Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IMx tacrolimus II vs IMx tacrolimus microparticle enzyme immunoassay evaluated in renal and hepatic transplant patients.

In 1992, an automated whole-blood microparticle enzyme immunoassay was developed (Abbott Labs.) for the measurement of tacrolimus concentrations (TAC I) on the IMx analyzer (1). This method involves the antitacrolimus monoclonal antibody developed by Fujisawa Pharmaceutical, the company producing the immunosuppressant tacrolimus (2). The assay requires 100 μL of whole blood, and 24 samples can be analyzed in ∼40 min after a rapid organic extraction (200 μL of precipitation reagent: ZnSO4 solution in methanol and ethylene glycol). The capture reagent consists of latex microparticles to which tacrolimus antibodies are attached, the enzyme is tacrolimus-conjugated alkaline phosphatase, and the substrate is 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate. This method yields CVs of ∼10% (11.8% and 9.6% at concentrations of 15 and 25 μg/L, respectively) (1), but is limited by the detection limit of 5 μg/L. Because in current clinical practice a nonnegligible percentage of transplant patients display low tacrolimus concentrations (<6 μg/L), the immunoassay has recently been modified. A new assay, IMx tacrolimus II (TAC II), with a lower detection limit, has been developed, requiring 150 μL of whole blood and 150 μL of precipitation reagent. Whereas the TAC I has a dynamic range of quantification from 5 to 60 μg/L, the TAC II assay has a range from 1 to 30 μg/L, better corresponding to the therapeutic range of tacrolimus (5–15 μg/L) (3). Because this new assay will replace the TAC I, we have evaluated and compared the two assays in terms of their analytical performances, and their correlation in clinical blood specimens obtained from kidney and liver transplant patients. Analytical performances were evaluated on the same IMx analyzer, by the same technician, and on the same days. The pipettes used were calibrated before the study. All the analyses (mode 1 calibrator, …
Relationships among self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, and postoperative behaviors in total joint replacement patients.

PURPOSE To determine whether self-efficacy and outcome expectancy predicted performance of postoperative leg exercises and ambulation among persons recovering from total hip or total knee replacement. DESIGN Descriptive correlational. SAMPLE 50 subjects recovering from their first unilateral total hip or total knee replacement at a large midwestern hospital who had completed a preoperative education course. METHODS On postoperative day 1, subjects who correctly performed leg exercises and could properly ambulate with a walker were administered the Self-Efficacy Scale and the Outcome Expectancy Scale. On postoperative day 2, frequency and repetitions of leg exercises were measured by self-report. Ambulation was measured by distance walked in feet. FINDINGS Self-efficacy was the sole predictor of the dependent variables, accounting for 8% to 33% of the variance. Higher levels of self-efficacy were correlated with longer distances in ambulation and with higher frequency and more repetitions of leg exercises. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE Solely providing a preoperative education course is not sufficient to ensure performance of postoperative behaviors in total joint replacement patients. Patients' self-efficacy beliefs may need to be considered when planning a preoperative educational program for patients undergoing total joint replacement surgery. This study's situation-specific measure of self-efficacy could be used in the clinical setting to identify patients with low levels of self-efficacy who may be less likely to perform preventive postoperative behaviors.
Evolution of Reproductive Disorders Related to Celiac Disease under Gluten-free Diet

Introduction: Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune enteropathy induced by the ingestion of gluten (wheat, barley, rye). The classical form has become a minority. Currently, the most frequent forms of presentation are extradigestive with various manifestations, among others, reproductive disorders. The aim of our study is to assess the frequency of these disorders in CD and their evolution under gluten-free diet (GFD). Materials and methods: Descriptive retrospective study of 173 patients with CD followed in the department of diseases of the digestive tract "Medecine C" of the Ibn Sina Hospital in , over a period of 18 years. Result: In 173 patients with CD, 58 patients (28,9%) had reproductive disorders. There are 53 women and 5 men. The average age was 32,25 years. The diagnosis of CD is based on histology and serology. The Reproductive problems were never isolated but always associated with other digestive or extra-digestive signs at the time of diagnosis of CD. These disorders are represented by: delayed puberty in 11 patients (19%), secondary amenorrhea in 13 patients (22.4%), irregular menstrual in 12 patients (20.6%), absence of development of secondary sex characteristics in 8 patients (12.5%), spontaneous abortions in 7 patients (10.9%), menometrorrhagia in 4 patients (13.8%), primary sterility in 5 patients (8.6%), early menopause in 6 patients (10.3%), premature delivery in 3 patients (5%), primary amenorrhea in 2 patients (3.4%) and intrauterine fetal death in one case (1.7%). All our patients have had a GFD. 15 patients lost to follow-up, two patients died and 12 patients undergoing follow-up. The remaining 29 patients, the evolution of reproductive disorders under GFD was favorable in 26 patients (90%), with the normalization of cycles in 15 patients, resumption of cycles in 6 patients, development of secondary sex characteristics in 2 patients, fertility resumption in one case, initiation of cycles after primary amenorrhea in one case and delivery of a newborn at term after premature deliveries in one case. The evolution was unfavorable in 3 patients with the notion of miscarriage 4 years after the start of the GFD in one patient and the absence of cycle resumption in two patients. Conclusion: The reproductive disorders associated with CD are frequent and varied. In our study, these disorders responded very well under a GFD, conducted in 90% of patients. These disorders are thus reversible under this diet.
Mice Lacking Bioactive IL-12 Can Generate Protective, Antigen-Specific Cellular Responses to Mycobacterial Infection Only if the IL-12 p40 Subunit Is Present1

Recent evidence suggests that absence of the IL-12p40 subunit is more detrimental to the generation of protective responses than is the absence of the p35 subunit. To determine whether this is the case in tuberculosis, both p35 and p40 knockout mice were infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Mice lacking the p40 subunit were highly susceptible to increased bacterial growth, exhibited reduced production of IFN-γ, and had increased mortality. In contrast, mice lacking the p35 subunit exhibited a moderate ability to control bacterial growth, were able to generate Ag-specific IFN-γ responses, and survived infection longer. The superior Ag-specific responses of the p35 gene-disrupted mice, when compared with the p40 gene-disrupted mice, suggest that the p40 subunit may act other than as a component of IL-12. A candidate molecule capable of driving the protective responses in the p35 gene-disrupted mice is the novel cytokine IL-23. This cytokine is composed of the IL-12 p40 subunit and a p19 subunit. In support of a role for this cytokine in protective responses to M. tuberculosis, we determined that the p19 subunit is induced in the lungs of infected mice.
Autologous dendritic cells pulsed with eluted peptide as immunotherapy for advanced B-cell malignancies

We have studied the feasibility, safety and efficacy of vaccination with autologous dendritic cells pulsed with eluted peptide in patients with advanced low-grade B-cell malignancies. This study demonstrates that autologous dendritic cell vaccines can be successfully produced from patients with advanced disease and be delivered without significant toxicity. Furthermore, we have demonstrated immunological and clinical responses in two of ten patients treated. These results provide further evidence for the use of immunotherapy in the management of B-cell malignancies, but also suggest that sustained responses may only be possible in patients with low bulk disease early in the disease course.
Prolactin-releasing Peptide Activation of the Prolactin Promoter Is Differentially Mediated by Extracellular Signal-regulated Protein Kinase and c-Jun N-terminal Protein Kinase*

Regulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family by prolactin-releasing peptide (PrRP) in both GH3 rat pituitary tumor cells and primary cultures of rat anterior pituitary cells was investigated. PrRP rapidly and transiently activated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) in both types of cells. Both pertussis toxin, which inactivates Gi/Go proteins, and exogenous expression of a peptide derived from the carboxyl terminus of the β-adrenergic receptor kinase I, which specifically blocks signaling mediated by the βγ subunits of G proteins, completely blocked the PrRP-induced ERK activation, suggesting the involvement of Gi/Goproteins in the PrRP-induced ERK activation. Down-regulation of cellular protein kinase C did not significantly inhibit the PrRP-induced ERK activation, suggesting that a protein kinase C-independent pathway is mainly involved. PrRP-induced ERK activation was not dependent on either extracellular Ca2+ or intracellular Ca2+. However, the ERK cascade was not the only route by which PrRP communicated with the nucleus. JNK was also shown to be significantly activated in response to PrRP. JNK activation in response to PrRP was slower than ERK activation. Moreover, to determine whether a MAPK family cascade regulates rat prolactin (rPRL) promoter activity, we transfected the intact rPRL promoter ligated to the firefly luciferase reporter gene into GH3 cells. PrRP activated the rPRL promoter activity in a time-dependent manner. Co-transfection with a catalytically inactive form of a MAPK construct or a dominant negative JNK, partially but significantly inhibited the induction of the rPRL promoter by PrRP. Furthermore, co-transfection with a dominant negative Ets completely abolished the response of the rPRL promoter to PrRP. These results suggest that PrRP differentially activates ERK and JNK, and both cascades are necessary to elicit rPRL promoter activity in an Ets-dependent mechanism.
BCS-to-BEC crossover from the exact BCS solution

5 pages, 1 table, 4 figures. --PACS nrs. : 03.75. Ss, 02.30. Ik, 05.30. Fk, 74.20. Fg. --Arxiv pre-print available at: http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0503664
Acute and chronic paediatric intensive care patients: current trends and perspectives on resource utilization.

BACKGROUND Advances in paediatric critical care have resulted in increased survival of critically ill patients, many of whom require long-term ventilation as a means of life support. AIM To determine current trends in resource utilization, and problems in the care of acute and chronic paediatric intensive care patients. DESIGN Open observational study. METHODS We evaluated consecutive admissions (n = 1629) to a 10-bed paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) over a 5-year period. Three previously defined criteria for resource utilization were used: mean length of stay (LOS); length of mechanical ventilation (LOMV); and LOMV/LOS ratio. RESULTS A total of 10 310 patient bed days and 5223 ventilator days were used. Mean LOS increased from 5.3 +/- 12 days in 1998 to 8.7 +/- 27 days in 2001 (p < 0.05). Although LOMV/LOS ratio (50.7%) was significantly correlated with Paediatric Risk of Mortality score (p < 0.0001), there was no significant change in mortality rate (12.6% vs. 12%). Patients hospitalized for >2 weeks (n = 320, 20%) used 55% of LOS and 57% of LOMV, in contrast to the 1298 (80%) hospitalized for <7 days, who used only 29% of LOS and 20% of LOMV. Patients hospitalized for >3 months (11, 0.7%) consumed 17% of LOS and 23% of LOMV. Five of these (45%) were eventually discharged home, two on ventilators. CONCLUSION The increasing trend of occupation of PICU bed and ventilator days by critically ill children may be related to the increasing trend for hospitalization of chronic care patients. Severity scoring systems were predictive of resource consumption, but not of the overall trend in mortality rate.
Consistency between physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists and a radiologist in interpretation of lumbosacral radiographs.

OBJECTIVE To investigate intra- and inter-observer reliability among physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists and a radiologist in interpretation of plain lumbar spine X-ray films in patients with low back pain. METHODS Three assessors (A: a resident of PM&R, B: an experienced PM&R specialist, C: an experienced radiologist) read the standard lumbosacral plain radiographs of 79 patients with 2-3 month time interval. Each assessor recorded the presence or absence of abnormalities on the radiograph according to a standardized assessment form. RESULTS For assessors B and C, all kappa values were > 0.40. Transitional vertebrae abnormalities reached to the highest agreement ratio. The intrarater agreement showed higher kappas than the interrater agreement. The radiologists had the highest intrarater agreement, closely followed by the experienced PM&R specialist. Agreement among three assessors was substantial in sacralisation, lumbarisation and facet joint pathologies. CONCLUSION We usually obtained a good intrarater agreement, especially for the experienced PM&R specialist and the radiologist indicating that experience increases diagnostic consistency. Besides the systematic differences in radiographic interpretation between the assessors, institutional specific conditions (esp. patient profile and regularities) may cause the phycians to pay more attention to a specific group of pathologies.
Buyer–Supplier and Supplier–Supplier Alliances: Do They Reinforce or Undermine One Another?

Previous research has portrayed buyersupplier and suppliersupplier alliances as important mechanisms to foster learning and exchange efficiencies. Controversy remains, however, as to how these alliances interact. While some propose they reinforce one another (e.g. learning in horizontal ties generates positive spillovers to vertical ties), others propose a negative interplay (e.g. when increasing vertical-tie intensity, suppliers may weaken horizontal ties to avoid retaliation from buyers who wish to preserve bargaining power). We empirically test these competing views using survey data from the Brazilian auto-parts industry. In an attempt at reconciliation, we propose that the positive or negative interaction between vertical and horizontal alliances depends on the level of technological uncertainty of goods exchanged. Vertical ties seem to inhibit horizontal ties when technological uncertainty is low; when technological uncertainty is higher, vertical and horizontal ties do not seem to have any meaningful form of interaction. We discuss implications for theory and practice.
A community outbreak of Salmonella berta associated with a soft cheese product

In September 1994, a complaint was registered at a public health unit concerning a cheese product. In addition, public health laboratories in Ontario reported an increase in the number of isolates of Salmonella berta from patients with diarrhoeal illness. A clinical, environmental and laboratory investigation was initiated to determine the nature of this outbreak. Isolates of Salmonella berta were compared using large fragment genomic fingerprinting by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). By late October, 82 clinical cases had been identified including 35 confirmed, 44 suspected and 3 secondary. The investigation linked illness to consumption of an unpasteurized soft cheese product produced on a farm and sold at farmers' markets. Subtyping results of patient, cheese and chicken isolates were indistinguishable, suggesting that the cheese was contaminated by chicken carcasses during production. The outbreak illustrates the potential role of uninspected home-based food producers and of cross-contamination in the transmission of foodborne bacterial pathogens.
What Determines Chinese Firms’ Decision on Implementing Voluntary Environmental Schemes?

Understanding why firms choose to implement voluntary environmental schemes in a large polluted country like China is important for both environmental economists and policy makers. In this paper, we utilize unique plant-level survey data of 270 Chinese firms in manufacturing industry to identify the key determinants of their decisions on certifying ISO 14001 environmental management standard and the Chinese Environmental Label. The empirical results exhibit that while there are a number of factors (e.g., ownership, firm size, target market, and the number of rivals) having similar effects on the certification decisions between the two examined programs, the unique factors that only affect the decision of certifying one program (i.e., ISO 14001 or the Chinese Environmental Label) are also observed.
Nephron heterogeneity in polyuric acute renal failure.

Abstract To determine whether the renal response to ischemia could be modified by the choice and/or amount of anesthetic agent, clearance and micropuncture studies were performed after 60 min of unilateral renal artery occlusion in rats anesthetized intraperitoneally with either the thiobarbiturate Inactin, 150 mg/kg BW (group I), or the oxybarbiturate sodium pentobarbital, 60 mg/kg BW (group II). Significant differences were noted in the mean values of V, U Na V and C In of the postischemic kidneys. The group I vs. group II average values were V 25.0 vs. 2.6 μl/min, U Na V 2.83 vs. 0.36 μEq/min, and C In 303 vs. 24 μl/min. The kidney surface of group I animals was heterogeneous in appearance. Approximately two thirds of the proximal convolutions were dilated without evidence of tubular fluid flow. Their PITPs averaged 28.0 mm Hg (control 11.0). The remaining one third of the proximal convolutions was of normal caliber, and spontaneous flow of tubular fluid could be demonstrated; PITP averaged 9.9 mm Hg. Moreover, blood flow in peritubular capillaries adjacent to these proximal convolutions appeared greater than that in peritubular capillaries adjacent to the distended convolutions. In contrast, the kidney surface of group II animals was homogeneous in appearance. Proximal convolutions were uniformly dilated, tubular fluid flow was absent, and PITP averaged 30.1 mm Hg. In a group of nephrons in which PITP was markedly elevated and adjacent peritubular capillary blood flow was absent, reduction of the PITP by aspiration of the tubular fluid resulted in the re-establishment of peritubular capillary blood flow. These data indicate that (1) the functional abnormalities due to ischemia are variable and depend in part on the nature of the anesthetic agent; (2) polyuria occurs in association with a subset of nephrons without evidence of intratubular obstruction; and (3) peritubular capillary blood flow may be reduced due to compression by distended proximal convolutions with markedly elevated PITPs.
Nicotine dependence and its familial aggregation in Chinese.

BACKGROUND Nicotine dependence is a significant public health problem. This study attempted to characterize the prevalence and familial aggregation of nicotine dependence in China. METHODS In 1998, we initiated a community-based cross-sectional study among residents of the Yuexi County in Anqing, China. A total of 991 current smokers from 488 randomly selected nuclear families were recruited and surveyed by use of the standardized Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND) questionnaire and the Revised Tolerance Questionnaire (RTQ). All study subjects were offspring in their respective nuclear families, and 478 male-male pairs (aged 41.7 +/- 12.1 years) were finally used for data analyses, because the number of female current smokers (n = 5) was too small. RESULTS The correlation coefficient of the FTND and the RTQ scores was as high as 0.84 (P < 0.0001). Nicotine dependence, defined as an FTND score > or =8 or an RTQ score > or =28, had a prevalence of 12.7% and 11.1%, respectively. The respective sibling recurrent risk was 1.7 and 2.4, according to the FTND or the RTQ criteria. The adjusted odds ratios and 95% CI of nicotine dependence of second siblings in families in which the first sibling was nicotine dependent were 2.13 (95% CI: 1.02-4.43) and 3.50 (95% CI: 1.65-7.36) respectively, according to the FTND and RTQ criteria. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of nicotine dependence in male current smokers in China was comparable to that reported in previous US and European studies. Our findings suggest that genetic influences may play an important role in vulnerability to nicotine addiction.
Facilitator Influence in Group Support Systems: Intended and Unintended Effects

This paper addresses facilitation, a developing area of Group Support Systems (GSS) research. The facilitator role is one of improving a group's communication and information flow; facilitators are meant to enhance the manner in which a group makes decisions without making those decisions for the group. However, there is a paradox in facilitation: The influence required to facilitate a group changes the group's outcomes. Additionally, strict impartiality for facilitation may be too much to expect because facilitators may unintentionally bias group outcomes, or because facilitators may have their own agendas. Acknowledgment, training, and standards for facilitators may prove useful ways for groups to retain the benefits of facilitation without incurring the costs of inappropriate facilitator influence. Implications are drawn for new research acknowledging the complexity of the GSS sociotechnical system, and the importance of sociotechnical facilitation in organizations.
Genetic and plastic components of divergent male intersexual behavior in Misty lake/stream stickleback

The extent of variation in mating signals between environments can be an important determinant of reproductive isolation. We tested divergence in male courtship behavior between lake and stream three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) in the Misty system, Vancouver Island. Presumably, genetically based divergence was assessed by comparing male behavior (aggressive, display, and nest activities) among Lake, Inlet, and Outlet ecotypes that were reared from fertilization to maturity in a common environment. Plastic components of behavior were assessed by comparing male behavior in presence of females from each of the 3 ecotypes. We found that Inlet males had less aggressive elements than Lake and Outlet males in their behavior, whereas Lake and Outlet males were similar in their behavior. We further found that males of all ecotypes performed less display and nest activities in the presence of Lake and Outlet than Inlet females and that the male mating behavior was influenced by the relative difference in male and female body sizes. We suggest that divergent selection has driven genetic divergence in aggressive behaviors, whereas other behavioral components respond more plastically to variation in female phenotype. We discuss the implications of these results for reproductive isolation. Copyright 2008, Oxford University Press.