Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Outcomes in African American Kidney Transplant Patients Receiving Tacrolimus and Mycophenolic Acid Immunosuppression

Background Prospective data regarding immunosuppression and rejection in African American patients receiving modern immunosuppressive regimens are sparse. Methods One-year data were analyzed from 901 tacrolimus-treated de novo kidney transplant patients in the prospective Mycophenolic Acid Observational Renal Transplant registry. Results Mean tacrolimus dose was significantly higher in African Americans (n=217) versus non–African Americans (n=684), but mean tacrolimus trough concentrations were similar. The proportion of patients receiving mycophenolic acid dose equal to or more than 2000 mg per day (mycophenolate mofetil equivalents) was significantly higher with enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium versus mycophenolate mofetil at month 6 among African Americans and at month 3 in non–African Americans, but rates of acute rejection and adverse events (including gastrointestinal events) were similar. The 1-year incidence of biopsy-proven acute rejection (BPAR) was 14.1% in African Americans versus 7.5% in non–African Americans. On multivariate analysis, African American ethnicity was associated with a higher risk of BPAR (hazard ratio, 1.93; 95% confidence interval, 1.19–3.09; P=0.007). Mean (standard deviation) glomerular filtration rate at month 12 estimated by the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration formula was 59.2 (22.2) mL/min/1.73 m2 in African Americans versus 58.8 (19.9) mL/min/1.73 m2 in non–African Americans (confidence interval of the difference, −3.4 to 4.3; P=0.83). Conclusion This observational study confirms that African Americans require higher doses of tacrolimus to achieve target trough concentrations and are more likely to experience BPAR during the first year after kidney transplantation despite modern immunosuppression regimens. In our 1-year study, this was not associated with significantly inferior graft survival.
Basic study of magnetic resonance coupling-based distance sensor with adjustable sensing range using active quality factor control

Recently, various types of mobile robots have clearly gained attention and some are readily available. In response to this, the authors have been studying on the system which provides both power and self-position : the essential quantities for the mobile robot, by single non-restraint device. The proposed system realized the wireless power transmission and position sensing simultaneously using magnetic resonance coupling. However, due to the fact that sensing range depends on the fixed quality factor of antenna, the narrow sensing range of the current system was a problem in the practical use. Therefore, the authors are considering a new approach which enables the control of the sensing range by active quality factor control. In this paper, the system configuration, basic theories and circuit analysis results of the active quality factor control approach are introduced.
ISO 9000 certification and technical efficiency of foreign‐financed manufacturing firms in southern China: A stochastic frontier approach

Purpose - Based on a sample of foreign-financed manufacturing firms in southern China, the purpose of this paper is to study the effects of ISO certification on productivity. Design/methodology/approach - The paper employs the stochastic frontier approach to estimate frontier efficiency scores at firm level. Findings - The empirical results suggest that the implementation of ISO was able to improve firms' productivity in the form of a wholly disembodied shift of the production frontier. The results further show that there was a mildly positive embodied shift of the production frontier due to the effects of ISO on the marginal product of labor. However, the embodied effects of ISO on the marginal product of capital were not significant. Research limitations/implications - The sample size is small and the data were collected from southern China. A generalization of results to other parts of China should be interpreted with caution. Despite the limited degree of generalization, firms with ISO certifications are suggested to be aware of certain flexibility in the implementation of the ISO documented procedures. Practical implications - The findings of the paper should be of general interest to firms seeking or adopting ISO system or other international standards. Originality/value - The originality of the paper resides in the fact that the empirical work investigates the embodied effects of ISO certification on the marginal product of labor and capital.
Treatment of the end Stage Liver Cirrhosis by Human Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells: Preliminary Results

The liver is a vital organ essential for life of vertebrates and other animals and plays a variety of metabolic functions, including glycogen storage, detoxification, plasma protein synthesis, the production of biochemicals for digestion and other roles. In the normal liver, hepatocytes physiologically renewed at very slow tempo. However, when injured by acute damage or drug intoxications, dormant hepatocytes re-enter the cell cycle and hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) or oval cells are also thought to differentiate into hepatocytes, resulting in restoration of the structure and functions of the liver parenchyma (1-2): thus the liver has regenerative capacity. In severely overwhelmed cases, mature hepatocytes seemed to be blocked their proliferation activity, but HPCs are thought to be profoundly activated and play an important role in compensation of liver function (3, 4). When liver injury and inflammation occur chronically, normal liver tissue is replaced by fibrosis, scare tissue, diffuse necrosis and regenerative nodules (5), thus resulting in an irreversible chronic inflammation loss of liver function at the final stage: liver cirrhosis (LC) (6, 7, 8, 9). Regardless of its underlying causes, the morphologic figures and complications caused by LC are similar and as disease progresses, complications develop. They include portal hypertension, varix, ascities, hepatic encephalopathy, idiopathic peritonitis and hepatic coma. The classification of LC is based on the etiology, such as alcoholics, post-hepatitic, biliary, cardiac, metabolic, inherited and drug induced cirrhosis. Incidence of the specific types of liver cirrhosis is different from area to areas. Alcoholic cirrhosis is the most common type in North America, Western Europe and South America. Abstinence from alcohol would prevent the complicating liver cirrhosis (10). One-fourth of the patients with repeated liver injuries and three fourth of post-hepatitic cirrhosis has the history of viral hepatitis (hepatitis B or hepatitis C). Post-hepatitic cirrhosis induced by those viruses is the
A unifying passivity framework for network flow control

Network flow control regulates the traffic between sources and links based on congestion, and plays a critical role in ensuring satisfactory performance. In recent studies, global stability has been shown for several flow control schemes. By using a passivity approach, this paper presents a unifying framework which encompasses these stability results as special cases. In addition, the new approach significantly expands the current classes of stable flow controllers by augmenting the source and link update laws with passive dynamic systems. This generality offers the possibility of optimizing the controllers, for example, to improve robustness and performance with respect to time delay, unmodeled flows, and capacity variation.
Genetic heterogeneity of Escherichia coli isolated from pasteurized milk in State of Paraná, Brazil

Food contamination caused by enteric pathogens is a major cause of diarrheal disease worldwide, resulting in high morbidity and mortality and significant economic losses. Bacteria are important agents of foodborne diseases, particularly diarrheagenic Escherichia coli. The present study assessed the genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance of E. coli isolates from pasteurized milk processed in 21 dairies in northwestern State of Parana, Brazil. The 95 E. coli isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing according to the recommendations of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute and assessed genotypically by Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus-Polymerase Chain Reaction (ERIC-PCR). The highest rate of resistance was observed for cephalothin (55.78%). ERIC-PCR revealed high genetic diversity, clustering the 95 bacterial isolates into 90 different genotypic patterns. These results showed a heterogeneous population of E. coli in milk samples produced in the northwestern region of Parana and the need for good manufacturing practices throughout the processing of pasteurized milk to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses.
The OCC Model Revisited

Although popular among computer scientists, the OCC model of emotions contains a number of ambiguities that stand in the way of a truthful formalization or implementation. This paper aims to identify and clarify several of these ambiguities. Furthermore, a new inheritance-based view of the logical structure of emotions of the OCC model is proposed and discussed.
Status and Solutions for the World’s Unassessed Fisheries

First, Find Fish While salmon, cod, and tuna fisheries are regularly monitored and assessed, this is not the case for about 80% of the fish species harvested throughout the world. Costello et al. (p. 517 published online 27 September; see the Perspective by Pikitch) used a model that integrates harvest, population, and ecological data to estimate the status of unassessed fisheries, based on ecologically analogous, regularly assessed fisheries. Generally, unassessed fisheries are in worse condition with declining fish stocks compared with regularly assessed fisheries. Poorly monitored, small-size fisheries are in decline, but few of them are near collapse. Recent reports suggest that many well-assessed fisheries in developed countries are moving toward sustainability. We examined whether the same conclusion holds for fisheries lacking formal assessment, which comprise >80% of global catch. We developed a method using species’ life-history, catch, and fishery development data to estimate the status of thousands of unassessed fisheries worldwide. We found that small unassessed fisheries are in substantially worse condition than assessed fisheries, but that large unassessed fisheries may be performing nearly as well as their assessed counterparts. Both small and large stocks, however, continue to decline; 64% of unassessed stocks could provide increased sustainable harvest if rebuilt. Our results suggest that global fishery recovery would simultaneously create increases in abundance (56%) and fishery yields (8 to 40%).
A school-based, teacher-mediated prevention program (ERASE-Stress) for reducing terror-related traumatic reactions in Israeli youth: a quasi-randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Since September 2000 Israeli children have been exposed to a large number of terrorist attacks. A universal, school-based intervention for dealing with the threat of terrorism as well as with terror-related symptoms, ERASE-Stress (ES), was evaluated in a male religious middle school in southern Israel. The program was administered by the homeroom teachers as part of the school curriculum. It consists of 12 classroom sessions each lasting 90 minutes, and included psycho-educational material, skill training and resiliency strategies delivered to the students by homeroom teachers. METHODS One hundred and fourteen 7th and 8th grade students were randomly assigned to the ES intervention or were part of a waiting list (WL). They were assessed on measures of posttraumatic symptomatology, depression, somatic symptoms and functional problems before and 3 months after the intervention or the WL period. RESULTS Three months after the program ended, students in the experimental group showed significant reduction in all measures compared to the waiting-list control group. CONCLUSIONS The ERASE-Stress program may help students suffering from terror-related posttraumatic symptoms and mitigate the negative effects of future traumatic experiences. Furthermore, a school-based universal program such as the ERASE-Stress may potentially serve as an important and effective component of a community mental health policy for communities affected by terrorism.
Contractility and retrograde flow in lamellipodium motion

We present a phenomenological description of cell locomotion on a solid substrate. The material properties of the actin cytoskeleton in the lamellipodium are described by the constitutive equations of a viscous polar gel with intrinsic activity. The polymerization of the gel takes place in a localized region near the leading edge. Using a simple two-dimensional description, we calculate in the steady state the thickness profile of the lamellipodium which at the rear connects to the cell body; we also calculate the flow profiles and the forces exerted on the substrate. The cell velocity is estimated as a function of externally applied forces. Our description is consistent with experimentally observed properties of motile cells such as the existence of a retrograde flow in the lamellipodium and a dipolar force distribution exerted by the cell on the substrate.
Association of KLK5 overexpression with invasiveness of urinary bladder carcinoma cells

Array‐based comparative genomic hybridization (array‐CGH) has powerful potential for high‐throughput identification of genetic aberrations in cell genomes. We identified high‐level amplification of kallikrein (KLK) genes, which are mapped to 19q13.3 and belong to the serine protease family, in the course of a program to screen a panel of urinary bladder carcinoma cell lines for genomic copy number aberrations using our in‐house CGH‐array. Expression levels of KLK5, ‐6, ‐8 and ‐9 were significantly increased in three cell lines with copy number gains of these KLK genes. Knockdown of these KLK transcripts by specific small interfering RNA significantly inhibited the invasion of a bladder carcinoma cell line through Matrigel in vitro. Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction analysis of 42 primary bladder tumor samples showed that increased expression of KLK5 was frequently observed in invasive tumors (pT2–pT4) (14.3%, 6/42) compared with superficial tumors (pTa, pT1) (0%, 0/42; P = 0.0052), and expression levels of KLK5, ‐6, ‐8 and ‐9 mRNA were higher in invasive tumors than in superficial tumors (P < 0.0001, P = 0.0043, P = 0.0790 and P = 0.0037, respectively). These observations indicate that KLK5, ‐6, ‐8 and ‐9 may be the most likely targets of the 19q13.3 amplification, and may play a crucial role in promoting cancer‐cell invasion in bladder tumor. (Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 1078–1086)
A JPEG variable quantization method for compound documents

In this paper, we present a JPEC-compliant method for the efficient compression of compound documents using variable quantization. Based on the DCT activity of each 8 x 8 block, our scheme automatically adjusts the quantization scaling factors so that test blocks are compressed at higher quality than image blocks. Results from three different quantization mappings are also reported.
Médiateurs chimiques dans la symbiose Cnidaire-Dinoflagellés : caractérisation, distribution et réponse au stress

Le succes evolutif des Cnidaires symbiotiques reside en grande partie dans leurs echanges trophiques etablis avec les Dinoflagelles du genre Symbiodinium. Cependant, le rechauffement climatique global ainsi que les pollutions ont un impact fort sur les ecosystemes coralliens, notamment en conduisant a la rupture de la symbiose, phenomene appele blanchissement. La comprehension des mecanismes qui regissent l’etablissement, le maintien et la rupture de la symbiose est essentielle a la prevention des episodes de blanchissement massif. Dans ce contexte, les objectifs de mon projet de these sont de caracteriser les mediateurs chimiques de l’anemone de mer Anemonia viridis, de les localiser, et d’analyser leur reponse face a un stress. Parmi les composes caracterises, les lipides et les betaines sont les plus abondants et presentent une grande diversite. Certains sont transferes des symbiotes vers l’hote. Des anemones de mer ont ensuite ete traitees en laboratoire afin de provoquer la rupture de la symbiose et le blanchissement des individus. Une etude cinetique a ete menee par une approche globale comparative identique a celle realisee sur l’anemone symbiotique. Par ailleurs, une cartographie de l’evolution de composes cle a ete realisee par MALDI-MSI. La reponse au stress a ete evaluee et a permis d’identifier des lipides de betaine et trois indicateurs lipidiques comme marqueurs de reponse precoce au stress. L’ensemble de ces resultats apporte de nouveaux elements de reponse concernant le role des mediateurs chimiques cles dans le maintien de la symbiose, ainsi que leur influence sur sa rupture.
High-Fat Diet–Induced Mitochondrial Biogenesis Is Regulated by Mitochondrial-Derived Reactive Oxygen Species Activation of CaMKII

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK) activation induces mitochondrial biogenesis in response to increasing cytosolic calcium concentrations. Calcium leak from the ryanodine receptor (RyR) is regulated by reactive oxygen species (ROS), which is increased with high-fat feeding. We examined whether ROS-induced CaMKII-mediated signaling induced skeletal muscle mitochondrial biogenesis in selected models of lipid oversupply. In obese Zucker rats and high-fat–fed rodents, in which muscle mitochondrial content was upregulated, CaMKII phosphorylation was increased independent of changes in calcium uptake because sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) protein expression or activity was not altered, implicating altered sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium leak in the activation of CaMKII. In support of this, we found that high-fat feeding increased mitochondrial ROS emission and S-nitrosylation of the RyR, whereas hydrogen peroxide induced SR calcium leak from the RyR and activation of CaMKII. Moreover, administration of a mitochondrial-specific antioxidant, SkQ, prevented high-fat diet–induced phosphorylation of CaMKII and the induction of mitochondrial biogenesis. Altogether, these data suggest that increased mitochondrial ROS emission is required for the induction of SR calcium leak, activation of CaMKII, and induction of mitochondrial biogenesis in response to excess lipid availability.
IT outsourcing: frameworks for conceptualizing practice and perception

This paper seeks to conceptualize theory and practice of information technology (IT)‐based outsourcing. It uses four conceptual frameworks in this respect – core competencies, transaction cost economics, agency theory and partnership – in an empirical comparison of IT outsourcing in the public and private sectors within the UK. The qualitative research methodology involved interviews with IT managers in both sectors and documentary analysis of outsourcing vendors’ literature. The findings suggest that practices and perceptions of IT outsourcing found in the two sectors support the basic principles of some frameworks more than others, e.g. core competencies, transaction cost economics and agency theory are well developed with partnerships less so. However, using all four frameworks improves understanding of multifaceted strategic practice in fundamentally different types of organization and helps to expose some issues which have not emerged in previous outsourcing studies.
Screening for intimate partner violence in a primary care setting: the validity of "feeling safe at home" and prevalence results.

BACKGROUND We conducted a study to assess the validity of a screening question commonly used to detect intimate partner violence (IPV) in primary care settings. We also analyzed prevalence and risk factors of IPV. METHODS We used an embedded domestic violence detection instrument in a general health questionnaire at one family medicine clinic. Questionnaire scales included a modified version of the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS), depression and alcohol use scales, and a personal safety question ("Do you feel safe at home? "). We assessed the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of the personal safety question in our sample using responses to the modified CTS and the personal safety question. Three hundred ninety-nine female patients over the age of 18 completed the survey. RESULTS CTS results revealed 44.3% of women experienced any violence, 43.5% of women experienced psychological violence in the presence or absence of physical violence, and 10.3% experienced physical violence in the presence or absence of psychological violence in the previous 90 days. The sensitivity of a single question used to detect any violence ("Do you feel safe at home? ") was 8.8%; the specificity was 91.2%. Racial identity, marital status, and depression influenced the likelihood of IPV. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary results call into question the utility of the safety question "Do you feel safe at home" for detecting cases of intimate partner violence in a primary care sample.
Arthroscopic Treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis: Clinical and Cadaveric Studies

Clinical and cadaveric studies were done to investigate the role of a degenerative fringe of the radiocapitellar complex subluxating in the radiocapitellar joint in patients with lateral epicondylitis. In the clinical study, arthroscopic resection of this capsular complex was done. Thirty patients with recalcitrant symptoms of lateral epicondylitis for a minimum of 9 months had surgery. In all patients at arthroscopy, a collar-like band of radiocapitellar capsular complex was found to impinge on the radial head and subluxate into the radiocapitellar joint with manipulation under direct vision. Histologic analyses of the resected tissue showed hyaline degeneration and fibrosis. There were no complications in this series. Twenty-eight patients had complete relief of symptoms by this procedure within 2 weeks of surgery. The average time until return to work was 7 days. Elbow arthroscopy was done in 34 cadaveric elbows to examine the relationship of the annular ligament, the lateral joint capsule, and the radial head. A degenerative capsular fold impinging on the radial head was seen in 15 elbows. A classification system, based on the relationship of the capsular fold to the radial head is described. In Type 1 (19 elbows), the radial head is completely exposed. In Type 2 (six elbows), there is partial coverage of the radial head by the capsuloligamentous complex without interposition into the joint in any position. In Type 3 elbows (six elbows), there is subluxation of the capsular edge into the joint, whereas in Type 4 elbows (three elbows), the radial head is completely obscured throughout the range of motion. The lesion was equally prevalent in men and women. The arthroscopic findings at the time of surgery in the clinical group were the same as the Grade 2 and Grade 3 changes that were seen in cadaveric specimens. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic study, Level IV (case series-no, or historical control group). See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.