Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recurrence of hemolytic uremic syndrome after renal transplantation in children: a report of the North American Pediatric Renal Transplant Cooperative Study.

BACKGROUND Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is the cause of renal failure in 2-4% of children on dialysis. After renal transplantation, HUS can recur, but recurrence rate and risk factors are controversial. METHODS We reviewed the recurrence of HUS within the North American Pediatric Renal Transplant Cooperative Study (NAPRTCS) registry and used a separate questionnaire to ascertain additional clinical information. RESULTS Of 68 renal allografts, HUS recurred in 6 allografts (8.8%) occurring in five patients (8.2%). Four patients had atypical HUS, whereas one patient had classic HUS. HUS recurred after transplantation in 33 days or less in all but one allograft. Outcome was poor with five of six allografts lost, despite treatment with fresh-frozen plasma or plasmapheresis. Cyclosporine had no effect on outcome or HUS recurrence. CONCLUSIONS The risk of HUS recurrence in the allograft is 8-9% and is heightened in atypical HUS. Treatment was not effective and graft outcome was poor. Cyclosporine does not affect HUS recurrence.
Assessing countermeasures against spyware

Spyware are increasingly growing to become a serious security problem in today’s networked society and several web sites state their worries about this development. The varied nature of spyware causes confusion about the security issues this software represents. The use of spyware is very well capable of committing identity theft by stealing personal information that the web users work at, or is being transmitted through the Internet. As a result of this threat, commercial and free tools have emerged, and we present a method that uses specific metrics to assess and evaluate the effectiveness and usability of various countermeasures, making it possible to assess new countermeasures as they are developed.
Gaining more Value of Customer Relationships in the Digital Business Environment

Gaining More Value from Customer Relationships in the Digital Business Environment Digital business environment has amble of unexplored opportunities to engage with customers and to enhance future business. However, today customers are ever more networked online, and hold the power over consumption decisions not only on themselves but on many others. Existing customers can be valuable for the company from various perspectives. Thus, the thesis explores the value formation and management of customer relationships in online environment, from the perspective of the customer and the firm. The focus of the study is on exploiting research, data and analytics for customer value enhancement of the existing customer base. The thesis investigates the principles of Customer Value Management (CVM) in the online environment as means of gaining more value for the company from existing customer relationships. The focus is on exploring the value creation of customer relationships primarily from the perspective of the firm, but in terms of customer experience management, the study acknowledges also the value perceived by the customer in online relationships. As its primary contribution, the research deepens understanding of the key components of an appealing customer experience in the online news channel context that builds loyalty. Second, the study broadens the customer management perspective from the value of transactions for the company to recognizing other value outcomes of enhanced customer engagement. Third, the study presents an applicable value measurement model for customer relationship management in the online news channel context. The thesis comprises of three separate studies, Essays 1, 2 and 3 targeted to academic journals. Through a case study on essay 1, critical attributes for superior online customer experience in news channel context are identified. Essay 2 probes into identifying the components of customer engagement value and the associated metrics for measuring customer engagement. The third essay investigates how an online news channel can measure and manage customer value. The case company of the thesis is an online news channel publishing business news with a business focus on subscription sales as well as on advertising sales. The data for the thesis was gathered through face-to-face interviews (n=10) in the primary target group of the case company, through two web surveys (n=212 and n= 180) and through visiting data of 44 414 registered customers.
THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE IN CHILDREN SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC OTITIS MEDIA WITH EFFUSION

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of antireflux therapy with both conventional management and those with no treatment in children with chronic otitis media with effusion (COME). In this prospective randomized clinical trial ninety children with COME which lasted more than 3 months or more, documented by physical examination and Type B tympanogram in at least one ear without clinical signs and symptoms of active infection that were refractory to 3 period of antibacterial treatment, were randomly allocated to receive a 3 month course in three groups of antireflux treatment (AR group, Cisapride 1 mg/kg/day), conventional antibacterial treatment (AB group, Co-amoxiclave 40 mg/kg/day TID) and those with no treatment (Control group, no medication). All patients were followed every month. The favorable response was considered as complete resolution of effusion clinically and type A or more than -200 peak in tympanometry. Of the 30 patients assigned to AR group, 10 (33.3%) were judged to be clinically cured and in AB group 12 (40%) were cured while only 3 (10%) in control group were cured. The cure rate in AR and AB groups was significantly higher compared with control group but there was no significant difference between cure rates in AR and AB groups (P=0.59). No subjects experienced complications during or after the study. There may be a possible role for GER medical management in patients with COME. Further investigations are necessary in order to confirm this hypothesis.
Use of a Chaperone during Breast Examination: The Attitude and Practice of Consultant Breast Surgeons in the United Kingdom

Background Professional guidelines and clinical practice regarding use of chaperones vary substantially in different health care settings. Although there are several studies in primary care practice, no such studies are available in a breast care setting. We have undertaken a questionnaire survey of practicing consultant breast surgeons in the UK regarding the use of a chaperone during breast examination. Method A self-completion questionnaire, with 18 items was developed, piloted, modified and mailed to 400 consultant breast surgeons across the UK. Result 302/400 questionnaires were returned (76%). Sixty-five per cent had a policy on the use of chaperone. Although 73% always offer a chaperone, the majority never documented the offer (74%) or identity (73%). Overall use of chaperone was significantly higher among male (82%), compared to female surgeons (38%, p<0.001). The majority said that patient embarrassment (54%) and the availability of a nurse (57%) strongly influence chaperone use unlike patient's age, marital status, ethnicity, anxiety, instinct. Seventy per cent of respondents believed that the presence of a chaperone was important for medico-legal protection of doctor and patient (55%). Conclusion Our study shows that the majority of consultant breast surgeons in the UK use a chaperone. The overall use of a chaperone in secondary breast care setting is higher compared to previous studies in primary care. Documentation of the offer and identity of the chaperone is very poor.
Hotel website quality, perceived flow, customer satisfaction and purchase intention

Purpose This study aims to examine the relationships between hotel website quality, perceived flow, customer satisfaction and purchase intentions. Furthermore, this study also examines if perceived flow mediates the relationships between hotel website quality, customer satisfaction and purchase intentions. Design/methodology/approach The stimulus-organism-response framework is used as the theoretical framework for this study. A total of 441 valid online questionnaires were collected to empirically test the measurement and structural model using partial least square path modeling approach. The study sample includes hotel guests who booked their hotels via online travel agencies and/or hotel websites. Findings The findings confirm that hotel website quality influences customers’ perceived flow, which in turn, influences their satisfaction and purchase intention. Moreover, perceived flow also mediates the relationships between hotel website quality, customer satisfaction and purchase intentions. Originality/value Hotel website quality, perceived flow, customer satisfaction and purchase intentions altogether are not well understood in current literature despite the important implication for managers, academicians and consumers alike. This study contributes to the field of e-commerce marketing, retailing and e-tourism research.
The effect of time step, thermostat, and strain rate on ReaxFF simulations of mechanical failure in diamond, graphene, and carbon nanotube

As the sophistication of reactive force fields for molecular modeling continues to increase, their use and applicability has also expanded, sometimes beyond the scope of their original development. Reax Force Field (ReaxFF), for example, was originally developed to model chemical reactions, but is a promising candidate for modeling fracture because of its ability to treat covalent bond cleavage. Performing reliable simulations of a complex process like fracture, however, requires an understanding of the effects that various modeling parameters have on the behavior of the system. This work assesses the effects of time step size, thermostat algorithm and coupling coefficient, and strain rate on the fracture behavior of three carbon‐based materials: graphene, diamond, and a carbon nanotube. It is determined that the simulated stress‐strain behavior is relatively independent of the thermostat algorithm, so long as coupling coefficients are kept above a certain threshold. Likewise, the stress‐strain response of the materials was also independent of the strain rate, if it is kept below a maximum strain rate. Finally, the mechanical properties of the materials predicted by the Chenoweth C/H/O parameterization for ReaxFF are compared with literature values. Some deficiencies in the Chenoweth C/H/O parameterization for predicting mechanical properties of carbon materials are observed. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Detection of JC virus DNA sequences and expression of viral T antigen and agnoprotein in esophageal carcinoma

The human polyomavirus JC virus (JCV) causes progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Subclinical infection with JCV occurs in 85–90% of the population worldwide. The virus usually remains latent but can reactivate under immunosuppressive conditions, resulting in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. JCV is oncogenic in experimental animals and is associated with human brain tumors. JCV is found in normal mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract, and some colon carcinomas express the oncogenic JCV T‐antigen protein. The objective of this study was to examine the presence of JCV DNA sequences and JCV protein expression in normal and malignant human esophageal tissues.
Segmentation of polarimetric synthetic aperture radar data

A statistical image model is proposed for segmenting polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data into regions of homogeneous and similar polarimetric backscatter characteristics. A model for the conditional distribution of the polarimetric complex data is combined with a Markov random field representation for the distribution of the region labels to obtain the posterior distribution. Optimal region labeling of the data is then defined as maximizing the posterior distribution of the region labels given the polarimetric SAR complex data (maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimate). Two procedures for selecting the characteristics of the regions are then discussed. Results using real multilook polarimetric SAR complex data are given to illustrate the potential of the two selection procedures and evaluate the performance of the MAP segmentation technique. It is also shown that dual polarization SAR data can yield segmentation resultS similar to those obtained with fully polarimetric SAR data.
Family ownership, control and corporate capital structure: An examination of small capitalization public firms

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain how family firm ownership and management control affect corporate capital structure strategy after controlling for other significant variables. The authors argue that, although family ownership has a positive effect on a firm’s leverage, family control through the CEO position and equity performance moderate its impact. Design/methodology/approach – Using a stratified random sample of 200 US public firms in the S & P Small-Cap 600 index from 1999 to 2007, this study uses random effect panel regressions to test the impact of family ownership on market value and book value debt ratios and the moderating effects of family control and equity performance after controlling for firm, industry, and macroeconomic variables. Findings – The initial panel regression suggests that family ownership is not related to debt ratios. However, further examination with controls for family CEO and equity performance shows that family ownership is positively related to market an.
Depression, Pain, and Hemispheric Activation

The present study attempts to delineate the role of hemispheric activation in depression and pain. It was hypothesized that the right hemisphere is specialized to become activated by and to process negative affective stimuli, and that this specialization may play a role in the co-occurrence of depression and pain. The relationship between depression, experimental pain, and cerebral laterality was investigated in 16 depressed and 16 nondepressed, righthanded, female students. Cerebral laterality was measured via tasks assessing visual and auditory biases, and pain was assessed via a cold pressor task. The proposition that the right hemisphere mediates the co-occurrence of pain and depression was not supported, but specific findings did suggest that the right hemisphere may play a unique role in pain perception. Data from the visual task indicated that prior exposure to pain results in increased right hemisphere activation as indicated by a left visual field bias. Pain perception was a complex function of mood, preceding tasks, and the hand tested, and it was suggested that exposure to a typical right-hemisphere task increased the left side lateralization of pain in nondepressed subjects. Implications of these findings are discussed for coexisting problems of pain and depression and for the lateralization of pain in disorders judged to involve a significant psychogenic component.
Formate-nitrate respiration in Salmonella typhimurium: studies of two rha-linked fdn genes

Localized mutagenesis was used to obtain rha-linked mutations in Salmonella typhimurium, resulting in defects in the nitrate reductase-linked formate dehydrogenase (FDHN). The fdn mutants obtained fell into two groups which differed in several respects. Group I isolates lacked FDHN activity under all conditions examined and exhibited wild-type levels of the hydrogenase-linked formate dehydrogenase (FDHH). Group II isolates appeared defective in FDHN only when freshly prepared extracts were assayed; restoration of both FDHN and formate-nitrate reduction activity occurred on incubation of extracts for 2 to 3 h. Protease inhibitors prevented restoration. Group II isolates were also characterized by a conditional FDHH activity; this activity was absent unless the growth medium designed to optimize wild-type FDHH was altered either by lowering glucose concentration or by adding thiosulfate. Cotransduction of fdn with rha ranged from 4 to 22% for the group I isolates and from 20 to 40% for the group II isolates. Temperature-sensitive isolates from both groups synthesized FDHN activity with altered thermostability. In vitro complementation occurred in mixed extracts of amber mutants of the two respective classes. The results are consistent with two distinct rha-linked fdn genes, for which we suggest using the designations fdnB (group I) and fdnC (group II).
Effective knowledge transfer between the headquarters and a subsidiary in a MNC: the need for heeding capacity

Purpose This paper aims to focus on knowledge transfer between the headquarters and a subsidiary of a multinational corporation (MNC). A framework with type of knowledge, absorptive capacity, disseminative capacity and tie strength is proposed. The framework is verified qualitatively and then further developed by adding another capacity needed by the headquarters: heeding capacity. Design/methodology/approach To check the validity of the proposed conceptual framework empirically, interview-based qualitative studies were conducted for two partner programs implemented in the Japanese subsidiary of a US-based IT company. Interviews were undertaken with 17 respondents in the headquarters, the Japanese subsidiary and two alliance partners in Japan. Findings It is confirmed that type of knowledge and absorptive capacity clearly affect the effectiveness of knowledge transfer. Also, it is found that the knowledge sender’s disseminative capacity matters. Additionally, a case is found in which network ties mitigate the ineffectiveness caused by low disseminative/absorptive capacity. Research limitations/implications In this research, cultural influences have not been considered. Also, this research has not paid attention to inter-organizational knowledge transfer. These provides potential for further research which could explore this complexity in more depth. Practical implications It is suggested that the headquarters of a MNC need to have a “heeding capacity” in cases where the target subsidiary’s disseminative capacity is low and tie strength between the subsidiary and the headquarters is weak. It is a capacity for the headquarters to heed what a subsidiary would like to transmit but cannot do well, and this is achieved by listening carefully and not letting language barriers or cultural differences obfuscate the meaning. Originality/value By focusing on a dyad between the headquarters and the Japanese subsidiary, the importance of disseminative capacity of a subsidiary is highlighted, which is not often the case in the extant literature. Also, headquarters’ heeding capacity is proposed.
Adult Primary and Secondary Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura

This study was conducted to compare the platelet count and the presence of bleeding manifestations at initial diagnosis of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) between patients with primary and secondary ITP. Medical records for 67 consecutive adult patients with ITP were reviewed retrospectively and the relevant data were abstracted. Thirty-eight (56.7%) patients were diagnosed as having primary ITP and 29 (43.3%) were considered to have secondary ITP. At the time of diagnosis, the median initial platelet count (median: 60 × 109/L) for patients with secondary ITP was significantly (P < .005) higher than that for patients with primary ITP (median: 3.5 × 109/L). Ecchymosis and/or purpura was observed in 4 (13.8%) patients with secondary ITP and in 33 (86.6%) patients with primary ITP (P value <.005). In conclusion, patients with secondary ITP had higher platelet count at diagnosis and were less likely to present with bleeding manifestations than those with primary ITP.
Cytotoxic Effect of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles on Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells by MTT Assay

1. Department of Biological Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran. 2. Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran. 3. MSc student in Developmental Biology Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran. 4. BSc in Biology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Animal Biotechnology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran. *Corresponding Author: E-mail: aliakbarrostami6616@yahoo.com Cytotoxic Effect of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles on Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells by MTT Assay Homa Mohseni Kouchesfehani, Sahar Kiani, Ali Akbar Rostami*, Rahman Fakheri
Total Phenolic Contents and Antioxidant Capacities of Selected Chinese Medicinal Plants

Antioxidant capacities of 56 selected Chinese medicinal plants were evaluated using the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, and their total phenolic content was measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The strong correlation between TEAC value and FRAP value suggested that the antioxidants in these plants possess free radical scavenging activity and oxidant reducing power, and the high positive correlation between antioxidant capacities and total phenolic content implied that phenolic compounds are a major contributor to the antioxidant activity of these plants. The results showed that Dioscorea bulbifera, Eriobotrya japonica, Tussilago farfara and Ephedra sinica could be potential rich sources of natural antioxidants.
The impact of changes in Japanese tender offer regulations on bidder behavior and shareholder gains

Japanese regulators have undertaken several adjustments to the rules governing the market for corporate control beginning with the 1990 introduction of mandatory bid rules (MBR) for tender offers. However, the adoption of an MBR alone did not initially contribute to an active tender offer market, nor did it adequately protect targets' minority shareholders. It required more than a decade and two important revisions to MBR for the regulators to achieve a reasonable balance between the conflicting objectives of MBR regulation. First, share based squeeze-out rules were introduced in 1999. Then, in 2006, additional new rules increased the protection of targets' minority shareholders through the requirement of additional disclosure regarding the choice of bid price, while offering the possibility of cash based squeeze-outs for the first time. We examine 612 tender offers between 1990 and 2011 for evidence relating these rule changes to the treatment of target shareholders. Over time, there have been fewer partial and/or discounted offers that expropriate minority shareholders. Moreover, there has been a steady increase in offer premiums and announcement effects for target shareholders. However, the improvements in target shareholder treatment do not come at the expense of shareholders of publicly traded bidders. Japan's experience will serve to deepen the understanding of the regulators in countries adopting an MBR.