Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mini‐microabscess syndrome in liver transplant recipients

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a significant cause of morbidity in immunosuppressed patients. It is characterized in the liver by parenchymal microabscesses, usually containing CMV‐infected cells. However, not all hepatic microabscesses are due to CMV infection. In 1992, we described “mini” microabscess (MMA) syndrome, a distinct clinical syndrome that occurs in transplanted livers. This report analyzes the clinical and laboratory features of 57 cases of MMA syndrome occurring in 52 patients and compares these with 19 biopsy‐proven cases of CMV infection. The diagnosis of MMA syndrome can only be made histologically. The microabscesses are smaller and more numerous than in CMV infection, and there are no viral inclusions present. CMV DNA could not be detected in liver biopsy specimens with MMAs by using “nested” polymerase chain reaction (PCR), indicating that MMA syndrome is not caused by CMV infection. The pattern of liver enzyme and bilirubin elevation is predominantly hepatocellular, with transaminase levels elevated, on average, six to eight times the upper limit of normal. The clinical features of MMA syndrome are that it predominantly affects female (40 of 52 patients) orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) recipients of all ages (range, 11 months to 66.9 years). MMA syndrome is unrelated to the indication for initial OLT and tends to occur later after transplantation than CMV infection (median, 91 days post‐OLT vs. 32 days for CMV hepatitis). Although the etiology of MMA syndrome is not clear, it does not appear to adversely affect graft or patient survival.
Is the Overproduction Proxy a Valid Measure?

Roychowdhury (2006) constructed the measure of abnormal production costs to detect overproduction behaviour, which is widely used as a valid proxy in real earnings management. However, there is little evidence about its validity. This study is intended to fill the gap by focusing on the measure of abnormal production costs and examining its validity. First, the model proposed by Roychowdhury (2006) imposes restrictive linearity assumption about the association between COGS and sales. But in fact, the linearity assumption is not suitably specified. We use analytical methods to derive the non-linear relationship between COGS and sales and find omitted variables in his original model. Then we illustrate why the original production costs model suffer severe model misspecification. Second, after relaxing the linearity assumption we re-calculate abnormal production costs and find that small profit firms no longer exhibit high abnormal production costs compared to their counterparts. These results indicate that above-mentioned misspecification lead to severe biased estimate and previous conclusions are driven primarily by misspecification. Overall, we conclude that the overproduction proxy is not a valid measure.
The reverse sural artery flap for the reconstruction of distal third of the leg and foot

Soft tissue defects around the distal third of the leg and the foot present a major reconstructive challenge. There is limited expertise with free tissue transfers in many developing countries, necessitating consideration of other options for the closure of such defects. The versatility and reliability of sural artery flap have made it an emerging popular option for the reconstruction of such defects. Twenty patients comprising of 13 males and 7 females with soft tissue defects of the lower third of the leg and foot requiring soft tissue cover were treated between January 2006 and December 2010. The age range was 7–58 years with a mean age of 30 years. Nineteen (95%) of the defects were post‐traumatic while one (5%) was post‐infective. All the defects were covered with reversed sural artery flaps, which were raised on the posterior aspect of the junction of the upper and middle third of the leg. The smallest flap was 4 × 4 cm2 while the largest measured 20 × 12 cm2. The donor defect was closed directly in 7 (35%) patients, while split skin graft was applied in the remaining 13 (65%) patients. There was satisfactory flap healing in 17 patients (85%), while 3 patients (15%) had complete flap necrosis. Two of these patients had significant comorbidities of haemoglobinopathy and poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. Sural artery flap remains a viable option for the reconstruction of soft tissue defects of the distal third of the leg and foot. Caution should, however, be exercised in patients with some significant systemic diseases.
Cloning and expression of Xenopus CCTγ, a chaperonin subunit developmentally regulated in neural‐derived and myogenic lineages

The chaperonin containing TCP‐1 (CCT) is a eukaryotic cytoplasmic chaperonin, consisting of multiple distinct subunits in a double‐toroid structure. In vitro, the CCT has been shown to assist in the folding of tubulin and actin into active conformations through an ATP‐dependent mechanism. The function and distribution of these proteins in vivo are also not known. In this report, we show that the expression of two CCT subunits (α and γ) are developmentally regulated in neural‐derived and myogenic lineages. While expression in the central nervous system and muscle is consistent with a role in tubulin and actin conformation, we also detect robust expression in the developing cranial neural crest. Enrichment in the neural crest may represent the presence of a novel substrate for the CCT. We have also cloned the complete cDNA for the Xenopus ortholog of CCTγ, which has 87% amino acid identity with the mouse protein. This remarkable evolutionary conservation suggests a conserved function for this protein among vertebrates, and possibly among all eukaryotes. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Synthesis of an interactive haptic dancing partner

This paper studies dancing as a haptic interaction task with the aim of replacing one of the human dancing partners by an interactive robot. Starting from haptic recordings of human dancing couples, the interactive behavior of a male dancing partner is synthesized. For this purpose recorded dancing steps are approximated using multiple vector fields and faded into each other by simply switching between them. Adaptation to the female style of dancing is realized by implementing an adaptation law which changes the step size of the robot. Experimental results performed on a mobile haptic interface show the validity of the presented approach.
Global Forecast Model to Predict the Daily Dose of the Solar Erythemally Effective UV Radiation¶

Abstract A worldwide forecast of the erythemally effective ultraviolet (UV) radiation is presented. The forecast was established to inform the public about the expected amount of erythemally effective UV radiation for the next day. Besides the irradiance, the daily dose is forecasted to enable people to choose the appropriate sun protection tools. Following the UV Index as the measure of global erythemally effective irradiance, the daily dose is expressed in units of UV Index hours. In this study, we have validated the model and the forecast against measurements from broadband UV radiometers of the Robertson–Berger type. The measurements were made at four continents ranging from the northern polar circle (67.4°N) to the Antarctic coast (61.1°S). As additional quality criteria the frequency of underestimation was taken into account because the forecast is a tool of radiation protection and made to avoid overexposure. A value closer than one minimal erythemal dose for the most sensitive skin type 1 to the observed value was counted as hit and greater deviations as underestimation or overestimation. The Austrian forecast model underestimates the daily dose in 3.7% of all cases, whereas 1.7% results from the model and 2.0% from the assumed total ozone content. The hit rate could be found in the order of 40%.
Is Labor Related to the Duality of Earnings Smoothing?

Previous accounting studies indicate that union strength is positively related to income smoothing and that management is more likely to smooth income when labor power is strong. Researchers debate about whether income smoothing has either a garbling or an informative role. This paper investigates the cross-country impact of labor power on the extent to which information about future prospects is efficiently communicated through income smoothing. It proposes that strong labor power will garble income smoothing, which means that the efficient communication of private information is constrained in strong labor protection settings. Consistent with our predictions, the results show that the informative role of income smoothing is restricted with strong labor protection after controlling for legal institutions, financial-market development, and economic wealth. This study provides new insights into the role of income smoothing by inspecting the linkage between labor protection and income smoothing.
Proposal of environmental adaptation for the next-generation distribution SCADA system

We address the issue of design of a power distribution SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) system. Our work is motivated by the anticipation that large quantities of PV (photovoltaic) power generation will be connected to power grids in near future. To maintain proper voltage in the presence of large-scale connection of PV to the grid, new-generation distribution SCADA systems need to better observe and control power supply than do the existing SCADA systems. In this work we first clarify the communication speed required by the field network of a new-generation SCADA system. The results of our estimation show that the new field network requires much faster speed than the existing network. This suggests that it is likely that a new fast network will be installed in near future; however, the installation of a fast network will not happen instantly and thus we have to manage a network consisting of slow subnetworks and fast ones. To cope with this situation by adapting the gradual changes of the network environment, we propose the use of middleware as a building block of a SCADA system.
The effect of an intervention combining self-efficacy theory and pedometers on promoting physical activity among adolescents.

AIM To study the effect of an intervention combining self-efficacy theory and pedometers on promoting physical activity among adolescents. BACKGROUND The beneficial effects of regular physical activity on health in youths are well-documented. However, adolescence is found to be the age of greatest decline in physical activity participation. Physical activity participation among girls was generally less frequent and less intense than boys. Therefore, there is a strong need for effective interventions that can help promote physical activity in this population. DESIGN An experimental design. METHODS Two classes of female junior college students (mean age = 16) were randomly sampled from a total of four classes and, of those, one each was randomly assigned to either the intervention (n = 46) or the control group (n = 48). Self-efficacy was used as a core theoretical foundation of the intervention design, and pedometers were provided to the students in the intervention group. Distances between each domestic scenic spot were illustrated graphically in a walking log for students to mark the extent of their walking or running. Students in the control group participated in a usual physical education programme. The primary outcome was a change in the number of aerobic steps. The secondary outcomes were changes in cardiopulmonary endurance and exercise self-efficacy. RESULTS At 12-week follow-up, the mean change in aerobic steps was 371 steps and 108 steps in the intervention and control group, respectively. The difference in mean change between the two groups was 467 steps. Effects of the intervention on changes of cardiopulmonary endurance and perceived exercise self-efficacy scores were not found. CONCLUSIONS Among adolescent girls, a 12-week intervention designed on the theoretical foundation of self-efficacy theory and provision of pedometers was found to have an effect on increasing their physical activity. The intervention, using graphs of domestic scenic spots to represent the distance of walking or running as monitored by pedometers, might enhance motivation regarding physical activity. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE It is important for health professionals, including school health nurses, involved in the care of adolescent health, to design and provide a physical activity intervention combining self-efficacy theory and provision of pedometer to promote physical activity.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder with predominantly scrupulous symptoms: clinical and religious characteristics.

OBJECTIVES Scrupulosity is a relatively common but understudied subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) characterized by religious or moral fears. It is difficult to treat and frequently disabling. We examined scrupulosity as it relates to (a) treatment-seeking behavior and perceived treatment gains, (b) the perceived effect of symptoms on religious experience, and (c) conceptions of God. METHOD Seventy-two individuals with scrupulous OCD (mean age = 36; 70% women) and 75 individuals with nonscrupulous OCD (mean age = 38; 81% women) completed an internet-based survey. RESULTS The groups did not differ on demographic variables or overall OCD severity. Compared with the nonscrupulous group, the scrupulous group was (a) more religious, (b) more likely to seek pastoral counseling, (c) less likely to seek medication treatment, and (d) more likely to report that symptoms interfered with their religious experience. Indeed, most scrupulous individuals endorsed that their symptoms interfered with their religious experience. Scrupulous individuals with a more negative concept of God experienced more severe symptoms, whereas a positive description of God was unrelated to severity of scrupulosity in this group. Nearly one in five scrupulous participants reported no religious affiliation. CONCLUSIONS Scrupulous individuals have unique treatment-seeking preferences. Moreover, most scrupulous individuals perceive their symptoms as interfering with their religious experience. Focusing on the religious costs and benefits of scrupulous rituals might have clinical utility. Finally, scrupulous individuals with a more negative concept of God experienced more severe symptoms. Future research is necessary to evaluate whether addressing such concepts can improve treatment outcome.
Between the local and the global: diffusion of intergovernmental organization membership among Korean local governments

ABSTRACT This article examines Korean local governments’ joining intergovernmental organizations (IGOs). In the international regime, nation-states have been regarded as the most basic unit that possesses sovereignty. In the past decades, however, substate and non-state actors have progressively gained more autonomy and legitimacy to engage in international activities, and Korean local governments have begun to affiliate themselves with various IGOs. I argue that Korean local governments join IGOs so as not to lag behind, even when they are not fully capable to join ‘glocalization,’ a combined force of localism and globalization. Event history analysis shows empirical support for this claim. A local government’s IGO memberships are likely to increase when other local governments join IGOs, especially when its peers/neighbors increasingly pursue inward and outward internationalization. Local pressures coming from peers/neighbors shape local governments’ responses to globalization. By investigating determinants of IGO memberships, this study sheds light upon motivational factors for local governments to adapt to a globalizing society.
Réglementations de Bâle et flux de capitaux bancaires vers les pays émergents

Le monde economique connait actuellement un large mouvement de reglementation afin de stabiliser la finance et de renforcer la surveillance des activites bancaires a travers le nouveau dispositif de Bâle. Ce dernier est au centre du debat actuel sur les besoins de financement de l’economie dans le cadre de la crise actuelle et ses effets sur le financement de l’economie. En effet, les pays developpes ont connu un credit crunch a la suite de la crise des subprimes et du renforcement de la reglementation des activites bancaires. Dans ce cadre, nous nous interessons aux effets du nouveau cadre reglementaire et de son application dans les pays developpes, ou sont implantees les banques internationales, sur leurs flux bancaires vers les pays emergents qui ont deja connu de grandes crises dues a la nature volatile de leur financement exterieur. Les resultats apportes dans le cadre de cette these montrent que la reglementation basee sur les ponderations aux risques affecte le volume, la structure et la volatilite de ces flux. En effet, vu l’importance des flux bancaires dans le financement des pays emergents et vu le renforcement des exigences reglementaires dans le contexte de la crise, la modification des possibilites d’arbitrage reglementaire a conduit a des modifications de la structure du financement externe des pays emergents avec la progression du financement obligataire au detriment du financement bancaire. Cette nouvelle structure, volatile et dependant des cycles de marche, n’est pas sans consequences sur la stabilite financiere de ces pays trop sensible aux changements de financement externe, ce qui implique de nouveaux defis pour garantir la stabilite de ces pays emergents.
Effects of Clozapine on Heart Rate Dynamics and Their Relationship With Therapeutic Response in Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia

Abstract Previous studies have suggested the utility of nonlinear complexity measures of heart rate variability (HRV) in evaluating the regulatory capacity of the neuroautonomic system. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of clozapine on the nonlinear complexity measures of HRV in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia to find novel electrophysiological markers that indicate response to clozapine treatment. Forty patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia were evaluated during 8 weeks of clozapine monotherapy. For nonlinear complexity measures of HRV, the approximate entropy (ApEn) and sample entropy (SampEn) values were obtained. The response rate to clozapine was 37.5%. The results of multivariate analysis of covariance revealed that the ApEn and the SampEn values of HRV at week 8 were significantly higher in the responders than in the nonresponders. Repeated-measures analysis of covariance showed a significant group by time interaction effect in the ApEn and SampEn indices. The responder group showed an increasing pattern of change in these complexity measures after administration of clozapine, whereas the nonresponder group showed a decreasing pattern of change. These results suggest that the nonlinear dynamic complexity measures of HRV, which indicate the irregularity and complexity of the biosystem, may be useful in evaluating the therapeutic changes of neuroautonomic function in schizophrenia. The response to clozapine treatment is expected to be more favorable when the plasticity of the neuroautonomic system reflected in the nonlinear complexity measures is high.
An EEG Acquisition and Biomarker-Extraction System Using Low-Noise-Amplifier and Compressive-Sensing Circuits Based on Flexible, Thin-Film Electronics

This paper presents an electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition and biomarker-extraction system based on flexible, thin-film electronics. There exist commercial, single-use, flexible, pre-gelled electrode arrays; however, these are fully passive, requiring cabling to transfer sensitive, low-amplitude signals to external electronics for readout and processing. This work presents an active EEG acquisition system on flex, based on amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin-film transistors (TFTs). The system incorporates embedded chopper-stabilized a-Si TFT low-noise amplifiers, to enhance signal integrity, and a-Si TFT compressive-sensing scanning circuits, to enable reduction of EEG data from many channels onto a single interface, for subsequent processing by a CMOS IC. Further, the system uses an algorithm, by which spectral-energy features, a key EEG biomarker, are extracted directly from the compressed signals. We demonstrate a prototype, performing EEG acquisition from a human subject, and compressed EEG data. The TFT amplifier achieves a noise PSD of 230 nV/√Hz. reconstruction and seizure detection via analog replay of patient Seizure detection, at up to 64× compression, achieves error rates <;8%. Reconstruction is demonstrated at up to 8× compression.
For all these reasons, I do...drink: a multilevel analysis of contextual reasons for drinking among Canadian undergraduates.

OBJECTIVE Student drinking is largely related to the setting of the drinking occasion as well as to individual psychosocial characteristics. This article assesses the effect of the reasons for drinking on situational alcohol use above and beyond other environmental and individual factors. METHOD The data were drawn from the Canadian Campus Survey, a national mail survey conducted in 1998 with a sample of 8,864 students in 18 universities. Each student provided information on up to five drinking occasions, resulting in 25,347 drinking occasions among 6,598 drinkers. At the individual level, this study focused on the university life experience. At the situational level, information about alcohol intake was recorded relative to why, when, where and with whom drinking occurred and the reasons for drinking. RESULTS Our results show that the reasons for drinking explain 8.3% of the variance in individual alcohol intake per occasion at the individual level and 8.1% at the drinking occasion level. CONCLUSIONS Reasons for drinking and the drinking setting together influence consumption. Moreover, reasons are context specific, because students drink for different reasons in different contexts. Thus, contextual motivational models may be more effective in helping one understand the various pathways to alcohol use and misuse.
Trends in broad-sense heritability and predicted selection gains for the coastal short cycle breeding sugarcane programmes in South Africa

Coastal short cycle breeding programmes develop early maturing sugarcane cultivars adapted to harvesting at 12 months under rainfed conditions. Genotypes progressed to the advanced cultivar stage from these programmes are merged and evaluated concurrently in multi-environment trials across the region. The objective of this study was to determine the magnitude and trends of broad-sense heritability and predicted selection gains for the coastal short cycle breeding programmes. Data were collected on plant, first and second ratoon crops from five advanced breeding populations planted from 2002 to 2006 at Empangeni and Gingindlovu. Broad-sense heritability for yield and agronomic traits decreased on post-1997 breeding populations, highlighting reduced selection response for these traits. Among quality traits, fiber% cane and dry matter% cane showed the largest broad-sense heritability (>0.9) across the series, indicating that a considerable proportion of the observed phenotype was heritable. There were no considerable improvements on the magnitude of predicted gains for yield and quality traits across the series, suggesting limited potential of these programmes to deliver better gains. Agronomic traits showed diminishing predicted selection gains over time. There was a non-significant (p < 0.05) correlation between broad-sense heritability and predicted selection gains of most traits.