Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes of Platelet Function and Blood Clotting in Diabetes Mellitus

Summary We investigated some aspects of blood clotting and of platelet functions in 48 diabetics (12 affected by preclinical diabetes, 15 by clinical diabetes, 21 with complications of diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, ischaemic heart disease or diabetic nephropathy with or without hypertension) in 35 age matched controls and in 7 prediabetics. Blood clotting has been investigated by gel-chromatography of fibrin soluble complexes, by factor VIIICOAG two stage assay, by factor VIIIAGN electroimmunodiffusion assay and by factor VIIIvWF assay. Platelet functions have been investigated by the determination of circulating platelet aggregates associated with megathrombocytes count, by the malondial- dehyde formation after thrombin and after arachidonic acid. In order to clarify some mechanisms responsible for platelet aggregating plasmatic activity (PAPA) has been investigated by plasmaplatelet cross-matches. Our results indicate early changes of platelet functions in diabetics, already demonstrable in preclinical diabetes. Platelets are hyperaggregable and produce increased amounts of malondialdehyde after stimulation by thrombin and arachidonic acid, thus suggesting an increased activity of the intraplatelet endoperoxide-thromboxane forming metabolic pathway. An increased concentration of fibrin soluble complexes can be shown in clinical and complicated diabetes whereas in preclinical diabetes the fibrogen complexes concentration is within the normal range. Factor VIIIvWF results significantly increased in all groups of diabetics, and even in the subjects with prediabetes. Factor VHICoag and Factor VIIIAGN, besides factor VIIIvWF, were significantly increased in clinical and in complicated diabetes. The increased concentration of factor VIIICOAG and of soluble fibrinogen complexes suggest the existence of a hypercoagulable condition in patients with clinical and above all with complicated diabetes. In these patients a platelet aggregating plasmatic activity can be frequently found. The indication is that platelet hyperaggregation in diabetes is due to various mechanisms. In preclinical diabetes and in some patients with clinical diabetes platelet hyperaggregability is mainly due to a primary platelet hypersensitivity whereas in complicated diabetes, specially when hypercoagulability occurs, platelet hyperaggregation is due to a plasmatic factor related to blood clotting activation.
Treatment and Prognosis of AIDS-Related Lymphoma in the Era of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy: Findings from the Swiss HIV Cohort Study

Objective To assess the characteristics of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) administered concomitantly with chemotherapy and to establish prognostic determinants of patients with AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Methods The study included 91 patients with AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma from the Swiss HIV Cohort Study enrolled between January 1997 and October 2003, excluding lymphomas of the brain. We extracted AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma- and HIV-specific variables at the time of lymphoma diagnosis as well as treatment changes over time from charts and from the Swiss HIV Cohort Study database. Cox regression analyses were performed to study predictors of overall and progression-free survival. Results During a median follow up of 1.6 years, 57 patients died or progressed. Thirty-five patients stopped chemotherapy prematurely (before the sixth cycle) usually due to disease progression; these patients had a shorter median survival than those who completed six or more cycles (14 versus 28 months). Interruptions of cART decreased from 35% before chemotherapy to 5% during chemotherapy. Factors associated with overall survival were CD4+ T-cell count (<100 cells/μl) (hazard ratio [HR] 2.95 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.53–5.67], hepatitis C seropositivity (HR 2.39 [95% CI 1.01–5.67]), the international prognostic index score (HR 1.98–3.62 across categories) and Burkitt histological subtypes (HR 2.56 [95% CI 1.13–5.78]). Conclusions Interruptions of cART were usually not induced by chemotherapy. The effect of cART interruptions on AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma prognosis remains unclear, however, hepatitis C seropositivity emerged as a predictor of death beyond the well-known international prognostic index score and CD4+ T-cell count.
Firm–Specific Human Capital and Governance in IPO Firms: Addressing Agency and Resource Dependence Concerns

Entrepreneurs with firm–specific human capital represent both a potential source of competitive advantage and a threat to appropriate the rents that are ultimately generated by a new venture. This situation presents interesting agency and resource dependence challenges. While potential investors in these ventures will want assurances that their interests are protected, they will also want to ensure that these key entrepreneurs remain with the organization. Using agency theory and resource dependence theory, we examine the types of governance mechanisms that are implemented in firms going through an initial public offering comparing those ventures which indicate a dependence on these critical entrepreneurs versus those that do not. Our analysis reveals that ventures exhibiting dependence on key entrepreneurs are associated with higher insider and outsider ownership by the board, greater start–up experience by the board, greater use of contingent compensation, and greater use of involuntary departure agreements.
Simple Kt/V Formulas Based on Urea Mass Balance Theory

&NA; The ratio Kt/V (K is patient clearance, t dialysis time, V urea space) has become the standard measure of dialysis adequacy. In this article simple Kt/V equations are developed theoretically from the urea mass balance equation. Two approximations lead to the most precise equation: where R is the post to pre dialysis urea ratio, BW/V is the amount of fluid removed during dialysis (&Dgr;BW) expressed as a fraction of urea distribution space (V) at dry body weight (BW), and t is dialysis length in hours. A second equation arises with V approximated as 58% of BW. One further approximation leads to a simpler but slightly less precise Kt/V formula: These and earlier published equations were tested with two sets of data: 1) 49 sessions involving 17 patients on maintenance dialysis and 2) 540 computer simulations spanning all likely values of Kt/V (0.6‐1.6), protein catabolic rate (0.6‐1.6), interdialytic weight gain (0‐4% of BW per day) and dialysis session length (2‐4 hr). The most precise formula (upper equation above) had a maximum error of 0.031 and 0.035 Kt/V units for the clinical and simulated data, respectively, whereas the lower equation was slightly less accurate with maximum Kt/V errors of 0.079 and 0.081, respectively. The proposed Kt/V equations are considerably more accurate than previously published formulas. ASAIO Journal 1994; 40:997‐1004.
Ergodic Mutual Information Analysis for Multi-Keyhole MIMO Channels

We use non-asymptotic random matrix theory to obtain new expressions for certain statistical properties of spatially uncorrelated multi-keyhole multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels. These include closed-form expressions for the distribution and moments of an unordered eigenvalue, as well as solutions for the expected log-determinant and expected characteristic polynomial. Our results are general for arbitrary numbers of transmit and receive antennas, and arbitrary number of keyholes with possibly differing powers. Based on these, we derive exact closed-form expressions and simplified upper and lower bounds for the ergodic mutual information, assuming that channel state information (CSI) is only known at the receiver. Results show that the capacity of multi-keyhole channels is typically worse than that for rich-scattering MIMO Rayleigh channels.
Firm Transparency and the Costs of Going Public

We demonstrate in this study that firms that are more transparent pay less, in all components of issuance costs, to go public. We employ a sample of 334 previous leveraged buyouts and a characteristic-matched control sample to test the hypothesis that greater firm transparency before the issue decreases the flotation costs of the initial public offering. These flotation costs are divided into initial underpricing, the underwriter discount, administrative expenses, and the overallotment option required to take the firm public. Our results provide further evidence of the asymmetric information hypothesis as it applies to initial public offerings.
Blood digestion in the mosquito, Anopheles stephensi: the effects of Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis on midgut enzyme activities

Midgut proteases contribute to the success or failure of Plasmodium infection of the mosquito. This paper examines the reciprocal effect of Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis on midgut trypsin, chymotrypsin, aminopeptidase and carboxypeptidase in the mosquito Anopheles stephensi. The total protein ingested and the rate of protein digestion were unaffected by the parasite, but more protein was ingested at the first than the second bloodmeal. All peptidases were unaffected by the presence of the parasite during the first gonotrophic cycle, when ookinetes were penetrating the midgut. In the second gonotrophic cycle, trypsin and chymotrypsin were unaffected by growing oocysts, but aminopeptidase activity was reduced in the midguts of infected mosquitoes. Chymotrypsin activity was depressed and aminopeptidase activity elevated during the second gonotrophic cycle. Plasmodium infection has a negligible effect on bloodmeal digestion and does not limit the availability of the protein for egg production. The significance of changes in aminopeptidase activity when oocysts are present is discussed.
A domain-centric approach for recommending architectural tactics to satisfy quality concerns

Architectural tactics such as heartbeat, resource pooling, and scheduling, offer proven solutions for systematically increasing the reliability, security, performance, and other critical characteristics of a software system. Current literature on architectural tactics advocates a requirements-driven approach for deciding when and where tactics should be used in order to address specific quality concerns. In this paper we explore a domain-driven approach by building predictor models which capture relationships between topical domain concepts and the use of specific architectural tactics. Based on an extensive analysis of over 1000 open source systems, we identify significant correlations between domain topics and architectural tactics, and use this information to construct a predictor for generating tactic-related recommendations. Our approach is validated through a series of experiments which demonstrate the ability to generate package level recommendations. It is also illustrated through a worked example of package-level recommendations in the OfBiz Neogia system.
Gene Therapy in Hemophilia: Clinical Trials Update

Summary Disorders caused by inborn genetic errors have been a primary target for treatment by gene transfer. Hemophilia A and B have been considered especially important targets because the genes for factor VIII and IX are well characterized, levels of factor VIII and IX do not require complex regulation, small increases in factor level would have significant clinical benefits, good clinical and laboratory tests of efficacy exist, and excellent animal models of hemophilia are available. Four clinical trials of gene transfer in hemophilia, two in hemophilia A and two in hemophilia B, are currently underway or have been completed and two other trials have been approved. The collective interim results from these trials indicate that the current approaches and doses are safe and that low levels of expression are detected. These studies support the continued development of gene transfer as a potential treatment option for hemophilia.
Price Responsiveness of Cigarette Demand in US: Retail Scanner Data (1994–2007)

This paper investigates the changes in cigarette demand in response to the changes in cigarette prices; smokeless tobacco prices; adoption of clean indoor air laws (CIALs). We used an error-correction econometric method to estimate the cigarette sales adjustment path in response to changes in prices and CIAL coverage in the United States by utilizing scanner data from supermarkets. Finding from this study indicates that smokeless tobaccos are not perfect substitutes for cigarettes, but increases in the price of cigarettes are associated with an increase in smokeless tobacco sales. The error-correction econometric method suggest that the demand for cigarettes and smokeless tobacco is related to each other; a price increase in either product leads to an increase in demand for the other product. However, the adjustment paths are quite different; an increase in cigarette prices lowers cigarette sales in relatively faster rate than decreases in smokeless tobacco prices or adoption of smoke-free laws. Changes in cigarette demand in response to changes in cigarette prices occur relatively quickly; but the full effects of smokeless tobacco price change and the adoption of 100% smoke-free laws on cigarette demand take a longer time.
Commitment from a contractor workforce

This paper examines the notion of work commitment within the professional contractor workforce – a working relationship that typifies the growing number falling outside that of the traditional and ongoing employer/employee relationship. In particular, attention is given to the commitment‐related implications associated with the contracting relationship where both an employing organisation and a contracting agency are involved as both have a vested interest in managing the contractor within this construct. A specific focus of this research is the ability of a contractor to hold dual commitment and to investigate the factors that influence the levels of commitment to each party. The limited nature of data available within Australia means this study is supplemented with the much larger body of data and research from the USA. Implications from the findings of this study for human resource management practices in both contracting agencies and host organisations as well as future research needs are discussed.
Design of a RSSI Location System for Greenhouse Environment

In order to improve the location accuracy in the complicated greenhouse environment, a positioning system is designed in this paper. According to RSSI data in the greenhouse, the parameters of the path-loss model are modified. Besides, least square estimation is used to filter RSSI data to eliminate random disturbance. Based on RSSI, the blind node is positioned by triangle centroid location method. Finally, to lessen the negative influence of steel pillars in the greenhouse, a region segmentation mechanism is introduced to the system. Experiments prove that our positioning system has higher accuracy in the greenhouse.
Product Competition in Microprocessors

THERE HAVE been some striking recent developments in the theory of spatial and product competition, but relatively few empirical studies-see, however, Shaw [1982(a) and (b)]. This paper is an attempt to assess the empirical usefulness of these developments drawing on the history of product competition in microprocessors over the period 1971-81. In particular, our interest centres on attempts to introduce a role for what have been called "agglomeration" economies:1 that is, mutual external economies accruing to two or more producers selling similar products. In a recent survey, Graitson [1982] suggested that this particular development would provide theoretical models of special empirical relevance, and the evidence presented here, though by no means conclusive, tends to support that view. The paper is in five parts. Section I gives a brief review of some of the relevant developments in spatial and product competition theory. Section II gives a brief account of how the wide variety of microprocessors will be classified for the purposes of this study. Section III describes the history of developments in microprocessors over the period 1971 to 1981, and section IV assesses the theoretical developments in the light of this evidence. Finally, section V summarises the main points of the paper.
Oligopolio y competencia en la banca española del siglo XX: concentración económica y movilidad intra-industrial, 1922–1995*

RESUMEN La banca española se ha considerado tradicionalmente como una industria sujeta a comportamientos oligopolistas. Incluso se le ha llegado a tratar como un cartel, que se ha mantenido a lo largo del siglo xx con el apoyo del Estado. En este artículo se revisa esta interpretación con la ayuda de un conjunto de indicadores del grado de competencia en un mercado: una serie anual de concentración económica y otra de movilidad intra-industrial, así como algunas cifras estimativas de la altura de las barreras de entrada. Los resultados arrojan dudas sobre la tesis de la cartelización de la banca. En concreto, se defiende el carácter básicamente competitivo de la industria bancaria antes de la guerra civil y se pone en duda que la gran banca saliera incólume del statu quo del franquismo. ABSTRACT Spanish banking has been considered as an industry ruled by oligopolistic conducts. It has been even dealt as a cartel, which has been able to keep along xx century with the support of the State. This paper checks this interpretation with the aid of a set of indexes of the degree of competitori in a market: an annual series of economic concentration and another one of intra-industrial turnover, as well as some proxi figures of the height of the barriers to entry. Doubts about the thesis of the banking cartelization are yielded by our results. To be precise, the competitive nature of the Spanish banking industry is defended, at least for the time before the civil war, and it is questioned that big banks emerged unharmed from the statu quo declared by Franco's goverments.
Fast planning of precision grasps for 3D objects

In the near future, more and more robots will be used for servicing tasks, tasks in hazardous environments or space applications. Dextrous hands are a powerful and flexible tool to interact with these real world environments that are not specially tailored for robots. In order to grasp and manipulate real world objects, grasp planning systems are required. Grasp planning for general 3D objects is quite a complex problem requiring a large amount of computing time. Fast algorithms are required to integrate grasp planners in online planning systems for robots. This paper presents an heuristic approach towards fast planning of precision grasps for realistic, arbitrarily shaped 3D objects. In this approach a number of feasible grasp candidates are generated heuristically. These grasp candidates are qualified using an efficiently computable grasp quality measure and the best candidate is chosen. It is shown that only a relatively small number of grasp candidates has to be generated in order to obtain a good-although not optimal-grasp.
Systematic Review and Network Meta‐Analysis on the Efficacy of Evolocumab and Other Therapies for the Management of Lipid Levels in Hyperlipidemia

Background The proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors evolocumab and alirocumab substantially reduce low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) when added to statin therapy in patients who need additional LDL‐C reduction. Methods and Results We conducted a systematic review and network meta‐analysis of randomized trials of lipid‐lowering therapies from database inception through August 2016 (45 058 records retrieved). We found 69 trials of lipid‐lowering therapies that enrolled patients requiring further LDL‐C reduction while on maximally tolerated medium‐ or high‐intensity statin, of which 15 could be relevant for inclusion in LDL‐C reduction networks with evolocumab, alirocumab, ezetimibe, and placebo as treatment arms. PCSK9 inhibitors significantly reduced LDL‐C by 54% to 74% versus placebo and 26% to 46% versus ezetimibe. There were significant treatment differences for evolocumab 140 mg every 2 weeks at the mean of weeks 10 and 12 versus placebo (−74.1%; 95% credible interval −79.81% to −68.58%), alirocumab 75 mg (−20.03%; 95% credible interval −27.32% to −12.96%), and alirocumab 150 mg (−13.63%; 95% credible interval −22.43% to −5.33%) at ≥12 weeks. Treatment differences were similar in direction and magnitude for PCSK9 inhibitor monthly dosing. Adverse events were similar between PCSK9 inhibitors and control. Rates of adverse events were similar between PCSK9 inhibitors versus placebo or ezetimibe. Conclusions PCSK9 inhibitors added to medium‐ to high‐intensity statin therapy significantly reduce LDL‐C in patients requiring further LDL‐C reduction. The network meta‐analysis showed a significant treatment difference in LDL‐C reduction for evolocumab versus alirocumab.
Distribution of Mouse Adenovirus Type 1 in Intraperitoneally and Intranasally Infected Adult Outbred Mice

ABSTRACT In situ nucleic acid hybridization and immunohistochemistry were used to determine the histological localization of mouse adenovirus type 1 (MAV-1) during acute infection of adult mice infected either intraperitoneally or intranasally with 1,000 PFU of wild-type virus. Organ samples were collected from days 1 to 17 postinfection for the intraperitoneally infected mice and from days 1 to 13 for the intranasally infected mice. Endothelial cells of the brain and spinal cord showed extensive evidence of MAV-1 infection. Endothelial cells in lungs, kidneys, and other organs were also positive for MAV-1, indicating a widespread involvement of the systemic circulation. The presence of viral nucleic acid and/or antigen was also demonstrated in lymphoid tissue. The spleens, Peyer’s patches, and peripheral lymph nodes showed positive staining at various times postinfection in mice infected by either route. Virus-infected cells in the spleen exhibited a stellate shape and were localized to the red pulp and germinal centers, suggesting that they are cells of the mononuclear phagocytic system.
Asian American-Founded Ventures In Silicon Valley: Challenges, Strategic Partnership, And Performance

This paper examines the performance of Silicon Valley ventures with Asian-American founding teams. We review some challenges faced by these ventures, compare their performance with that of other ventures, and analyze the impact of strategic partnerships on their performance. Our results indicate that firms founded by Asian American entrepreneurs tend to require more time to reach initial public offering (IPO) status than do other ventures in Silicon Valley. Our results further show that, despite needing this extra time, Asian American-founded ventures significantly outperformed their counterparts in 12-month post-IPO share price gain. This superior short-term post-IPO performance suggests that Asian American firms, particularly those that lacked relationships with U.S.-based strategic investors, might have been undervalued prior to and at IPO.
GPU-Accelerated Solutions to Optimal Power Flow Problems

The optimal power flow problem (OPF) has been of importance to power system operators for many decades. Being able to quickly determine optimal operating points and analyzing larger networks can lead to advantages for operators from reliability, stability, cost and market fairness perspectives. This work aims at achieving those ends by solving OPF problems by utilizing hardware acceleration capabilities of graphical processing units (GPUs). At present, nearly all desktop and laptop computers ship with general-purpose GPUs that can be harnessed to accelerate analysis. This work will present important concepts regarding effective use of GPUs as it pertains to OPF problems and illustrate the types of problems that stand to benefit most from their use. The benefits of GPU acceleration are demonstrated by implementing a predictor-corrector interior-point method with the majority of the computation offloaded onto a GPU. Experiments are used to validate the developments by analyzing well-known power systems.