial focus should emphasize innovative and creative practices in order to sustain competitive advantage. To achieve this, organizations need to have a clear vision of where they want to be and attempt to achieve this aim by adapting to situations as they arise. Today’s hospitality organizations should not try and overcome their environment by predicting future outcomes but instead should change and adapt with the environment.
Galileo and the Embryos: Religion and Science in Parliamentary Debate over Research on Human Embryos

Confrontation between science and religion was a significant feature of the lengthy public appraisal of research on human embryos in Britain during the 1980s. The series of formal debates over embryo research in the House of Lords is chosen as a particularly appropriate setting to study this confrontation. It is shown that religious opposition to embryo research was repeatedly attacked in these debates by means of a stereotyped contrast between religious and scientific styles of thought. Leading figures in the movement for embryo research attempted to discredit their opponents by claiming that, whereas their own case was built upon reasoned assessment of the facts, the other side relied on religious dogma, clerical authority and faith. It is shown that, although there were genuine differences between those critical of embryo research on religious grounds and those supporting such research on grounds furnished by scientists, this account of the differences is inaccurate: dogma, reliance on authority and faith were as characteristic of the discourse associated with science as they were of that associated with religion. It is argued that these features were not generated by the presence of religious or scientific beliefs as such, but by the struggle between advocates of science and religion for intellectual and moral dominance.
Assessing International Capital Mobility in East Asian Economies: A Panel Error-Correction Approach

Abstract This study assesses financial integration and the degree of international capital mobility in the East Asian region by analyzing the dynamics of national saving-investment relationships. Following the work of Pelgrin & Schich (2004), we interpret the close relationship between national saving and investment in the long run reflecting a solvency constraint and focus on the short term saving investment analysis relationship to assess the degree of capital mobility. Applying the panel error – correction technique proposed by Pesaran et al. (1999), our empirical results suggest that there exists a long-run relationship between saving and investment and that the short-run is driven by the extent of the gap between current and long-run equilibrium values. The low estimated values of the short-run coefficient of the changes in the saving rate signal some degree of capital mobility.
A tool to evaluate design performance in SMEs

Purpose – The creation of well‐designed products is widely acknowledged as an important contributor to company success. In principle, an effective design process, as part of the wider new product development (NPD) process, should result in well‐designed products. This paper aims to present a tool to enable a design team to evaluate their design process in a workshop setting, with a view to targeting improvements.Design/methodology/approach – This tool is based on literature and has been iteratively developed using a mixed research approach, including detailed exploratory cases and application in action research mode.Findings – The resulting tool comprises two main components. A “process audit” based on process maturity principles, which targets the design‐related activities in NPD. The process audit enables a company team to identify improvement opportunities in the design process. A product audit enables perceptions towards product characteristics to be assessed. The audit tool does not seek to be a benc.
Therapeutic Considerations in Applying Rate Control Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation

The therapeutic strategy of heart rate control for atrial fibrillation (AF) is undergoing a renaissance since several recent randomized trials demonstrated clear advantages over the rhythm control for many patients. Heart rate control for AF is hampered, however, by a dearth of information relating target heart rates to physiological measures or clinical outcomes. In this review, the rather sparse rationale behind the data elements for heart rate control - resting heart rate, activity heart rate, and regularity of the heart rate, is outlined. Beat-to-beat stroke volume is probably a key variable for calibrating heart rate targets. Presently it seems reasonable to propose targets for resting and activity heart rates but not for regularity. It also seems plausible but remains unproven that there should be a range (upper and lower) of heart rate targets rather than a simple upper limit. Nevertheless, it remains to be demonstrated through randomized clinical trials how to apply various heart rate control targets in patients with AF and whether complexity offers any advantage over simplicity.
Diagnostic Performance of Cyst Fluid Carcinoembryonic Antigen and Amylase in Histologically Confirmed Pancreatic Cysts

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate and validate cyst fluid carcinoembyronic antigen (CEA) and amylase in differentiating (1) nonmucinous from mucinous pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs), (2) benign mucinous from malignant mucinous PCLs, and (3) pseudocysts from nonpseudocysts (amylase only). Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients with histologically confirmed PCLs from February 1996 to April 2007 was performed. Cyst fluid CEA (n = 124) and/or amylase (n = 91) were measured and correlated to cyst type. Results: Carcinoembyronic antigen levels (P = 0.0001), but not amylase, were higher in mucinous versus nonmucinous cysts. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of CEA 200 ng/mL or greater for the diagnosis of mucinous PCLs were 60%, 93%, and 72%, respectively. Carcinoembyronic antigen levels did not differentiate benign from malignant mucinous cysts. Whereas amylase levels were higher in pseudocysts than nonpseudocysts (P = 0.009), 54% of noninflammatory PCLs had a level greater than 250 IU/L, including mucinous cystic neoplasms (median, 6800 IU/L; interquartile range, 70-25,295 IU/L). Malignant mucinous cysts had lower amylase levels than benign mucinous cysts (P = 0.0008). Conclusions: Cyst fluid CEA and amylase levels are suggestive but not diagnostic in differentiating PCLs. Unlike CEA, amylase may help differentiate benign from malignant mucinous cysts. Novel biomarkers are needed.
Tourism Development in Madeira: An Analysis Based on the Life Cycle Approach

This paper identifies Madeira Island's growth stage in accordance with Butler's life cycle model. Life cycle analysis is pursued using an econometric approach over an extended period, from 1976 to 2006. The results suggest that Madeira is about to enter the stagnation phase. The industry's development since the 1970s was found to conform to Butler's model, but in its own way. In the case of Madeira, the island's positive image and the time span within each of the life cycle stages challenge the traditional life cycle model, suggesting rather that the maturity stage may persist indefinitely.
Continuous glucose monitoring -- a novel approach to the determination of the glycaemic index of foods (DEGIF 1) -- determination of the glycaemic index of foods by means of the CGMS.

UNLABELLED The glycaemic index (GI) is a measure of the food power to raise plasma glucose (PG) concentration after a meal. For its determination, classical methods register the development of glucose concentration in capillary plasma or whole blood. The aim of this prospective open-label trial was to compare the GI of selected foods obtained by means of the Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS) (Minimed Medtronic, Northridge, USA) which has not been applied for this purpose until now, with the respective GI determined by a conventional method using the Glucometer Advance System (GAS) (Hypoguard, Woodbridge, United Kingdom), and to assess the advantages of each approach. METHODS Portions of tested foods containing 50 g of carbohydrates were eaten for breakfast and for dinner after 10 and 4 h fast, respectively, by 20 healthy volunteers. Using GAS, PG-curves were constructed from 9 PG values at time 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105 and 120 min after the meal, and, using CGMS, from 25 values of interstitial fluid glucose concentration (ISFG) stored within 120 min in 5-minute intervals in CGMS memory. The GI was calculated (for GAS and CGMS separately) by dividing the incremental area under the curve for the tested food by the average area of 3 tests performed with the standard. Having excluded tests with missing glucose values, there remained 285 GAS- and 290 CGMS tests for further analysis. In each volunteer, each food was tested 3 times within one week so that 1 to 3 GI's were obtained and averaged. The GI for each tested food was calculated as the mean from the respective average GI's of 20 volunteers. The GI-variability was assessed according to the respective SD. The preference of GAS vs. CGMS in the persons tested was explored by means of a questionnaire. MS Excel and the statistical program SPSS v. 10.1 were used to analyze the data. RESULTS The GI values (mean +/- SD) measured by GAS/CGMS were for dark chocolate 43.6 +/- 22.13 %/44.0 +/- 21.71 % (p > 0.01); for apple baby food 46.1 +/- 21.38 %/53.8 +/- 37.69 % (p > 0.01); for puffed rice squares 76.5 +/- 20.24 %/76.9 +/- 27.62 % (p > 0.01); for yogurt 43.2 +/- 20.17 %/37.7 +/- 21.55 % (p > 0.01). The GI's of dark chocolate, apple baby food and yogurt, determined by either method, were significantly lower than the GI of puffed rice squares (p < 0.01). CGMS was preferred by 12 of 20 volunteers (60 %). CONCLUSIONS No significant difference could be seen between the GI's determined by conventional method (GAS) and by CGMS (p > 0.01). The method with CGMS is reliable and comfortable for both tested persons and investigators. Hence, it appears to become a sophisticated approach to determine the GI.
Prosthetic-joint infections.

Modern techniques have reduced the frequency of infections that are associated with prosthetic joints, but such infections continue to pose difficult problems in clinical management. Advances in understanding biofilms and the pathogenesis of microbial interactions with the implant have led to more rational approaches to therapy. This review offers guidance in establishing the diagnosis correctly and an algorithm summarizing the appropriate medical and surgical options.
Do two-year colleges increase overall educational attainment? Evidence from the states

Are two- or four-year colleges more efficient at increasing the educational attainment of young adults? I use state variation in two- and four-year college systems to address this question at the state level. I find that the composition and cost of higher education in a state affect the enrollment decisions of individuals in that state. Further, attending a two-year rather than a four-year college may lower the educational attainment of some students, but more students will benefit from the community college alternative. It also most likely costs the state more to educate a student in a four-year rather than a two-year college. As a result, community colleges provide a potentially efficient way to increase access to higher education as well as increase the overall educational attainment of a state's residents.
Vertical merger: monopolization for downstream quasi‐rents

This paper provides a welfare analysis of vertical merger between an input monopolist and downstream firms that compete perfectly in a homogeneous product market. The distinguishing feature of the present model is that the downstream firms face capacity constraints. As a result of downstream quasi-rents, vertical merger-the extent of merger is gauged by the capacity share of the acquired downstream firm-may either raise or lower final output. An analytical criterion for distinguishing pro- and anti-competitive mergers is derived, which relies entirely on pre-merger market quantities and the capacity share of the downstream target. A common result is that vertical merger is output-increasing even when unaffiliated downstream rivals are completely foreclosed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Strategic Value of Corporate Venture Capital Programs

Corporate venturing activities, driven largely by the need to be competitive in the Internet Age, have out-paced the accompanying theory on how such programs can create value. This article presents a framework for understanding value creation through a firm's venture capital programs. The framework includes two stages of value creation: a firm creates value through building technology equity and brand equity, and then corporate venturing programs can multiply this value. A mediating variable, free cash flow level, is included to allow for effective use of venture funds.
Evaluation of confocal microscopy system performance.

The confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) has enormous potential in many biological fields. When tests are made to evaluate the performance of a CLSM, the usual subjective assessment is accomplished by using a histological test slide to create a "pretty picture. " Without the use of functional tests, many of the machines could be working at suboptimal performance levels, delivering suboptimum performance and possibly misleading data. To replace the subjectivity in evaluating a confocal microscope, tests were derived or perfected that measure field illumination, lens clarity, laser power, laser stability, dichroic functionality, spectral registration, axial resolution, scanning stability, photomultiplier tube quality, overall machine stability, and system noise. These tests will help serve as a guide for other investigators to ensure that their machines are working correctly to provide data that are accurate with the necessary resolution, sensitivity, and precision. Utilization of this proposed testing approach will help eliminate the subjective nature of assessing the CLSM and allow different machines to be compared. These tests are essential if one is to make intensity measurements.
Brain-type natriuretic peptide levels in the prediction of adverse outcome in patients with pulmonary embolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

RATIONALE The potential role of elevated brain-type natriuretic peptides (BNP) in the differentiation of patients suffering from acute pulmonary embolism at risk for adverse clinical outcome has not been fully established. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the relation between elevated BNP or N-terminal-pro-BNP (NT-pro-BNP) levels and clinical outcome in patients with pulmonary embolism. METHODS Articles reporting on studies that evaluated the risk of adverse outcome in patients with pulmonary embolism and elevated BNP or NT-pro-BNP levels were abstracted from Medline and EMBASE. Information on study design, patient and assay characteristics, and clinical outcome was extracted. Primary endpoints were overall mortality and predefined composite outcome of adverse clinical events. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Data from 13 studies were included. In 51% (576/1,132) of the patients, BNP or NT-pro-BNP levels were increased. The different analyses were performed in subpopulations. Elevated levels of BNP or NT-pro-BNP were significantly associated with right ventricular dysfunction (P < 0.001). Patients with high BNP or NT-pro-BNP concentration were at higher risk of complicated in-hospital course (odds ratio [OR], 6.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.4-10) and 30-day mortality (OR, 7.6; 95% CI, 3.4-17). Patients with a high NT-pro-BNP had a 10% risk of dying (68/671; 95% CI, 8.0-13%), whereas 23% (209/909; 95% CI, 20-26%) had an adverse clinical outcome. CONCLUSIONS High concentrations of BNP distinguish patients with pulmonary embolism at higher risk of complicated in-hospital course and death from those with low BNP levels. Increased BNP or NT-pro-BNP concentrations alone, however, do not justify more invasive treatment regimens.
Migrants’ Competing Commitments: Sexual Partners in Urban Africa and Remittances to the Rural Origin1

Migrants form nonfamilial ties in urban destinations, which could compete with origin families for a share of remittances. A framework of competing commitment predicts that new relationships affect remittances depending on the extent to which they substitute for the benefits provided by origin families. Analyses of data from urban migrants in Kenya show that serious nonmarital sexual partners substitute for psychosocial support from the rural family and that material transfers migrants give to these partners significantly reduce remittances. The findings have implications for the ways scholars conceive of competition, the nature of exchange, and substitution of support across intimate relationships.
Nonlinear Multiuser Detection based on SVM in Fading Channel with Impulse Noise

In direct sequence code division multiple access system, many users' signals can be transmitted through the same frequency band. Because of the multiple access interference and the nonlinearity of channel, the performance of linear detector will be degraded substantially. Especially in the case of non-Gaussian noise environment (e.g. impulse noise), traditional linear techniques become incapable. In this paper, support vector machine, a nonlinear method based on the statistical learning theory, is proposed to implement the multiuser detector (MUD). As the simulation results show, the performance of SVM MUD is very close to the optimal detector and prior to the linear MUD. The method of solving the nonlinear classification and regression has huge potential in application of signal processing