Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sleep Disorder Diagnosis During Pregnancy and Risk of Preterm Birth.

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that sleep disorder diagnosis would be associated with increased risk of preterm birth and to examine risk by gestational age, preterm birth type, and specific sleep disorder (insomnia, sleep apnea, movement disorder, and other). METHODS In this observational study, participants were from a cohort of nearly 3 million women in California between 2007 and 2012. Inclusion criteria were women with singleton neonates liveborn between 20 and 44 weeks of gestation without chromosomal abnormalities or major structural birth defects linked to a hospital discharge database maintained by the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development and without mental illness during pregnancy. Sleep disorder was defined based on International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification diagnostic code (n=2,265). Propensity score matching was used to select a referent population at a one-to-one ratio. Odds of preterm birth were examined by gestational age (less than 34 weeks, 34-36 weeks, and less than 37 weeks of gestation) and type (spontaneous, indicated). RESULTS Prevalence of preterm birth (before 37 weeks of gestation) was 10.9% in the referent group compared with 14.6% among women with a recorded sleep disorder diagnosis. Compared with the referent group, odds (95% CI, P value, percentage) of preterm birth were 1.3 (1.0-1.7, P=.023, 14.1%) for insomnia and 1.5 (1.2-1.8, P<.001, 15.5%) for sleep apnea. Risk varied by gestational age and preterm birth type. Odds of preterm birth were not significantly increased for sleep-related movement disorders or other sleep disorders. CONCLUSION Insomnia and sleep apnea were associated with significantly increased risk of preterm birth. Considering the high prevalence of sleep disorders during pregnancy and availability of evidence-based nonpharmacologic interventions, current findings suggest that screening for severe presentations would be prudent.
Decrease of Intraocular Pressure After Fat-Removal Orbital Decompression in Graves Disease

Purpose: To address the efficacy of fat-removal orbital decompression to reduce intraocular pressure in patients with Graves disease. Methods: This cohort study included 64 eyes of 39 patients with Graves disease. Thirteen men and 36 women, with a mean age of 52.5 years (range, 27 to 80 years), underwent fat-removal orbital decompression. Intraocular pressure (applanation) and proptosis (Hertel exophthalmometry) were prospectively investigated before surgery and 1 week and 6 months after surgery. Results: The volume of resected fat was 6.4 ± 4.5 (3 to 12) ml. The intraocular pressure in primary position decreased from 19.3 ± 4.4 mm Hg to 17.0 ± 2.9 mm Hg at 1 week (p < 0.001) and 15.9 ± 3.7 mm Hg at 6 months (p < 0.001). Mean proptosis dropped from 24.3 ± 2.5 mm before surgery to 19.9 ± 3.0 mm at 1 week (p < 0.01), and 19.9 ± 3.1 mm at 6 months (p < 0.01). Intraocular pressure decrease neither correlated to the volume of resected fat nor to proptosis reduction. Conclusions: Fat removal reduces intraocular pressure in patients with Graves disease, with no correlation to the volume of resected fat.
In vitro activities of eight antifungal drugs against 70 clinical and environmental isolates of Alternaria species.

2.92 nM (Figure 1b), and the GI50 values of SN-38 and doxorubicin dropped from 0.34 to 0.19 mM and from 35.6 to 16.68 nM (Figure 1c), respectively. Next, the general cytotoxicity of the three drug combinations that act additively on trypanosomes was assayed with human myeloid leukaemia HL-60 cells. Each drug combination was tested at the concentration that inhibited the growth of trypanosomes by 50%. The combinations topotecan/mitoxantrone (1.26 mM/2.92 nM) and SN-38/doxorubicin (0.19 mM/16.68 nM) were much more toxic to HL-60 cells than to trypanosomes. They inhibited the growth of the human cells by 97% and 99%, respectively. Encouragingly, the combination eflornithine/mitoxantrone (34.23 mM/2.89 nM) was less toxic to HL-60 cells than to the parasite cells. The eflornithine/mitoxantrone combination inhibited the growth of HL-60 cells by only 20%. In this study, we tested 44 drug combinations of which 3 showed an additive effect on the growth inhibition of bloodstream forms of T. brucei. Of the three drug combinations with additive action, only the eflornithine/mitoxantrone combination was found to be less toxic to human HL-60 cells than to trypanosomes, indicating some degree of selectivity. This finding suggests that the combination of eflornithine and mitoxantrone could be a potential alternative treatment for HAT. As this was an in vitro study, further investigation should be carried out in order to establish the in vivo efficacy of the eflornithine/mitoxantrone combination.
Pancreatic beta cells cultured from individual preneoplastic foci in a multistage tumorigenesis pathway: a potentially general technique for isolating physiologically representative cell lines

Culturing and comparing the discrete stages of tumorigenesis provide a route to defining important components of the cancer phenotype and, in addition, present the opportunity to establish cell cultures more representative of normal cells than the ultimate malignant cancer cells. Herein we report that preneoplastic foci in one multistep tumorigenesis pathway can be cultured in vitro and show that they preserve distinctive characteristics of the normal cells from which they arose, pancreatic beta cells. In the RIP1-Tag2 line of transgenic mice, which express the simian virus 40 T antigen in insulin-producing beta cells, pancreatic islets develop into vascularized tumors in a multistage pathway. We established conditions for reproducible derivation of beta-cell lines from individual hyperplastic islets that have not yet developed into solid tumors. Most of these cell lines, designated beta HC, release insulin at physiological concentrations of glucose. In contrast to tumor-derived lines (beta TC), which are not properly regulated, the ability of the beta HC lines to respond correctly to glucose correlated with maintenance of normally depressed levels of low-Km hexokinases. Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), an early autoantigen in type I diabetes, was detected in most of the beta HC lines. The relative levels of the two forms of this enzyme (GAD65 and GAD67) varied significantly between the different cell lines, suggesting independent regulation. Class I major histocompatibility complex antigens were detected on the beta HC cells, and the levels of surface major histocompatibility complex expression correlated with their capacity to serve as targets in a cytotoxic T-cell killing assay. The beta HC lines will be of value for studies of beta-cell physiology, autoantigenicity, and tumor development. This work suggests the possibility of culturing preneoplastic stages of other cancers, both to address the mechanisms of transformation and to provide a source of cells that maintain important qualities of their normal progenitors.
Too Late Prenatal Diagnosis of Fetal Toxoplasmosis: A Case Report

Objective: We describe a case of severe fetal hydrocephalus due to toxoplasmosis which could not be diagnosed until late gestational age due to the lack of a serologic surveillance program during pregnancy; moreover, this case points to the usefulness of molecular biology tools in the diagnostic process. Abnormal ultrasound in the 2ndtrimester was noticed and Toxoplasma gondii was demonstrated in amniotic fluid at the 28th week of gestation both by PCR and by mice inoculation. Fansidar and folinic acid were administered. The newborn suffered from progressive hydrocephalus, seizures, and pathological muscular tonus; ultrasound examination showed massive cerebral calcifications. Ophthalmologic examination revealed bilateral choroidoretinitis. Congenital toxoplasmosis was confirmed by the detection of anti- T. gondii IgM and IgA in the neonatal serum. Conclusion: The presented case is an example of severe fetal toxoplasmosis diagnosed and treated in utero.
Maturity analysis in project management in Colombian universities

Project management has become a worldwide trend within organizations seeking continuous improvement of their processes, where maturity models for project management play an important role. The general objective of the research is to evaluate the degree of maturity in project management in order to propose strategies to improve the organizational culture in project management. The selection of the maturity model that fits the organizational context is carried out, then an analysis is made of the management of those involved and the management of communication in project matters, the degree of maturity is measured, and then strategies for improvement are selected. As a result of the research it was obtained that reaching a level of maturity implies obtaining results from a measurement and comparing them with a previously established standard, in order to implement best practices, reach a higher level of scale or continuously improve their processes. However, it should be borne in mind that reaching maturity involves a gradual process, senior management support, time and a highly trained team.
Effects of DL-malate on ruminal metabolism and performance of cattle fed a high-concentrate diet.

To determine the effects of DL-malate on ruminal metabolism, four steers equipped with ruminal cannulas were fed an 80% rolled grain (75% corn:25% wheat) diet twice daily with a DMI equal to 2.0% of BW (485+/-24.8 kg). DL-Malate was infused into the rumen on two consecutive days in 500 mL of phosphate buffer to provide 0, 27, 54, or 80 g of DL-malate/d. Ruminal pH linearly increased (P < .01) with DL-malate concentration and was greater (P < .01) for DL-malate than for the control steers (6.07 vs 5.77). DL-Malate treatment linearly decreased (P < .10) total VFA and tended to linearly increase (P = .10) acetate concentration. Propionate, butyrate, and L-lactate concentrations and acetate:propionate ratio were not affected (P > .10) by DL-malate. Three finishing studies were conducted to determine the effects of feeding DL-malate on growth rate and feed efficiency. In a 98-d experiment, 33 crossbred steers were randomly allotted in a Calan gate feeding system to three DL-malate levels (0, 40, and 80 g/d). Steers (initial weight = 367+/-4.5 kg) were fed a rolled corn-based diet twice daily. After 84 d on feed, gain efficiency (gain:feed) tended to improve with more DL-malate (linear, P < .10) and was 8.1% greater (P < .05) for DL-malate than for the control. The ADG linearly increased (P < .05) with more DL-malate and was 8.6% greater (P = .10) for DL-malate than for the control. After 98-d on feed, ADG was linearly increased (P = .09) by DL--malate, and the greatest increase occurred with 80 g of DL-malate. In the second performance study, 27 Angus steers were randomly allotted in a Calan gate feeding system to three DL-malate concentrations (0, 60, and 120 g/d). Steers (initial weight = 432+/-4.6 kg) were fed diets used in the first finishing study twice daily, but DL-malate was included during the 10-d step-up period. During the 10-d step-up period, feed efficiency and ADG linearly increased (P = .01) with more DL-malate. DL-Malate had little effect on steer and heifer performance or plasma constituents in a 113-d finishing study. Collectively, these results suggest that feeding DL-malate to cattle consuming high-grain diets alleviates subclinical acidosis, and it improved animal performance in two finishing studies.
Tom20 and Tom22 Share the Common Signal Recognition Pathway in Mitochondrial Protein Import*

Precise targeting of mitochondrial precursor proteins to mitochondria requires receptor functions of Tom20, Tom22, and Tom70 on the mitochondrial surface. Tom20 is a major import receptor that recognizes preferentially mitochondrial presequences, and Tom70 is a specialized receptor that recognizes presequence-less inner membrane proteins. The cytosolic domain of Tom22 appears to function as a receptor in cooperation with Tom20, but how its substrate specificity differs from that of Tom20 remains unclear. To reveal possible differences in substrate specificities between Tom20 and Tom22, if any, we deleted the receptor domain of Tom20 or Tom22 in mitochondria in vitro by introducing cleavage sites for a tobacco etch virus protease between the receptor domains and transmembrane segments of Tom20 and Tom22. Then mitochondria without the receptor domain of Tom20 or Tom22 were analyzed for their abilities to import various mitochondrial precursor proteins targeted to different mitochondrial subcompartments in vitro. The effects of deletion of the receptor domains on the import of different mitochondrial proteins for different import pathways were quite similar between Tom20 and Tom22. Therefore Tom20 and Tom22 are apparently involved in the same step or sequential steps along the same pathway of targeting signal recognition in import.
Evidence for intrinsic development of olfactory structures in Pax‐6 mutant mice

It has been reported that the arrival of primary olfactory axons is required to induce the development of the olfactory bulb (OB). On the other hand, the SeyNeu/SeyNeu mutant mouse (Small eye) has been previously described as a model for the absence of olfactory bulbs, owing to the lack of olfactory epithelium (OE). In the present report, we take advantage of this mutant and study a neural structure in the rostral pole of the telencephalon that phenotypically resembles the prospective OB. We named this formation olfactory bulb‐like structure (OBLS). We also report the occurrence, in the mutants, of small epithelial vesicles in the malformed craneofacial pits, resembling an atrophic OE, although a mature olfactory nerve was not identified. Axonal tracing, birthdating, immunohistochemistry, and in situ hybridization using antibodies and probes expressed in the olfactory system, indicated that two distinct structures observed in the OBLS correspond to the main and accessory olfactory bulbs of the control mouse. We propose that the OBLS has developed independently of the external influences exerted by the olfactory nerve. The presence of a prospective OB in the mutants, without intervening olfactory fibers, suggests that intrinsic factors could define brain territories even in absence of the proper afferent innervation. The intrinsic mechanisms and environmental cues in the telencephalon could be sufficient to promote axonogenesis in the projection neurons of the OB and guide their axons in a lateral prospective tract, in the absence of olfactory axons. J. Comp. Neurol. 428:511–526, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Propionate Inhibits Hepatocyte Lipid Synthesis

Abstract Oat bran lowers serum cholesterol in animals and humans. Propionate, a short-chain fatty acid produced by colonic bacterial fermentation of soluble fiber, is a potential mediator of this action. We tested the effect of propionate on hepatocyte lipid synthesis in rats using [1-14C]acetate, 3H2O, and [2-14C]mevalonate as precursors. Propionate produced a statistically significant inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis from [1-14C]-acetate at a concentration of 1.0 mM and from 3H2O and [2-14C]mevolonate at concentrations of 2.5 mM. Propionate also produced a significant inhibition of fatty acid biosynthesis at concentrations of 2.5 mM using [1-14C]acetate as a precursor. The demonstration of propionate-mediated inhibition of cholesterol and fatty acid biosynthesis at these concentrations suggests that propionate may inhibit cholesterol and fatty acid biosynthesis in vivo and may mediate in part the hypolipidemic effects of soluble dietary fiber. Further studies are needed to clarify this action of propionate and to establish the exact mechanisms by which the inhibition occurs.
Financial sustainability and microfinance institutions from an emerging market

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the determinants affecting Financial Sustainability (FS) of Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) working in Pakistan. The determinants are based on financing charges, size of loans, the age of the firm, size of Microfinance Institute, and proportion of female borrowers. These variables discern the important contribution to the effective financial sustainability of Microfinance institutions working in Pakistan. Data were collected from 25 Microfinance Institutions of their annual reports from 2008-2015. The multiple regression technique was used to measure financial sustainability with the given determinants. The results of this study show that financing charges, outreach and the proportion of female borrowers significantly explain the financial sustainability of MFIs. These are crucial determinants for alleviating poverty in Pakistan and attaining sound financial sustainability and survivorship of MFIs. This is one of the contributing studies in justifying various determinants affecting the financial sustainability in MFIs of Pakistan. This article is helpful for policymaker and management of MFIs to revitalize their focus to address the weaker parts of their capabilities and resources.
Understanding and Solving Late Payment: The Role of Organizational Routines

European legislation has so far failed to alleviate late payment. We introduce the concept of organizational routine; this contributes to understanding late payment and its persistence and focuses on more effective ways of alleviating it. The case study between a large Spanish company and its Spanish SME suppliers gives an exemplary illustration of organizational (trade credit) routines and their dynamics in a two-sided business relationship. The large company’s imbalanced routine and the SMEs’ balanced routine explain late payment. Potential for change and the alleviation of late payment is to be found in routines’ internal dynamics and in participants’ understanding.
Is trade credit a substitute for relationship lending credit

Despite its importance to the funding of small enterprises (SMEs), the question of how trade credit is used has not been fully answered. Recently, Uchida et al. (2013) showed that trade creditors can act as relationship lenders. To advance this result, we study the use of trade credit as a substitute for relationship lending credit when firms cannot otherwise obtain such credit. Using a sample of SMEs from the Survey of Italian Manufacturing Firms, we show that when opaque firms seeking relationship credit encounter transactional banks, they retain a greater portion of trade credit in their loans. These firms thus substitute trade credit for their missing relationship credit, because trade creditors are better evaluators of firms than are transactional lenders. The results depend on the size and age of the firm, the nature of the bank, and the size of the firm’s banking pool.
JURNAL ANALISIS KINERJA KEUANGAN SEBELUM DAN SESUDAH PENERAPAN PPK-BLUD PADA RSUD KARDINAH

RSUD Kardinah Kota Tegal in December, 2008 has been designated as Badan Layanan Umum Daerah (BLUD), then since January 2009 has done changes management finances, with the financial management apply system that is called “Pola Pengelolaan Keuangan Badan Layanan Umum Daerah” (PPK – BLUD). This study aimed to analyze the diffrerences in financial performance RSUD Kardinah based on (1) the ratio of the vulnerability, the aspects of return of assets, return on equity, gross profit margin and net profit margin. (2) liquidity ratios include aspects of current ratio, quick ratio and cash ratio (3) solvency ratios include aspects of debt ratios, debt to equity ratio and times interest earned ratio, and (4) the ratio of activity includes aspects of accounts receivable turn over, inventory turn over, fixed assets and total assets turn over before and after implementing PPK-BLUD. This study classified quantative descriptive research the type of data used is secondary data obtained from the annual financial statements of RSUD Kardinah, the period before implementing ppk – blud (2002 – 2008) and after implementing ppk – blud (2009 – 2015). The analytical method used is a diferrent test to test the hypothesis using wilcoxon test with an error rate (alpha) of 5%. The result of this study conclude, there are no significant differences in financial performance based suspectible ratio, liquidity ratio and activity ratio on RSUD Kardinah before and after implementing of PPK-BLUD. There are significant differences in the aspect ratio of the activity inventory turn over snd fixed assets turn over before and after implementing of PPK – BLUD. The implementation of the PPK – BLUD in hospitals Kardinah not give any significant changes to be seen from the ratio financial ratio, but there is an increase in the trend sharp against the income operations hospital after the implementation of PPK – BLUD. Keywords : PPK-BLU, financial ratio analysis, financial performance, Wilcoxon Siged Ranks Test
Fuzzy Q-Learning-Based Hybrid ARQ for High Speed Downlink Packet Access

In this paper, a fuzzy Q-learning-based hy- brid automatic repeat request (FQL-HARQ) scheme is proposed to enhance the system performance of high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) in universal mo- bile telecommunications system (UMTS). In the HSDPA system, it is an important issue to choose modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for new data packet when channel quality indicator (CQI) is inaccurate. Hence, the purpose of the FQL-HARQ scheme is to determine a suitable MCS for new data packet so as to maximize the system throughput while guarantee the block error rate (BLER) requirement. In the FQL-HARQ scheme, the fuzzy logic is used to choose a suitable MCS for each new data packet. According to the feedback information from the HSDPA system, the Q-learning algorithm is adopted to update fuzzy rule base. This makes the FQL-HARQ scheme can adapt to the variation of environment. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme can increase the system throughput of up to 70 % compared to the conventional adaptive method in the case with CQI report delay.
A call for more program evaluation of forensic outpatient clinics: the need to improve effectiveness.

Reducing recidivism in violent offenders, whether or not they have an Axis I DSM-IV diagnosis, is a topic of great concern in our society today. There are a growing number of outpatient forensic mental health facilities in the United States that have the responsibility to treat this population. Given the limited public funds that are appropriated for this treatment, it is crucial not only to treat these persons with a view toward reducing further violent behavior but also to evaluate the treatment’s effectiveness as it affects both the client and the community. 1 Too often, however, program evaluation is not conducted. The purpose of this article is to show the value of program evaluation by giving an example of an independent evaluation of a forensic outpatient clinic. In an effort to increase the clinic’s effectiveness, we assessed the treatment at this clinic, determined the outcome of the clinic’s treatment, and developed recommendations consistent with the literature on the treatment of violent offenders. This article grew out of the desire of a state department of corrections to conduct an independent evaluation of the treatment of violent offenders at a parole mental health outpatient clinic (PMHOC) under its jurisdiction, located in a large metropolitan city. This evaluation did not stem from any perceived problems in this clinic but was simply a desire on the part of the department to evaluate the effectiveness of the program.