Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation with Non-Myeloablative Conditioning in Patients with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia Eligible for Conventional Allografting: A Prospective Study

Using a non-myeloablative stem cell trasplantation (NST) program, 25 allografts were prospectively given to 24 patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) eligible for conventional allografting; 2 individuals had secondary forms of AML. The median age of the patients was 35 years, with a range of 12 to 56. All patients engrafted; median time to achieve an absolute neutrophil count > 0.5 x 10(9)/1 was 12 days (range 0-26), whereas the median time to a platelet count > 20 x 10(9)/1 was 13 days (range 0-26). Patients developed mixed chimerism 15 to 100 (median 30) days after the allograft. The follow-up periods range between 33 and 2670 days (median 450). The median post-transplant overall survival of the patients has not been reached and is above 89 months, whereas the 683 days both overall and progression-free survival is 66%. In 14 grafts (56%) acute GVHD ensued; in 12 cases grades I-II and in 2 cases grade IV which was fatal in both. In 9/19 patients (47%) limited chronic GVHD developed. In 22 cases (88%), the procedure could be completed fully on an outpatient basis. The 100-day and the transplant-related mortality were both 8%. NST appears to be an effective additional therapeutic option for patients with AML in remission and a matched donor available.
The influence of surface films on interfacial flow dynamics

Surface films, or surfactants, are ubiquitous in the ocean environment. In light of this fact, a firm understanding of how these films affect near-surface ocean processes is desirable. A surface film exhibits viscoelastic properties when subjected to dynamic compression and dilation. This viscoelastic response manifests itself by modifying the interfacial boundary conditions leading to a modification of the underlying bulk flow. In this thesis, the influence of surface films on capillary-gravity waves and near-surface vortex flow is studied. An uncontaminated free surface, several monolayers, and a solid boundary were selected for investigation. In the case of wave dynamics, a two-phase dispersion relation is derived that governs the propagation of capillary and capillary-gravity waves at an interface between two viscous media with a finite interfacial dilational elastic modulus. We present theoretical results that show wave damping enhancement for surfactant adsorbed water surfaces over that of a perfectly clean water condition. A complimentary experimental investigation making use of laboratory measurements of wavenumber and spatial wave decay for a range of surfaces yields results that are consistent with theory. In the case of a vortex flow impinging onto an interface, experimental work is performed that reveals, quantitatively, the effects of surface films on near-surface vortical motions. The behavior of the flow is dramatically altered due to the production of near-surface vorticity that arises from the absence of a free-slip interfacial condition. Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Erik J. Bock Title: Associate Scientist, WHOI
Dose-volume analysis of radiation-induced trismus in head and neck cancer patients

Abstract Introduction: Trismus is a treatment-related late side effect in patients treated for cancer in the head and neck region (HNC). The condition can have a considerable negative impact on nutrition, dental hygiene, ability to speak and quality of life. We have previously studied trismus within the frame of a randomized phase 3 study of HNC patients treated with mainly three-dimensional (3D) conformal radiotherapy (CRT) and found a strong association to mean radiation dose to the mastication muscles, especially the ipsilateral masseter muscle (iMAS). In the present study we have investigated trismus prevalence and risk factors in a more recent cohort of patients, treated with todays’ more updated radiation techniques. Material and methods: Maximal interincisal distance (MID) was measured on 139 consecutive patients. Trismus was defined as MID ≤35 mm. Patient-, disease- and treatment-specific data were retrospectively recorded. Differences between groups were analyzed and mean absorbed dose to mastication structures was evaluated. Dosimetric comparisons were made between this study and our previous results. Results: The prevalence of trismus was 24% at a median of 16 months after completion of radiotherapy. In bivariate analysis treatment technique (3DCRT vs. intensity modulated radiotherapy or helical tomotherapy), tumor site (oropharynx vs. other sites) and mean radiation doses to the ipsilateral lateral pterygoid muscle, the paired masseter muscles and the iMAS were significantly associated with MID ≤35 mm. In multivariable analysis only mean radiation dose to the iMAS was significantly associated to MID ≤35 mm. Conclusion: Mean radiation dose to the ipsilateral masseter muscle is an important risk factor for trismus development. Dose reduction to this structure during radiotherapy should have a potential to diminish the prevalence of trismus in this patient group.
The use of animal models in diabetes research

Diabetes is a disease characterized by a relative or absolute lack of insulin, leading to hyperglycaemia. There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is due to an autoimmune destruction of the insulin‐producing pancreatic beta cells, and type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance coupled by a failure of the beta cell to compensate. Animal models for type 1 diabetes range from animals with spontaneously developing autoimmune diabetes to chemical ablation of the pancreatic beta cells. Type 2 diabetes is modelled in both obese and non‐obese animal models with varying degrees of insulin resistance and beta cell failure. This review outlines some of the models currently used in diabetes research. In addition, the use of transgenic and knock‐out mouse models is discussed. Ideally, more than one animal model should be used to represent the diversity seen in human diabetic patients.
Family-Centered Care for US Children With Special Health Care Needs: Who Gets It and Why?

OBJECTIVE: The goal was to examine racial/ethnic and language disparities in family-centered care (FCC) and in FCC components for children with special health care needs (CSHCN). METHODS: Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses of data from the 2005–2006 National Survey of CSHCN were performed. RESULTS: A total of 66% of CSHCN with a health visit in the past year received FCC. In adjusted analyses, we found lower odds of FCC for Latino (odds ratio: 0.53 [95% confidence interval: 0.45–0.63]), African-American (odds ratio: 0.60 [95% confidence interval: 0.52–0.69]), and other (odds ratio: 0.58 [95% confidence interval: 0.43–0.78]) children, compared with white children, and for children in households with a non-English primary language (odds ratio: 0.48 [95% confidence interval: 0.36–0.64]), compared with those in households with English as the primary language. These disparities persisted after adjustment for child health (condition severity and emotional, behavioral, and developmental needs), socioeconomic (poverty level, parental education, household composition, and residing in a metropolitan statistical area), and access (insurance type, usual source of care, and having a personal physician) factors. Of these factors, only condition severity was significantly associated with the racial/ethnic disparities; none was significantly associated with the language disparities. Disparities were found for Latino and African-American children and children in households with a non-English primary language for the FCC components of time spent with the provider and sensitivity to the family's values and customs. CONCLUSIONS: Robust FCC racial/ethnic and language disparities exist for CSHCN; initial efforts to address these disparities should focus on increasing provider time and cultural sensitivity.
Concurrent consultations with physicians and providers of alternative care: results from a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE We examined the factors related to consultations with both physicians and alternative practitioners, compared with visits to physicians only. METHODS A telephone survey (random-digit dialling) collected information from 818 adults living in and around Saskatoon. Respondents reported consultations with alternative practitioners and physicians in the previous 12 months. RESULTS Approximately one in five respondents had consulted both a physician and an alternative practitioner. Among respondents under 65 years of age, having one or more chronic medical conditions significantly increased the likelihood of concurrent use of care. Men, individuals suffering from back pain or migraines, those reporting an elevation level of distress, and those for whom spiritual values were important were also more likely to use both types of care. INTERPRETATION Consultations with alternative care providers occur as an adjunct to, rather than a replacement of visits to physicians. Particular types of medical conditions as well as psychosocial and spiritual factors are determinants of concurrent use of physicians and alternative practitioners.
Validation of the PRQ85 Social Support Measure for Adolescents

The purposes of this study were to factor analyze the 25-item Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ) 85-Part II, a social support measure, and to establish construct validity for the instrument among adolescents by testing two hypotheses derived from theoretical propositions by Weiss (1974) concerning the relational provisions of social support. The purposes were accomplished using a sample of 325 adolescents, aged 12 to 21. According to the criteria used in this study, a four-factor structure, resulting from a principal components analysis with an oblique rotation, best represented the multidimensionality of the PRQ85-Part II in adolescents. A second-order factor analysis indicated that the four first-order factors correlated to form one factor, which consisted of 17 items and was labeled Perceived Social Support. Evidence in support of construct validity for both the 17-item and 25-item PRQ85-Part II was provided by statistically significant correlations found between the two scales and the theoretically relevant variables of perceived health status and symptom patterns. The contributions of this study to the psychometric properties of the PRQ85-Part II can be used in future research concerning social support in adolescents.
Linking structural assembly to gene expression: a novel mechanism for regulating the activity of a σ54 transcription factor

In Caulobacter crescentus, the temporal and spatial expression of late flagellar genes is regulated by the σ54 transcriptional activator, FlbD. Genetic experiments have indicated that the trans‐acting factor FliX regulates FlbD in response to the progression of flagellar assembly, repressing FlbD activity until an early flagellar basal body structure is assembled. Following assembly of this structure, FliX is thought to function as an activator of FlbD. Here we have investigated the mechanism of FliX‐mediated regulation of FlbD activity. In vitro transcription experiments showed that purified FliX could function as a repressor of FlbD‐activated transcription. Transcription activated by a gain‐of‐function mutant of FlbD (FlbD‐1204) that is active in vivo in the absence of an early flagellar structure, was resistant to the repressive effects of FliX. DNA binding studies showed that FliX inhibited the interaction of wild‐type FlbD with enhancer DNA but did not effect FlbD‐catalysed ATPase activity. DNA binding activity of FlbD‐1204 was relatively unaffected by FliX indicating that this mutant protein bypasses the transcriptional requirement for early flagellar assembly by escaping FliX‐mediated negative regulation. Gel filtration and co‐immunoprecipitation experiments indicated that FliX formed a stable complex with FlbD. These experiments demonstrate that regulation of FlbD activity is unusual among the well‐studied σ54 transcriptional activators, apparently combining a two‐component receiver domain with additional control imposed via interaction with a partner protein, FliX.
Characterization of HKI-272 Covalent Binding to Human Serum Albumin

The study was initiated as an observation of incomplete extraction recovery of N-(4-(3-chloro-4-(2-pyridinylmethoxy)anilino)-3-cyano-7-ethoxy-6-quinolyl)-4-(dimethylamino)-2-butenamide (HKI-272) from human plasma. The objective of this study was to 1) identify the binding site(s) of HKI-272 to human plasma protein(s); 2) characterize the nature of the binding; and 3) evaluate the potential reversibility of the covalent binding. After incubation of [14C]HKI-272 with human plasma, the mixture was directly injected on liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS), and an intact molecular mass of HKI-272 human serum albumin (HSA) adduct was determined to be 66,999 Da, which is 556 Da (molecular mass of HKI-272) larger than the measured molecular mass of HSA (66,443 Da). For peptide mapping, the incubation mixture was separated with SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by tryptic digestion combined with LC/tandem MS. A radioactive peptide fragment, LDELRDEGKASSAK [amino acid (AA) residue 182–195 of albumin], was confirmed to covalently bind to HKI-272. In addition, after HCl hydrolysis, a radioactive HKI-272-lysine adduct was identified by LC/MS. After combining the results of tryptic digestion and HCl hydrolysis, the AA residue of Lys190 of HSA was confirmed to covalently bind to HKI-272. A standard HKI-272-lysine was synthesized and characterized by NMR. The data showed that the adduct was formed via Michael addition with the ε-amine of lysine attacking to the β-carbon of the amide moiety of HKI-272. Furthermore, reversibility of the covalent binding of HKI-272 to HSA was shown when a gradual release of HKI-272 was observed from protein pellet of HKI-272-treated human plasma after resuspension in phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, at 37°C for 18 h.
Effects of APOA5 −1131T>C (rs662799) on Fasting Plasma Lipids and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome: Evidence from a Case-Control Study in China and a Meta-Analysis

The apolipoprotein A5 (APOA5) gene −1131T>C (rs662799) has been suggested to be involved in the pathway of lipid homeostasis and the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, the findings are not consistent. To systematically evaluate the associations between −1131T>C polymorphism and fasting lipid parameters and the risk of MetS, we conducted a case-control study in a Chinese population and a meta-analysis. The findings from 1840 Chinese participants indicated that the C allele carriers had significantly higher fasting total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and lower HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) than the TT homozygotes carriers. The −1131C allele was also found to be significantly associated with increased risk of MetS (OR = 1.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.15, 1.69) compared to the TT homozygotes. In the meta-analysis of 51,868 participants from 46 East Asian studies, 26 European studies and 19 studies of other ethnic groups, the −1131C allele was associated with higher fasting TC (weighted mean difference (WMD) = 0.08 mmol/L, 95% CI = 0.05, 0.10, P = 1.74×10−9), TG (WMD = 0.30 mmol/L, 95% CI = 0.26, 0.33, P = 1.87×10−55), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) (WMD = 0.04 mmol/L, 95% CI = 0.02, 0.07, P = 0.002), and lower HDL-C (WMD = −0.05 mmol/L, 95% CI = −0.06,−0.04, P = 1.88×10−21), respectively. Based on 12 studies with 5,573 MetS cases and 8,290 controls from 5 East Asian studies, 5 European studies and 2 studies of other ethnic groups, the −1131C allele was associated with increased risk of MetS with an OR (95% CI) = 1.33 (1.16, 1.53) in the overall population, 1.43 (1.29, 1.58) in East Asian and 1.30 (0.94, 1.78) in European populations. In conclusion, the −1131C allele may be associated with elevated levels of fasting TG, TC, LDL-C and decreased HDL-C, and increased risk of MetS, especially in East Asians.
The Phases of ERP Software Implementation and Maintenance: A Model for Predicting Preferred ERP Use

Nearly all information technology educators and practitioners are familiar with the concept of a systems development life cycle (SDLC). The SDLC model is mainly based on new software development. The stages vary based on methodology, but mostly include planning and requirements definition, analysis, design of the new system, implementation, and post-implementation support such as maintenance and security. Less explored and known are the stages involved in commercial off the shelf installation. The actual implementation of commercial off the shelf software ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems is an area that is suggested to have a life cycle of its own. The importance of specific phases of this ERP implementation life cycle is the subject of this study. By surveying SAP enterprise resource planning implementations at two divisions of a major manufacturing company, a confirmatory factor analysis confirms the existence of four distinct phases of ERP implementation — preparation and training, transition, performance and usefulness, and maintenance. In addition, the overall preferred ERP use is studied and compared with these factors. It was found that the two significant phases which directly influenced preferred ERP use were preparation and training phase, and performance and usefulness phase. Neither transition nor maintenance was found to significantly affect preferred ERP use. This suggests to practitioners that more focus needs to be placed on the key determinants of preferred ERP use — preparation and training phase, and performance and usefulness phase.
Adherence to Glaucoma Medications Over 12 Months in Two US Community Pharmacy Chains

This study determined the degree of adherence to medications for glaucoma among patients refilling prescriptions in community pharmacies. Methods: Data abstracted from the dispensing records for 3615 adult patients (18 years or older, predominantly over 45) receiving glaucoma medications from two retail pharmacy chains (64 stores in total) were analyzed. From a 24-month historic data capture period, the 12-month levels of adherence were determined using standard metrics, the proportion of days covered (PDC) and the medication possession ratio (MPR). The overall 12-month mean PDC was only 57%, and the mean MPR was 71%. Using a criterion by which 80% coverage was considered satisfactory adherence, only 30% had satisfactory overall 12-month PDC coverage, and only 37% had satisfactory overall 12-month MPR coverage. Refill adherence increased with age and was highest in the 65-and-older age group (p < 0.001). Differential adherence was found across medication classes, with the highest satisfactory coverage seen for those taking alpha2-adrenergic agonists (PDC = 36.0%; MPR = 47.6%) down to those taking direct cholinergic agonists (PDC = 25.0%; MPR = 31.2%) and combination products (PDC = 22.7%; MPR = 31.0%). Adherence to glaucoma medications in the community setting, as measured by pharmacy refill data, is very poor and represents a critical target for intervention. Community pharmacists are well positioned to monitor and reinforce adherence in this population.
Synergistic Effect of Epoxy/Organophilic Montorillonite Nanocomposites and Triphenyl Phosphate on Flame Retardance Enhancement of Polypropylene

Epoxy/organophilic montorillonite (Epoxy/OMMT) nanocomposites were prepared by epoxy intercalated into the interlayer of OMMT, and flame retardant polypropylene (PP) was obtained with Epoxy/OMMT nanocomposites and triphenyl phosphate (TPP) mixture as flame retardant agent. The effect of epoxy sorts, mass ratio of OMMT and Epoxy, and the contents of Epoxy/OMMT and TPP on properties of PP were studied. It was found that there is a remarkable synergistic flame retardant effect of novolac epoxy/organophilic montorillonite (NE/OMMT) and TPP on PP. Flame retardant PP with oxygen index (OI) value of 36.5%, peak heat release rate (PHRR) of 654 kW/m2, notched Izod impact strength of 6.93 kJ/m2 and tensile strength of 30.56 MPa was obtained when the mass ratio of OMMT and NE is 5:100, the content of NE/OMMT and TPP is 13.33 and 6.67 wt. %, respectively. The materials were characterized via X-Ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FT-IR), and thermogravimetry (TG). The XRD results and TEM photograph indicate OMMT is exfoliated in PP matrix when the mass ratio of OMMT and NE is lower than 10:100. The TG results show the evaporation of TPP is greatly hampered by NE/OMMT nanocomposite. PP with NE/OMMT-TPP has an onset weight loss temperature 31.7°C higher than PP with NE-TPP because of the shielding effect of OMMT layers. The FT-IR spectra indicate phosphoric acid is generated from TPP and carboxylic acid and phenyl ether are generated from NE under thermal degradation, which further results in the formation of thermally stable char. This charring process is also affirmed by the wide thermally stable zone at 380–550°C in TG curves of PP with NE/OMMT-TPP or NE-TPP.
Feature activation during word recognition: action, visual, and associative-semantic priming effects

Embodied theories of language postulate that language meaning is stored in modality-specific brain areas generally involved in perception and action in the real world. However, the temporal dynamics of the interaction between modality-specific information and lexical-semantic processing remain unclear. We investigated the relative timing at which two types of modality-specific information (action-based and visual-form information) contribute to lexical-semantic comprehension. To this end, we applied a behavioral priming paradigm in which prime and target words were related with respect to (1) action features, (2) visual features, or (3) semantically associative information. Using a Go/No-Go lexical decision task, priming effects were measured across four different inter-stimulus intervals (ISI = 100, 250, 400, and 1000 ms) to determine the relative time course of the different features. Notably, action priming effects were found in ISIs of 100, 250, and 1000 ms whereas a visual priming effect was seen only in the ISI of 1000 ms. Importantly, our data suggest that features follow different time courses of activation during word recognition. In this regard, feature activation is dynamic, measurable in specific time windows but not in others. Thus the current study (1) demonstrates how multiple ISIs can be used within an experiment to help chart the time course of feature activation and (2) provides new evidence for embodied theories of language.