Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Uremic Toxicity: Present State of the Art

The uremic syndrome is a complex mixture of organ dysfunctions, which is attributed to the retention of a myriad of compounds that under normal condition are excreted by the healthy kidneys (uremic toxins). In the area of identification and characterization of uremic toxins and in the knowledge of their pathophysiologic importance, major steps forward have been made during recent years. The present article is a review of several of these steps, especially in the area of information about the compounds that could play a role in the development of cardiovascular complications. It is written by those members of the Uremic Toxins Group, which has been created by the European Society for Artificial Organs (ESAO). Each of the 16 authors has written a state of the art in his/her major area of interest.
The mammalian oocyte orchestrates the rate of ovarian follicular development

The development of both the mammalian oocyte and the somatic cell compartments of the ovarian follicle is highly coordinated; this coordination ensures that the ovulated oocyte is ready to undergo fertilization and subsequent embryogenesis. Disruption of this synchrony results in oocyte developmental failure. Communication between the oocyte and companion somatic cells is essential for successful development of both follicular compartments. However, it was not previously known whether one cell type, either the somatic or the germ cell compartment, determines the overall rate of follicular development. To test the hypothesis that the oocyte orchestrates the rate of follicle development, mid-sized oocytes isolated from secondary follicles were transferred back to primordial follicles, the earliest stage of follicular development. This transfer doubled the rate of follicular development and the differentiation of follicular somatic cells. Oocyte development in these accelerated follicles appeared normal; recovered oocytes were competent to undergo fertilization and embryonic development. These results demonstrate that oocytes orchestrate and coordinate the development of mammalian ovarian follicles and that the rate of follicular development is based on a developmental program intrinsic to the oocyte.
Decreased ventilatory response to hypercapnia in dementia with Lewy bodies

A systematic autonomic dysfunction observed among patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) has recently attracted close attention. Here, we compare cardiovascular and pulmonary autonomic functions among patients with DLB, patients with Alzheimer's disease, and healthy control subjects. All 15 DLB patients demonstrated severely low ventilatory response to hypercapnia, whereas none of the other subjects demonstrated abnormal results. The majority of the DLB patients showed impaired heart rate variability, low uptake on 123I‐metaiodobenzylguanidine myocardial scintigraphy, and orthostatic hypotension. Ventilatory response to hypercapnia as a marker of respiratory autonomic function is a promising diagnostic tool for DLB. Ann Neurol 2009;65:614–617
Pyridoxine Deficiency After Solid Organ Transplant

Objective: Pyridoxine is 1 of 8 B vitamins that assist in a variety of essential functions including immune functions. The purpose of this study was to assess the risk factors associated with low pyridoxine levels in solid organ transplantation recipients. Design: The study cohort was divided into 2 groups: (a) patients with normal pyridoxine levels or (b) patients with low pyridoxine levels. Dietary evaluation and clinical characteristics of all patients, rejection episodes, and immunosuppression were collected. Simple descriptive statistics were used to analyze the overall cohort. Results: Of the 48 patients, 29 (60%) in the study cohort were identified to have low pyridoxine levels. The mean interval between transplantation and pyridoxine level check was 910 days (standard deviation [SD] 456). The mean weight at the time of dietary consultation was 80 kg (SD 20.7). More patients in the deficient group received thymoglobulin for rejection treatment (56% vs 0%; P = .01) and were thymoglobulin recipients (78% vs 10%; odds ratio [OR] = 31.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.35-422.30; P < .01). A strong correlation was identified between thymoglobulin treatment for induction and a low level of pyridoxine (correlation coefficient R = 0.6, P = .004) and between thymoglobulin treatment for rejection and a low pyridoxine level (correlation coefficient R = 0.5, P = .05). Based on multivariate logistic regression analysis, only thymoglobulin treatment (induction or rejection treatment) was significantly associated with low pyridoxine levels (OR = 19.5, 95% CI, 1.01-375.24; P < .05). Conclusions: Low levels of pyridoxine appear to be relatively common, and thymoglobulin treatments are associated with low pyridoxine levels. Prospective studies are needed to confirm and valuate the significance of these findings.
Impact of Obesity on Female Fertility and Fertility Treatment

Obesity and overweight are common conditions that have consequences not only on general health but also to a great extent on reproductive health. There is a high prevalence of obese women in the infertile population and numerous studies have highlighted the link between obesity and infertility. Obesity contributes to anovulation and menstrual irregularities, reduced conception rate and a reduced response to fertility treatment. It also increases miscarriage and contributes to maternal and perinatal complication. Reduction of obesity, particularly abdominal obesity, is associated with improvements in reproductive functions; hence, treatment of obesity itself should be the initial aim in obese infertile women before embarking on ovulation-induction drugs or assisted reproductive techniques. While various strategies for weight reduction, including diet, exercise, pharmacological and surgical intervention exist, lifestyle modification continues to be of paramount importance.
A Framework for Problem-based Learning of Systems Development and Integration

The focus of learning and teaching about systems development and integration is expanding from monolithic systems to systems of systems. Skills and competencies needed for the next generation of systems development and integration professionals further stretch requisite knowledge (technical, design) and skills (teamwork, organizational). Accommodating this expanded coverage requires multiple epistemologies, making problem-based learning a potentially effective approach. In this paper we develop a framework that can be used for adapting problem-based learning (PBL) to information systems development and integration, based on a review of research from several contributing themes and a retrospective analysis of our own classroom practices, we illustrate the why and how of problem-based learning and the use of our framework with templates derived from several systems development and integration courses across two very different university settings.
The shoulder in competitive swimming

Shoulder pain is the most common orthopaedic problem in competitive swimming. In a group of 137 of this country's best swimmers, 58 had had symptoms of "swimmer's shoulder. " Population characteristics of this group indicated that symp toms increased with the caliber of the athlete, were slightly more common in men, and were related to sprint rather than distance swimming. The use of hand-paddle training exacer bated symptoms, which were more common during the early and middle season. Consideration of shoulder mechanics in swimming reveals that freestyle, butterfly, and backstroke re quire similar motions; a swimmer using any of these strokes is susceptible to developing shoulder pain. Swimmer's shoulder represents chronic irritation of the humeral head and rotator cuff on the coracoacromial arch during abduction of the shoul der, the so-called impingement syndrome. Treatment included stretching, rest, ice therapy, oral antiinflammatory agents, judicious use of injectable steroids, and surgery as a last resort.
Simplified decoupling based control for processes having complex EOTF dynamics

Most of the modern industries have multivariable processes wherein interactions exist. As the process outputs and inputs are coupled, designing controller for MIMO processes is a challenging task. The effective open-loop transfer functions (EOTFs) between the paired process input-output variables have complex high order dynamics. While many of the decoupling control methods uses effective transfer function (ETF) as an FOPDT approximation for EOTF in order to tune the controllers, their suitability is limited only to certain type of processes. In this paper, wide variety of multivariable processes have been considered and possibility for applicability of methods relying on ETFs for controller design have been explored. Further, a decoupling control method has been proposed which uses simple decoupler elements. The PI/PID controllers are designed in a straightforward manner based on the EOTFs. The proposed method doesn't involve any approximations in form of model order reduction and ensures the realizability of decoupler by simply ignoring the unrealizable functions in the decoupling elements. Simulations have been carried out on various MIMO systems and various performance indices have been evaluated and compared against existing methods to validate our finding and check the robustness of the proposed method for significant plant-model mismatch.
A Study on the Influence of Spirituality on the Efficacy of Antitumor Therapies with Natural Anticancer Agents in Untreatable Metastatic Cancer Patients

The recent discoveries of the existence of natural anticancer agents either from plants, such as Aloe, Myrrh and Magnolia, or from the human body, namely the pineal hormones, allowed the possibility to elaborate new therapeutic natural combinations as a link between the commonly used palliative and curative cancer therapies, which would have not considered in a separate manner. The present study was carried out to evaluate the influence of the spiritual status on the efficacy of a natural anticancer combination containing pineal anticancer hormones in association with Aloe, Myrrh and Magnolia extracts in a group of 70 untreatable metastatic solid tumor patients with life expectancy less than 1 year. The spiritual sensitivity was evaluated by an appropriate faith test for patients affected by an untreatable disease. The percentages of both objective tumor regressions and disease control obtained in patients with high faith score were significantly higher with respect to those found in patients with low faith score. On the same way, the 3year percent of survival achieved in patients with high faith score was significantly longer than that found in the other group. This study would suggest the efficacy of an antitumor therapeutic strategies with natural anticancer agents also in metastatic cancer patients form whom no other standard antitumor treatment was available, with a greater efficacy in the presence of a real status of spiritual faith.
Competing in the Information Age

Perhaps more than anything else, information technology ("IT") is a subject area that has become a major source of anxiety for business leaders of the 1990s. IT can indisputably have a tremendous impact on a company-from improved inventory management, to better tracking of customer preferences, to faster product development. However, before a company may realize these benefits, its executives must overcome a number of obstacles. First, they must bridge the gap between the company's "technical" and "business" people. The technical jargon used to describe IT projects is as incomprehensible to executives (pp. 138-40) as the consultant jargon executives use is to information engineers. Second, executives, who are often unaware of the capabilities of the latest generation of IT products and services, must educate themselves about how these capabilities might fit into the existing business (p. 21). Finally, they must deal with the uniquely complex nature of IT investment decisions. It is often difficult to quantify the extent to which investments in IT will enhance the profitability of an operation (p. 164). Furthermore, it ts not easy to predict how 0_uickly the assets purchased in an IT initiative will become obsolete. Competing in the Information Age proposes to help the perplexed executive find her way through these complexities. Edited by Jerry Luflman, it is a compilation of articles 2 by academics and consultants on various aspects of developing and implementing an IT strategy. The cover jacket explains that the book "outlines how to match information systems with business strategy to forge a strong competitive edge and bring powerful solutions to real-world problems. " Weighing inat 414 pages and apparently dedicated to tackling the thorny issues behind the development of an IT strategy, a reader might expect athorough handling of these problems. Such a reader will be disappointed. Although
Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 7 Regulates Cellular Response to DNA Damage by Methylating Promoter Histones H2A and H4 of the Polymerase δ Catalytic Subunit Gene, POLD1*

Background: PRMT7 symmetrically methylates histones H2A and H4, and modulates cellular response to DNA damage. Results: PRMT7 interacts with BRG1-hSWI/SNF, targets H2AR3 and H4R3, and represses expression of POLD1. Conclusion: PRMT7 regulates response to DNA damage and confers resistance to DNA-damaging agents. Significance: Understanding how PRMT7 regulates response to genotoxic stress will clarify how cancer cells become drug-resistant. Covalent modification of histones by protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) impacts genome organization and gene expression. In this report, we show that PRMT7 interacts with the BRG1-based hSWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex and specifically methylates histone H2A Arg-3 (H2AR3) and histone H4 Arg-3 (H4R3). To elucidate the biological function of PRMT7, we knocked down its expression in NIH 3T3 cells and analyzed global gene expression. Our findings show that PRMT7 negatively regulates expression of genes involved in DNA repair, including ALKBH5, APEX2, POLD1, and POLD2. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) revealed that PRMT7 and dimethylated H2AR3 and H4R3 are enriched at target DNA repair genes in parental cells, whereas PRMT7 knockdown caused a significant decrease in PRMT7 recruitment and H2AR3/H4R3 methylation. Decreased PRMT7 expression also resulted in derepression of target DNA repair genes and enhanced cell resistance to DNA-damaging agents. Furthermore, we show that BRG1 co-localizes with PRMT7 on target promoters and that expression of a catalytically inactive form of BRG1 results in derepression of PRMT7 target DNA repair genes. Remarkably, reducing expression of individual PRMT7 target DNA repair genes showed that only the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase, POLD1, was able to resensitize PRMT7 knock-down cells to DNA-damaging agents. These results provide evidence for the important role played by PRMT7 in epigenetic regulation of DNA repair genes and cellular response to DNA damage.
An implantable time of flight flow sensor

A micro time of flight (TOF) electrochemical impedance (EI) flow sensor μEIFS suitable for implantation and integration with a catheter was developed. The transducer utilizes two pairs of electrodes to monitor using EI measurement the passage of a gas bubble generated upstream. High precision measurement of bubble TOF (SD <; 6% of mean) was achieved over the velocity range 0.83-83 μm/s. The volumetric flow rate was inversely proportional (linearized, r2 = 0.99) to time of flight. Biocompatible construction (only Parylene C and platinum), low power consumption, and low profile thin film format make the μEIFS ideally suited for chronic in vivo monitoring with immediate application in tracking flow within hydrocephalus shunts.
Hysteresis Loss in Power Cables Made of 2G HTS Wires With NiW Alloy Substrate

2G HTS wires produced with the MOD/RABiTS process with NiW substrates have weak magnetism and therefore extra losses in a substrate. The goal of this paper is to find out the model that could describe losses just in a substrate only. Two and three dimensional numerical electromagnetic field analysis has been developed for two-layer cables made of 2G HTS conductors with magnetic substrates. Two arrangements were used for the 2G conductors between the inner and outer layers: tape-on-tape and tape-on-gap. Comparisons of calculations with measured ac loss are presented.
Effect of caffeine on leg muscle pain during cycling exercise among females.

PURPOSE This double-blind, within-subjects experiment examined the effects of ingesting two doses of caffeine on perceptions of leg muscle pain during moderate-intensity cycling exercise among females. METHODS Low-caffeine-consuming college-aged females (N = 11) ingested one of two doses of caffeine (5 or 10 mg x kg(-1) body weight) or a placebo and 1 h later completed 30 min of cycling on an ergometer at approximately 60% VO2peak. The conditions were completed in a counterbalanced order. Perceptions of leg muscle pain as well as power output, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and oxygen consumption (VO2) were recorded during exercise. RESULTS Caffeine had a significant effect on leg muscle pain ratings [F (2,20) = 10.63, P = 0.001, n2 = 0.52]. The mean pain intensity scores during exercise after ingesting 10 mg x kg(-1) body weight caffeine, 5 mg x kg(-1) body weight caffeine, and placebo were 1.6 +/- 1.1, 1.3 +/- 0.7, and 2.4 +/- 1.1, respectively. CONCLUSION The results support that caffeine ingestion has a large effect on reducing leg muscle pain during exercise among females, but this effect does not appear to be dose-dependent between 5 and 10 mg.kg body weight caffeine.
Recent advances in Staphylococcus aureus infection: focus on vaccine development

Abstract Staphylococcus aureus normally colonizes the nasal cavity and pharynx. After breaching the normal habitat, the organism is able to cause a number of infections at any site of the body. The development of antibiotic resistance has created a global challenge for treating infections. Therefore, protection by vaccines may provide valuable measures. Currently, several vaccine candidates have been prepared which are either in preclinical phase or in early clinical phase, whereas several candidates have failed to show a protective efficacy in human subjects. Approaches have also been made in the development of monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies for passive immunization to protect from S. aureus infections. Therefore, in this review we have summarized the findings of recently published scientific literature to make a concise report.
Efficiency of arrhythmia detection by nurses in a coronary care unit using a decentralised monitoring system.

The efficiency of nurses in detecting arrhythmias was studied in a coronary care unit (CCU) with 6 beds, equipped with a system for decentralised electrocardiographic display and with well-defined routines for arrhythmia documentation. Arrhythmias were classified and reported at half-hour intervals. Fifty patients were included in the study. A continuous electrocardiographic recording was subsequently analysed beat by beat and used as reference. The arrhythmias were classified into: (i) 'benign' arrhythmias, (ii) 'warning' arrhythmias, (iii) 'malignant' arrhythmias, and (iv) ventricular tachycardia. The detection rate for different arrhythmias variedfrom 96 per centfor patients with 'benign' arrhythmias occurring in at least three 1-minute periods per half-hour and 86 per cent for patients with 'warning' arrhythmias, to 42 per cent for patients with ventricular tachycardia. Special attention was paid to infrequently occurring arrhythmias which were analysed in relation to half-hour periods. Of 'warning' arrhythmias occurring during only one 1-minute period per half-hour, 48 per cent were detected, but the detection rate increased to 71 per cent when the same type of arrhythmia occurred during two or more 1-minute periods per half-hour. The mean delay time for detection of 'warning' and 'malignant' arrhythmias was less than half an hour. The exact delay time could not be evaluated as the study was based on the half-hourly reports of the nurses. The fact that the most infrequent 'warning' arrhythmias were detected in 48 per cent during the first possible minute indicates, however, that the true delay time is
Corporate social responsibility performance of small and medium enterprises in regional Japan: an empirical examination

Purpose This paper aims to examine the extent of corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in regional Japan. It also aims to examine the impact of firm size, industry, CSR awareness, firm origin and firm’s strategic focus on CSR. Design/methodology/approach The study measures the CSR performance using a CSR index and seven sub-indexes designed on the global CSR standard – ISO26000. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 146 firms. The indexes were analysed using Kruskal–Wallis one-way ANOVA and Mann–Whitney U tests. Findings The results indicate that CSR performance of firms in regional Japan is low across all main areas of CSR and is significantly lower in SMEs relative to large firms. Further, CSR performance of SMEs differs across various industries and firms established in the region display significantly lower CSR performance compared to their metropolitan counterparts. Research limitations/implications Little research exists on the role SME’s play in improving CSR practices in Japan, especially regarding SMEs in regional areas. The findings highlight the need for improving CSR performance of SMEs and promoting the use of ISO26000 as a guiding tool for measuring CSR performance. Originality/value This paper is one of the first papers that critically examine the CSR performance of SMEs in regional Japan. It highlights that despite the recent CSR boom and regulatory initiatives in Japan, CSR performance of SMEs in regional Japan remained low.
CHIMERAS WITH MOSAIC PATTERN IN ARCHEOSPORE GERMLINGS OF PYROPIA YEZOENSIS UEDA (BANGIALES, RHODOPHYTA) 1

In the marine crop Pyropia yezoensis (Ueda) M. S. Hwang et H. G. Choi, it is known that conchospores from heterozygous conchocelis develop into sectored gametophytic blades (chimeras), but archeospores asexually released from haploid blades do not usually grow into chimeric blades. In this study, chimeras with mosaic pattern consisting of the green and wildtype colors were developed from archeospores that were released from a blade piece containing a cell cluster of green color induced by heavy‐ion beam irradiation. To make clear whether these archeospores were produced from the green‐colored cells or the wildtype‐colored cells, cell clusters of the green mutant, wildtype, and mosaic pattern were cut out from the grown chimera, and archeospores were released from each of the three blade pieces. Archeospores from the green‐mutant blade piece and from the wildtype blade piece developed into only green‐mutant blades and wildtype blades, respectively. In contrast, archeospores from the blade piece with mosaic pattern developed into green‐mutant blades, wildtype blades, and chimeric blades with mosaic pattern of the two colors, although the frequency of the chimeras was low. Because each gametophytic cell possesses a single plastid, it is difficult to explain the occurrence of the new chimeras as a mutation of the plastid DNA. Thus, the new chimeras are considered to be due to transposable elements in Pyropia.