Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rituximab therapy for Type I membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis.

AIMS Type I membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) is an immune-complex disease with a relatively poor prognosis. It has no established treatment in adults. Our hypothesis was that this disease would respond to B cell depletion with rituximab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. METHODS We conducted an openlabel trial, in Canada and the United States, of rituximab in 6 adult patients with Type I MPGN (4 idiopathic, 2 with cryoglobulinemia). The rituximab dose was 1,000 mg intravenously on Day 1 and on Day 15. The patients were followed for 1 year. The primary outcome was the change in proteinuria. RESULTS Peripheral blood B cells were suppressed, after rituximab, in all patients. The mean urinary protein excretion was 3.9 ± 2.0 g/d before treatment. Proteinuria fell in all patients, at all-time points, after rituximab administration. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05) at 6, 9 and 12 months, but not at 3 months. The minimum mean urinary protein excretion was 1.4 ± 1.4 g/d at 9 months. There were 2 complete and 3 partial remissions among the 6 patients. The creatinine clearance did not change significantly over the course of the study. There were no adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS Rituximab reduced proteinuria among patients with Type I MPGN. This trial suggests that B cells may play a role in this disease and that additional study of B-cell suppression is warranted.
A novel control method for preventing the PV and load fluctuations in a DC microgrid from transferring to the AC power grid

DC microgrids are gaining popularity due to the higher efficiency, reliability, lower costs and better compatibility with DC loads compared to their AC counterparts. Large-scale deployment of distributed renewable energy resources like solar in the microgrids, has to provide utilities and grid operators the capability to safely and reliably mitigate the impact of solar and loads intermittency on the main AC power grid. In this paper, a novel control method is proposed to prevent solar and load variations inside a DC microgrid from transferring to the AC power grid while the microgrid is operating in grid-tied mode. The control method works based on having multiple slack terminals with different voltage controller response times in parallel. The response times can be adjusted such that the battery converters of the microgrid absorb solar and load fluctuations while the grid-tied inverters contribute to their voltage regulation's shares smoothly according to their droop parameters. This method improves upon previously discussed methods in literature in that it does not require single slack terminal, DC bus signaling or converter mode changes.
ADSORPTION OF RHODAMINE 6G FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS ON ACTIVATED CARBON

The effects of particle size (0.5 ∼ 1.0 mm), temperature (30 ∼ 60°C), and solution pH (7 ∼ 9) on the adsorption equilibrium of dye Rhodamine 6G by activated carbon were studied in batch modes. The isotherm data could be well described by the Langmuir equation. Under the ranges tested, a maximum adsorption capacity of 44.7 mg/g was obtained. Batch kinetic parameters such as the Lagergren's rate constant and intraparticle diffusion coefficient of adsorption were determined. It has been shown that the intraparticle diffusion of dye molecules within the adsorbents was identified as the rate-limiting step in the present adsorption process.
The impact of customer advocacy on customer perceived value

To maintain a competitive advantage, firms are increasingly regarding customer-perceived value as a vital factor in creating new service methods. Customer advocacy presents a cascade of stages, from the operating strategy and delivery system of the company to the customer's perception of service quality. After reviewing related literature, this research identified the antecedents of customer advocacy affecting the customers, and explored the effect of customer advocacy on customer perceived value, taking customer trust and satisfaction as the intervening construct. We formulated six hypotheses. Data were collected from 388 usable questionnaires, which had been completed by customers for Taiwanese telecommunication firms. The hypotheses were tested with respondent-sample data by using a structural equation model. The results indicated that customer advocacy directly and positively relates to customer trust and satisfaction, customer trust and satisfaction directly and positively relate to customer perceived value, and customer empowerment and organizational innovation directly and positively relate to customer advocacy.
Effect of the Earned Income Tax Credit on Hospital Admissions for Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma, 1995-2013

Objectives: Policies that increase household income, such as the earned income tax credit (EITC), have shown reductions on risk factors for child maltreatment (ie, poverty, maternal stress, depression), but evidence is lacking on whether the EITC actually reduces child maltreatment. We examined whether states’ EITCs are associated with state rates of hospital admissions for abusive head trauma among children aged <2 years. Methods: We conducted difference-in-difference analyses (ie, pre- and postdifferences in intervention vs control groups) of annual rates of states’ hospital admissions attributed to abusive head trauma among children aged <2 years (ie, using aggregate data). We conducted analyses in 14 states with, and 13 states without, an EITC from 1995 to 2013, differentiating refundable EITCs (ie, tax filer gets money even if taxes are not owed) from nonrefundable EITCs (ie, tax filer gets credit only for any tax owed), controlling for state rates of child poverty, unemployment, high school graduation, and percentage of non-Latino white people. Results: A refundable EITC was associated with a decrease of 3.1 abusive head trauma admissions per 100 000 population in children aged <2 years after controlling for confounders (P = .08), but a nonrefundable EITC was not associated with a decrease (P = .49). Tax refunds ranged from $108 to $1014 and $165 to $1648 for a single parent working full-time at minimum wage with 1 child or 2 children, respectively. Conclusions: Our findings with others suggest that policies such as the EITC that increase household income may prevent serious abusive head trauma.
Interface magnetic anisotropy in epitaxial superlattices.

We have studied the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy of Co/Pd superlattices grown under identical conditions by molecular-beam epitaxy along the three crystal axes: [001], [110], and [111]. Our measurements unambiguously demonstrate that the large systematic variations of the anisotropy energy with crystal orientation result solely from differences in the volume contribution to the anisotropy. We find the perpendicular interface anisotropy to be independent of the epitaxial orientation (0.63\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05 erg/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$), and hence to be an intrinsic property of the Co/Pd interface.
Sea Ice Enhancements to Polar WRF

AbstractThe Polar Weather Research and Forecasting Model (Polar WRF), a polar-optimized version of the WRF Model, is developed and made available to the community by Ohio State University’s Polar Meteorology Group (PMG) as a code supplement to the WRF release from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). While annual NCAR official releases contain polar modifications, the PMG provides very recent updates to users. PMG supplement versions up to WRF version 3.4 include modified Noah land surface model sea ice representation, allowing the specification of variable sea ice thickness and snow depth over sea ice rather than the default 3-m thickness and 0.05-m snow depth. Starting with WRF V3.5, these options are implemented by NCAR into the standard WRF release. Gridded distributions of Arctic ice thickness and snow depth over sea ice have recently become available. Their impacts are tested with PMG’s WRF V3.5-based Polar WRF in two case studies. First, 20-km-resolution model results for January 19.
Second‐trimester maternal serum inhibin A levels in fetal trisomy 18 and Turner syndrome with and without hydrops

The objective was to investigate whether cases of fetal trisomy 18 and Turner syndrome with and without hydrops were associated with alterations in the second‐trimester levels of maternal serum inhibin A. Twenty‐one cases of trisomy 18, 10 cases of Turner syndrome without hydrops and 12 cases of Turner syndrome with hydrops were identified. Five control samples were matched to each case for date of sample collection and completed week of gestation.
Psychometric Properties of the Social Desirability Scale-17 with Individuals on Probation and Parole in the United States

This research project investigated the reliability and validity of the Social Desirability Scale-17 (SDS-17; Stober, 1999, 2001) when used with a sample of adult men and women on probation or parole. Results reveal that the SDS-17 has strong internal consistency estimates, concurrent validity with the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - 2 L Scale, and test re-test reliability over a three week period. Information is provided to aid evaluators' interpretation of the SDS-17 when used with adult men and women on probation or parole.
Efficiency of using agricultural land in Kazakhstan

The paper evaluates the use efficiency of agricultural land in the Republic of Kazakhstan using physical and relative measures, as well as a consolidated criterion defined as the volume of gross output of crops per 100 ha of agricultural land. The assessment of agricultural land use was conducted in the period between 2012 and 2016, after which the acquired results were benchmarked against the results of 1990. That year was set as a reference point since it gives an indication of the Republicâ€™s achievements in agriculture while it was still part of the USSR. The undertaken analysis has shown that between 2012 and 2016, most agricultural land use metrics tended to have a positive dynamic. Despite that, the country has never regained the agricultural performance level it had back in 1990. The agricultural land use score according to the consolidated criterion has also demonstrated an insufficient land use performance compared to Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. The approved ABI Growth Government Program for 2017-2021 outlines efforts aimed at the efficient utilization of the countryâ€™s land resources, helping boost the output of domestic products.
DETERMINANTS OF FINANCIAL STABILITY OF LISTED COMMERCIAL BANKS IN KENYA

The main objective of this study was to establish the determinants of financial stability of listed commercial banks in Kenya. This study adopted a descriptive Survey research design. The study targeted 356 employees of commercial banks under study which included both permanent and pensionable staff and employees on contract. There were 11 listed commercial banks in Kenya as at June 2016 (CBK, 2016). Data was collected from Primary sources (primary data) by the administration of questionnaires to the target population. Data was analyzed by use of Statistical Package for Social Science version 18. It was concluded that there was significant positive influence of interest rate on financial stability of listed commercial banks in Kenya. It was also found that there was significant negative influence of operational cost on financial stability of listed commercial banks in Kenya. There was significant positive influence of bank size on financial stability of list commercial banks. It was also concluded that there was significant positive influence of liquidity on financial stability of listed commercial banks in Kenya. The study therefore recommended that commercial banks should be cross-checking liquidity ratios and liquidity flows which could prove to be useful in designing a robust prudential approach to liquidity which would results to financial stability. Key Words : Interest Rate, Operational Costs, Bank Size, Liquidity, Financial Stability
Big bath and goodwill impairment

Purpose – To analyze the extent to which recognition of impairments in goodwill is associated with periods of negative results before these losses (big bath practices). To determine whether indebtedness and the capital market restrict the recognition of such losses in big bath practices. Design/methodology/approach – Quantitative empirical study based on accounting and market data of companies listed on the Lisbon and Madrid stock exchanges (2007-2015), supported by multivariate regression models estimated using the generalized moments method (system GMM). Findings – Impairment in goodwill is relevant in big bath practices, and there is great discretion in the use of this accrual. It can be concluded that companies adjust to capital market cycles. The positive relationship between the level of indebtedness and the impairment in goodwill suggests that any penalties from creditors do not condition the recognition of the impairments. Originality/value – There is evidence of big bath practices being associated with companies with negative results and of the role of debt and capital markets as explanatory factors of big bath strategies that use impairments in goodwill.
Practices with technology: learning at the boundary between study and work

A study of part-time student experience of university courses delivered using a range of technologies found that ICT enabled students to move between study and work experience to the benefit of their learning in both contexts. Technology-based study activities enabled students to participate in learning both as a student and as a member of a practice or work context. Given the increasingly pressured lives of all students in higher education and their aspirations for employment after graduation, this suggests that we would benefit from taking their relationship to work and professional practice into account more directly, in deciding how to integrate technology into their study experience. Teacher conceptions of technology as a tool primarily for information delivery and discussion need to expand to recognise that it can be used to construct learning experiences situated in roles, skills and interactive environments that enhance students’ ability to make transitions across the boundaries between contexts of study and work.
An extension of Delone and McLean IS success model with self-efficacy

PurposeWhile many researchers have investigated the adoption and usage of online learning in different settings, one area that has yet to be examined thoroughly, particularly in the context of online learning in Yemen, is the self-efficacy role. The purpose of this paper is to extend the Delone and McLean information system success model by incorporating a self-efficacy construct as an antecedent to user satisfaction and actual usage to predict student performance.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaire survey method was used to collect primary data from 448 students in nine public universities in Yemen. The six constructs in the proposed model were measured using existing scales. The data analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling via AMOS.FindingsThree main results were revealed, namely that overall quality (system, information and service quality) and self-efficacy have a positive impact on user satisfaction and actual usage; that actual usage significantly predicts user satisfaction; and that both user satisfaction and actual usage have a positive impact on student performance.Research limitations/implicationsFirst as the study population were students from nine public universities, it excluded academics and administrative staff. Second, the study depends on self-reported measures to test the proposed research model. This is because getting objective data about the performance was not probable due to the issue of privacy.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study can be a guideline for Yemeni higher education institutions to develop efficient and effective plans to improve the performance of education institutions, and train and develop student ability to use online learning. Additionally, it highlights the areas that university management needs to concentrate on, namely information systems (IS) tools that will contribute to higher student enrolment, address the lack of infrastructure and improve the quality of education outcomes, things which represent Yemen’s main challenges in the higher education sector.Originality/valueThis paper adds to the existing literature of IS by combining overall quality, self-efficacy, actual usage and user satisfaction to predict performance impact of online learning among students in nine public universities in Yemen. Furthermore, the predictive power of the proposed model has a higher ability to explain and predict performance impact compared to those obtained from some of the previous studies.
Design and demonstration of a pumpless 14 compartment microphysiological system

We describe a human “Body‐on‐a‐chip” device (or microphysiological system) that could be used to emulate drug distribution, metabolism, and action in the body. It is based upon a physiologically based pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic (PBPK–PD) model, where multiple chambers representing different organs are connected with fluidic channels to mimic multi‐organ interactions within the body. Here we describe a pumpless 14 chamber (13 organs) microfluidic cell culture device that provides a separation between barrier and nonbarrier types of cell cultures. Our barrier chamber layer (skin, GI tract, and lung) allows for direct access and/or exposures to chemical or biological reagents forcing these reagents to pass through a barrier of cells established on a microfabricated membrane before exposing the nonbarrier tissue chambers (fat, kidney, heart, adrenal glands, liver, spleen, pancreas, bone marrow, brain, muscle) or entering the microfluidic circulation within the device. Our nonbarrier tissue chambers were created as three‐dimensional configurations by resuspending cells in hydrogel (PGMatrix). We used cell lines to represent five of these organs (barrier lines—A549 [lung] and Caco2 [GI]) (nonbarrier lines—HepG2 C3A [liver], Meg01 [bone marrow], and HK2 [kidney]). The dimensions of our straight duct‐like channels to each organ chamber were designed to provide the appropriate flow of a culture medium. The organ volumes and organ flow rates that have been reported for an average human male were used to estimate the desired fluid retention times in each organ chamber. The flow through the channels was induced by gravity on a custom programmed rocker platform which enabled pumpless operation and minimized bubble entrapment. The purpose of this paper is to describe the design and operation of a 14 chamber multi‐organ system representing 13 tissues/organs with both barrier and nonbarrier tissue chambers and to study the interactive responses among the various cell lines. We demonstrate that five different cell lines survived with high viability (above 85%) for 7 days. We compared the individual observed flow rates to the compartments to the desired or estimated flow rates. This work demonstrates the feasibility of constructing, operating and maintaining a simple, gravity‐driven, multi‐organ microphysiological system with the capability of measuring cellular functions such as CYP1A1 and CYP3A4 activities, albumin release, urea, maintenance of tight junctions, and presence of surfactant for a sustained period. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 2213–2227. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Distribution of Antibody Plaque Forming Cells in Various Tissues of Several Strains of Mice Injected with Sheep Erythrocytes.∗

Summary Lymphoid cell suspensions from several strains of mice injected with a single inoculum of sheep erythrocytes were capable of forming localized zones of hemolysis (“antibody plaques”) in agar containing sheep erythrocytes and complement. The ability of lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissue from immunized NIH, C3H, C57, and AKR mice to form antibody plaques in agar were compared. Optimum time for plaque formation with the strains tested was 4 to 5 days following intravenous immunization. Cells from NIH mice resulted in the most consistent and highest levels of plaque formation. C3H and C57 mice yielded lymphoid cells which were less than half as efficient in plaque forming ability as compared to NIH cells. Lymphoid cell from AKR mice had the least plaque forming capability. Spleen cell suspensions formed the largest number of plaques following I.V. injection. Lymph node cell suspensions were somewhat less efficient. Suspensions of peripheral leukocytes (obtained from “buffy coats”) had low, but significant antibody plaque forming ability. Thymus and bone marrow cells had no significant plaque forming ability. Cell suspensions prepared from lungs, kidney, liver, brain, and skeletal muscle exhibited either low levels of plaque formation or were negative.
The influence of production methods on the magnetic performance of electrical steels and soft magnetic composites

Magnetic measurements of electrical steels and soft magnetic composites (SMC) have been conducted on samples with the same toroidal geometry. Steel lamination samples have been manufactured using various methods to investigate the effect of cutting procedures on losses over a range of frequencies, flux densities, and temperatures. The measurements show that the SMC requires a higher field strength to achieve the same polarization and has a lower maximum permeability than the lamination samples. SMCs present less iron loss at elevated frequencies due to their lower electrical conductivity, but the opposite is true at lower frequencies due to higher hysteresis. At a certain cross-over frequency, the specific core loss of SMC is lower than electrical steels, this point can vary dramatically depending on the production method. The characteristic behavior arises from SMCs insulated particle microstructure. Considering typical high-speed machine working requirements, SMC is shown to operate more efficiently at all values of magnetic flux densities considered.
Continuous Therapy Versus Fixed Duration of Therapy in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma.

PURPOSE Continuous therapy (CT) prolongs progression-free survival 1 (PFS1; time from random assignment until the first progression or death), but chemotherapy-resistant relapse may negatively impact overall survival (OS). Progression-free survival 2 (PFS2; time from random assignment until the second progression or death) may represent an additional tool to estimate outcome. This study evaluates the benefit of novel agent-based CT versus fixed duration of therapy (FDT) in patients with newly diagnosed myeloma. METHODS We included patients enrolled onto three phase III trials that randomly assigned patients to novel agent-based CT versus FDT. Primary analyses were restricted to the intent-to-treat population eligible for CT (patients progression free and alive at 1 year after random assignment). Primary end points were PFS1, PFS2, and OS. All hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were adjusted for several potential confounders using Cox models. RESULTS In the pooled analysis of the three trials, 604 patients were randomly assigned to CT and 614 were assigned to FDT. Median follow-up was 52 months. In the intent-to-treat CT population, CT (n = 417), compared with FDT (n = 410), significantly improved PFS1 (median, 32 v 16 months, respectively; HR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.56; P < .001), PFS2 (median, 55 v 40 months, respectively; HR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.50 to 0.75; P < .001), and OS (4-year OS, 69% v 60%, respectively; HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.88; P = .003). CONCLUSION In this pooled analysis, CT significantly improved PFS1, PFS2, and OS. The improvement in PFS2 suggests that the benefit reported during first remission is not cancelled by a shorter second remission. PFS2 is a valuable end point to estimate long-term clinical benefit and should be included in future trials.