Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Liposomal Tacrolimus Administered Systemically and within the Donor Cell Suspension Improves Xenograft Survival in Hemiparkinsonian Rats

The most widely used immunosuppressant in neural transplantation is cyclosporine- A (CsA). However, CsA has significant toxic effects when administered systemically. Tacrolimus (FK506), is a more potent immunosuppressant than CsA and can be prepared in lipid micelles (LTAC). This liposomal preparation allows for the administration of tacrolimus to the site of transplantation, possibly reducing the systemic side effects of immunosuppression. In this study we investigated the ability of LTAC to promote graft survival in hemiparkinsonian rats implanted with fetal mouse xenografts when LTAC is administered systemically to the host, when added to the donor cell suspension, or in combination. Rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions were transplanted with 800,000 fetal mouse ventral mesencephalic (VM) cells and were randomly divided into four groups. Group 1 was not immunosuppressed; Group 2 received daily systemic injections of LTAC; Group 3 received LTAC within the cell suspensions of mouse VM cells; and Group 4 received LTAC in the cell suspensions along with daily systemic administration of LTAC. Transplanted rats were assessed for rotational behavior 3 and 6 weeks posttransplantation. Cell survival was assessed using tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry. A significant reduction in rotational scores was observed only in the group of animals receiving the combination of LTAC-treated donor cells and systemic LTAC administration. This functional improvement correlated with a significantly greater survival of TH-immunoreactive cells in this group of animals. The other groups had poor cell survival and no significant functional improvement. We conclude that a combination of systemic immunosuppression and treatment of the cell suspension with LTAC may be a superior strategy to optimize xenograft survival. This strategy may have important implications for clinical neural transplantation.
The Shifting Tides of Pacific Regionalism

Abstract The current state of Pacific regionalism is faced with a range of external and internal factors that are acting to reshape the region and which call for a rethinking of Pacific regionalism. Within this context a range of new and in some cases reinvigorated groupings of political actors have emerged, seeking to influence and shape the region. Interpretations of this plurality of political groupings differ, with some authors seeing it as a direct challenge to the previously existing regional order, while others argue it signals a return to a foundational Pacific voice in regional politics. This article suggests that the present plurality is more than resituating a ‘Pacific voice’ and is not necessarily a challenge to the existing order. Rather, the Pacific’s experience mirrors global trends in the evolution of regionalism as a practice, in which network diplomacy or coalition-building across the plethora of actors will become a predominant feature of new regionalism. Further, the authors argue that the Framework for Pacific Regionalism provides the platform for effectively navigating this new context through facilitating the politics of networks and coalitions to drive the shared interests of the region, and presents a shared platform to test paradigm-shifting ideas.
Assessing the abatement potential and cost of Chinese industrial water pollutants

Water pollution is becoming an increasing threat to China9s sustainable development. To respond to this challenge, China has pledged to cut emissions of two major water pollutants, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH 4 ), and has disaggregated the national target among provinces. However, the abatement potential and costs have not been thoroughly assessed. This paper aims to examine the reduction potential and associated costs of COD and NH 4 in the Chinese industrial sector. A parametric directional distance function is applied to modeling joint production, in which COD and NH 4 are treated simultaneously as byproducts of the production process. Using provincial data from 2003 to 2012, we find that 13.18% of COD and 13.27% of NH 4 can be reduced if all provinces perform efficiently. The average abatement cost to cut one additional unit of COD and NH 4 is 710 and 7,390 Yuan/kg, respectively. The abatement cost is significantly correlated with the economic development level, pollution intensity and capital-labor ratio. Our results call for a market-based instrument, such as an Emission Trading System, to assist China in achieving this environmental goal in a cost-effective way. Moreover, it will become more difficult and costly to control COD, while there still exists a ‘win-win’ opportunity to control NH 4 emissions through efficiency improvements.
Polyneuropathy, with and without neurogenic pain, and its impact on daily life activities – A descriptive study

Purpose. Few studies on disabilities relate to neurogenic chronic pain conditions and how pain influences the patient's ability to maintain life roles. Polyneuropathy is a condition with muscle weakness, sensory impairment and sometimes additional pain of neurogenic origin. The aim was to investigate disability reported in daily activities and quality of life in patients with polyneuropathy, with and without neurogenic pain. Method. A mail questionnaire designed to collect data on the state of health and impact on daily activities, including the Quality of Life-scale, Swedish version (QOLS-S), were sent to 60 patients with polyneuropathy. Forty-two (72.4%) responded. Results. Twenty-three patients were old-age pensioners (>65 years), ten had disability pension and nine were employed. Twenty-seven patients reported pain in addition to polyneuropathy. The neuropathy symptoms influenced occupational performance at work and leisure and in housework for 72% of the patients. Patients with additional neurogenic pain reported significantly greater performance problems in 55% of the daily activities compared with patients without pain. Quality of life was significantly lower for patients with pain concerning health and participation in active recreation. Conclusions. Symptoms in polyneuropathy, especially when accompanied by pain, give rise to disability that affects daily activities and ought to be considered in planning a successful intervention programme.
A comparison of the performance of a model based on administrative data and a model based on clinical data: Effect of severity of illness on standardized mortality ratios of intensive care units*

Objectives: It has been postulated that prognostic models based on administrative data can provide valid adjusted mortality rates in specific patient populations. In this study we compared the performance and robustness of a model based on administrative data (customized hospital standardized mortality ratio) and a model based on clinical data (customized Simplified Acute Physiology Score II) in the Dutch intensive care unit population. Design: Cohort study of intensive care unit records from a national intensive care unit quality registry linked to administrative records from the Dutch National Medical Registration. The hospital standardized mortality ratio and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II models were first-level customized on the intensive care unit population. Setting: Fifty-five Dutch intensive care units. Patients: A total of 66,564 intensive care unit patients admitted from 2005 to 2008. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Performance expressed by measures of discrimination, accuracy, and calibration (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, Brier score, Hosmer-Lemeshow Ĉ-statistic, and calibration plots). Additionally, the robustness of the models was assessed by simulating changes in the population's severity of illness and analyzing the effect on the intensive care units' standardized mortality ratios. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and Brier score of the customized Simplified Acute Physiology Score II were significantly superior to that of the customized hospital standardized mortality ratio (0.85 and 0.11 vs. 0.77 and 0.13, respectively). Calibration plots showed good agreement between observed and predicted mortality for low-risk patients in both models, with more discrepancy in the high-risk patients when using the customized hospital standardized mortality ratio. Severity of illness had influence on the intensive care units' standardized mortality ratios in both models, but the customized Simplified Acute Physiology Score II showed more robustness. Conclusions: The customized Simplified Acute Physiology Score II outperforms the customized hospital standardized mortality ratio in the Dutch intensive care unit population. Comparing institutions based on standardized mortality ratios can be unfavorable for those with a more severely ill intensive care unit population, especially when using the customized hospital standardized mortality ratio.
NovaMin and dentin hypersensitivity--in vitro evidence of efficacy.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine the ability of a calcium sodium phosphosilicate (NovaMin) particulate to occlude dentin tubules, and to characterize the nature of the occlusion through a number of in vitro studies. METHODS Four experiments were designed to demonstrate the ability of NovaMin to 1) rapidly occlude tubules, 2) remain on the dentin surface in the face of acid challenges, and 3) form a biologically stable hydroxycarbonate apatite layer on the surface of dentin. Bovine dentin samples, polished to 1200 grit silicon and etched in 40% w/w o-phosphoric acid solution for 15 minutes to remove the smear layer, were employed in all four experiments. Four different experimental techniques were used to evaluate the effects of NovaMin and other marketed calcium-based products on tubule occlusion in 1) a single-treatment model, 2) a 10-day acid challenge cycling model to evaluate tubule occlusion, 3) a 10-day acid challenge cycling model to evaluate changes in surface hardness, and 4) a calcium-release model. Samples were assessed for tubule occlusion by scanning electron microscopy, surface mineralization by microhardness, and calcium release by inductively coupled mass spectroscopy. RESULTS For the single-treatment model, statistical analysis showed that all treatment groups had statistically fewer open tubules than the control group (untreated; p < 0.001), and that the NovaMin group occluded significantly more tubules than the Quell group (p < 0.001). For the cycling models, after a one-time brushing with the NovaMin (SootheRx) dentifrice, significantly fewer open tubules were visible compared to the untreated control (p < 0.001). After the 10-day cycle, there were few visible open tubules on the samples treated with SootheRx, a significant reduction when compared to the control samples (p < 0.001). The hardness of dentin treated with NovaMin during the 10-day cycle was significantly greater than sound and demineralized dentin (p < 0.001). The calcium-release model demonstrated NovaMin-based dentifrices released less calcium initially compared to the other treatment groups. After four hours, a higher release of calcium was observed that was sustained over 24 hours. CONCLUSION NovaMin adheres to an exposed dentin surface and reacts with it to form a mineralized layer. The layer formed is resistant to acid challenges and is mechanically strong. The continuous release of calcium over time is suggested to maintain the protective effects on dentin, and provide continual occlusion of the dentin tubules.
Potential of thin (∼10 nm) HfO2 ferroelectric FDSOI NCFET for performance enhancement in digital circuits at reduced power consumption

A simulation study using thin (∼10 nm) HfO2 PGP FDSOI NCFET based gates is presented. The study has been performed on devices having 20 nm metal gate length with supply voltage varying from 0.5 V to 0.9 V. The circuits studied were 3-stage ring oscillator, NAND-2 and NOR-2 gates. The study showed significant enhancement in the performance in HfO2 FDSOI NCFET based gates at reduced power consumption which is −66% when compared to that of FDSOI MOSFET based gates. The power-delay product of HfO2 FDSOI NCFET based gates was found to be significantly lower (∼24%) in comparison to baseline FDSOI MOSFET based gates. The effect of increasing fan-in and fan-out on the performance of logic gates has also been discussed in the paper.
Assessment of left ventricular myocardial scar in coronary artery disease by a three‐dimensional MR imaging technique

To evaluate the feasibility of free‐breathing three‐dimensional (3D) phase sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR) Turbo FLASH late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) magnetic resonance images (MRI) on left ventricular scar in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) compared with clinically established breathhold two‐dimensional (2D) PSIR Turbo FLASH images.
Analyzing Factors Affecting Economic Growth within CEMAC Countries

In simple terms, economic growth is the increase in the inflation-adjusted market value of the goods and services produced by an economy over time, which is most cases a year. It is measured as the percent rate of increase in real gross domestic product (GDP), usually in per capita terms. Economists have used both theory and empirical research to explain the cause of economic growth. People like Solow, Swann, and Romer have provided theoretical frameworks on which the majority of works are based. This paper aims to identify the factors affecting economic growth within CEMAC countries. A high volume of exports, plentiful natural resources, longer life expectancy, and higher investment rates have positive impacts on the growth of per capita gross domestic product developing countries. Much research needs to be done to distinguish the causes of growth in developing countries, as the scope of existing research is limited due to a lack of reliable data. To achieve the above, the paper highlights recent trends of economic growth of CEMAC countries in its first part, and then the main theories and determinants of economic growth, and finally the determinants of economic performance of a country.
Intraclass correlation estimates for cancer screening outcomes: estimates and applications in the design of group-randomized cancer screening studies.

BACKGROUND Screening has become one of our best tools for early detection and prevention of cancer. The group-randomized trial is the most rigorous experimental design for evaluating multilevel interventions. However, identifying the proper sample size for a group-randomized trial requires reliable estimates of intraclass correlation (ICC) for screening outcomes, which are not available to researchers. We present crude and adjusted ICC estimates for cancer screening outcomes for various levels of aggregation (physician, clinic, and county) and provide an example of how these ICC estimates may be used in the design of a future trial. METHODS Investigators working in the area of cancer screening were contacted and asked to provide crude and adjusted ICC estimates using the analysis of variance method estimator. RESULTS Of the 29 investigators identified, estimates were obtained from 10 investigators who had relevant data. ICC estimates were calculated from 13 different studies, with more than half of the studies collecting information on colorectal screening. In the majority of cases, ICC estimates could be adjusted for age, education, and other demographic characteristics, leading to a reduction in the ICC. ICC estimates varied considerably by cancer site and level of aggregation of the groups. CONCLUSIONS Previously, only two articles had published ICCs for cancer screening outcomes. We have complied more than 130 crude and adjusted ICC estimates covering breast, cervical, colon, and prostate screening and have detailed them by level of aggregation, screening measure, and study characteristics. We have also demonstrated their use in planning a future trial and the need for the evaluation of the proposed interval estimator for binary outcomes under conditions typically seen in GRTs.
ICT and Employment in India: A Sectoral Level Analysis

How technology affects growth or employment has long been debated. With a hiatus, the debate revived once again in the form of how Information and Communications Technology, as a form of new technology, exerts on productivity and employment. Information and Communications Technology perceived as General Purpose Technology like steam engine or electricity in the past, ushered the world into a new techno-economic paradigm, given its deep social, economic and cultural implications. For instance, within economic implication, it is hard to imagine an economic activity that does not it, directly or indirectly. Eventually, Information and Communications Technology intensity, measure as the ratio of Information and Communications Technology investment to total investment, increased phenomenally in industries across sectors.
“Chipping away”: non-consumer researcher perspectives on barriers to collaborating with consumers in mental health research

Abstract Background: Collaboration between researchers who have lived experience of mental illness and services (consumer researchers) and mental health researchers without (other mental health researchers) is an emergent development in research. Inclusion of consumer perspectives is crucial to ensuring the ethics, relevancy and validity of mental health research; yet widespread and embedded consumer collaboration of this nature is known to be impeded by attitudinal and organisational factors. Limited research describes consumer researchers’ experiences of barriers. Other mental health researchers are key players in the co-production process yet there is also a paucity of research reporting their views on barriers to collaborating with consumers. Aims: To explore other researchers’ views and experiences on partnering with consumer mental health researchers in Australia and New Zealand. Methods: Exploratory qualitative design. Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted with mental health researchers. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. Results: Four themes concerning barriers to collaborating with consumers (hierarchies, status quo, not understanding, paternalism), and one theme on addressing the barriers (constantly chipping away) were identified. Conclusions: It is suggested that multifaceted strategies for advancing collaboration with consumers are most effective. It is imperative to attend to several barriers simultaneously to redress the inherent power disparity.
Formulaic Language in People with Probable Alzheimer's Disease: A Frequency-Based Approach.

BACKGROUND Language change can be a valuable biological marker of overall cognitive change in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other forms of dementia. Previous reports have described increased use of language formulas in AD, i.e., combinations likely processed in a holistic manner. Words that commonly occur together are more likely to become a formula. OBJECTIVE To determine if frequency of co-occurrence as one indicator for formulaic language can distinguish people with probable AD from controls and if variables are sensitive to time post-symptom onset. METHODS We developed the Frequency in Language Analysis Tool (FLAT), which indicates degrees of formulaicity in an individual language sample. The FLAT accomplishes this by comparing individual language samples to co-occurrence data from the British National Corpus (BNC). Our analysis also contained more conventional language variables in order to assess novel contributions of the FLAT. We analyzed data from the Pitt Corpus, which is part of DementiaBank. RESULTS Both conventional and co-occurrence variables were able to distinguish AD and control groups. According to co-occurrence data, people with probable AD produced more formulaic language than controls. Only co-occurrence variables correlated with disease progression. DISCUSSION Frequency of word co-occurrences is one indicator for formulaicity and a valuable contribution to characterizing language change in AD.
Ca(2+)-independent isoforms of protein kinase C differentially translocate in smooth muscle.

It is generally assumed that smooth muscle contraction is dependent on changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i); however, we have previously reported that alpha-agonist-induced contraction of aorta smooth muscle cells can occur in the absence of changes in [Ca2+]i [Collins, E. M. , M. P. Walsh, and K. G. Morgan. Am. J. Physiol. 262 (Heart Circ. Physiol. 31): H754-H762, 1992]. The mechanism of this [Ca2+]i-independent contraction is controversial. We have now identified the Ca(2+)-independent protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms epsilon and zeta in ferret aorta and have used digital imaging microscopy to determine their subcellular distribution. At rest, epsilon-PKC is diffusely distributed in the cytosol, whereas zeta-PKC is concentrated in the perinuclear region; both isoforms are excluded from the nuclear space. Agonist stimulation causes a [Ca2+]i-independent translocation of epsilon-PKC to the surface membrane and of zeta-PKC to the intranuclear compartment. In comparison, ferret portal vein cells, which display a totally Ca(2+)-dependent agonist contraction, are lacking in epsilon-PKC but display perinuclear zeta-PKC, which translocates intranuclearly on activation. Thus the Ca(2+)-independent vascular contraction appears to be associated with plasmalemmal translocation of epsilon-PKC; in contrast, the intranuclear translocation of zeta-PKC may function in control of gene expression.
Socioeconomic Status and Alcohol Use Among Urban and Rural Residents in China

The association between socioeconomic status (SES) and current regular alcohol use was examined separately for urban and rural residents of Hubei, China, using the third Chinese National Health Service Survey conducted in 2003. A probability sample of 15,609 respondents, ages 15 through 101 years, was selected from the study base. Alcohol use was a dichotomized variable (current regular users vs. others). Multivariate analyses incorporated four SES indicators: income, education, occupation, and house size. Investigation of status discrepancy indicated that income was positively associated with the likelihood of current regular alcohol use, whereas education was negatively associated. For both urban and rural residents, likelihood of current regular alcohol use was smallest for those in the highest education and lowest income category. Further research, which factors in quantity and frequency, is needed to understand how alcohol use among Chinese urban and rural populations impacts their health.
How to introduce new technologies to reduce nutrient losses: a case of Danish agricultural constructed wetlands

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) focuses on reduction of nutrients in individual water bodies. Innovative drainage filter technologies currently being tested in Denmark could facilitate nutrient reductions at the sub-river basins and catchment levels. The implementation strategy for these technologies, however, remains a challenge. Using both primary and secondary data, this paper presents an in-depth analysis of the role of these technologies in implementation of the WFD in Denmark. Concepts of impact assessment are used to identify the most suitable approach for incorporating these technologies into environmental measures based on a three-faceted policy instrument typology. A voluntary approach supported by investment subsidies, or incentives that could replace existing requirements, is deemed more appropriate.