Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evolving Definitions of Remission in Crohn’s Disease

Background: Using clinical symptoms alone to inform treatment decisions in Crohn’s disease (CD) may increase the risk of disease progression and complications. Treatment beyond symptoms may offer improved outcomes. Methods: We explore alternative definitions of remission, beyond traditional clinical remission, incorporating more objective parameters of inflammation control, which may support prevention or delay the disease progression. These definitions could serve as a platform for future clinical research, evaluating whether treating beyond symptoms alters the natural history of CD. Results: Proposed definitions may include endoscopic remission (mucosal healing), normalization of serologic or fecal markers of inflammation, and even radiographic remission, in addition to clinical remission (symptom control). Endoscopic remission is the leading candidate for inclusion because it is the best studied. The definition should include considerations for both early and late disease given that in late disease, which may be associated with operation-related symptoms or irreversible bowel damage, symptomatic remission may not achievable. Desired outcomes in early disease are complete absence of symptoms, no disease progression, no complications or disability, and normal quality of life. In late disease, there are stabilization of noninflammatory symptoms, no progression of damage or disability, and improved quality of life. Conclusions: Over time, we anticipate that a working definition of remission that includes both biological remission and clinical remission will evolve and be evaluated in clinical trials. Our proposed definition is a possible starting point for that evolution. Ultimately, the goal in evolving the definition of remission is to improve the outcomes in patients with CD.
Using Gamification to Orient and Motivate Students to Contribute to OSS Projects

Students can benefit from contributing to Open Source Software (OSS), since they can enrich their portfolio and learn with real world projects. However, sometimes students are demotivated to contribute due to entrance barriers. On the other hand, gamification is widely used to engage and motivate people to accomplish tasks and improve their performance. The goal of this work is to analyze the use of gamification to orient and motivate undergraduate students to overcome onboarding barriers and engage to OSS projects. To achieve this goal, we implemented four gaming elements (Quests, Points, Ranking, and Levels) in GitLab and assessed the environment by means of a study conducted with 17 students, within a real OSS project (JabRef). At the end of the study, the students evaluated their experience through a questionnaire. We found that the Quest element helped to guide participants and keep them motivated and points helped by providing feedback on students' performed tasks. We conclude that the gamified environment oriented the students in an attempt to make a contribution and that gamification can motivate and orient newcomers' to engage to OSS projects.
Framing Performance Management of Acute‐Care Hospitals by Interlacing NPM and Institutional Perspectives: A New Theoretical Framework

This paper develops a theoretical framework which combines ideas underlying new public management (NPM) with new institutional sociology (NIS) to explore the development of performance management during a period of healthcare reform. The framework distinguishes three categories of explanatory variables; NPM antecedents, the institutional environment and institutional elements within a three tier level of analysis; economic/political, organisational field and organisational unit level. Evidence to support the relevance and appropriateness of this framework is gathered within the Irish health service using in‐depth interviews, a questionnaire and documentary data. The application of the framework highlights that all antecedents of NPM can be influential and that all institutional elements can play a role at the three different levels of analysis.
DESIGN OF AN INJECTION-MOLDED IMPEDANCE CELL FOR MEASURING THE DIELECTRIC CONSTANT AND CONDUCTIVITY OF LIQUIDS AND GASES ACROSS ADJUSTABLE NANOMETER ELECTRODE GAPS

INTRODUCTION Accurate measurement of dielectric constant and conductivity, also known as, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) is a simple, yet powerful technique for analyzing the properties of liquids and gases. EIS is currently used in a wide range of industrial applications including monitoring the purity of boiler water in power plants [1], as well as, the health of lubricants in heavy machinery [2]. Conductivity measurements can also be used as a chemical detector by using a conductivity assay to gain selectivity over specific ions or compounds.
Multi-expert decision-making with incomplete and noisy fuzzy rules and the monotone test

The use of Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) in decision making problems has received little attention so far. This may be due to the difficulty in gathering a complete set of fuzzy rules, which is free from noise, and the complexity in constructing an FIS model that is able to satisfy a number of important properties, including the monotonicity property. Previously, we have proposed a single-input Monotone-Interval FIS (MI-FIS) model, which can handle incomplete and non-monotone fuzzy rules. Besides that, we have proposed the idea of a monotone test (MT) for a set of fuzzy rules, which give an indication pertaining to the degree of monotonicity of a fuzzy rules set. In this paper, a multi-input MI-FIS model is firstly presented. The focus of this paper is on the use of MI-FIS and MT for undertaking multi expert decision-making (MEDM) problems. A three-phase MEDM framework consists of modelling, aggregation, and exploitation phases is proposed. In the modelling phase, an MT index for each fuzzy rule base from each expert, which is potentially non-monotone and incomplete, is obtained. The provided fuzzy rule bases are also modelled as MI-FISs. In the aggregation phase, an overall collective rating score of an alternative from a number of experts is obtained through the fuzzy weighted averaging operator. We suggest including MT as part of the aggregation phase. In exploitation phase, a rank ordering procedure among the alternatives is established using a possibility method. The developed framework is evaluated with simulated information. The results show that including the MT index in the aggregation phase is able to increase the robustness of the proposed FIS-MEDM model in the presence of noisy fuzzy rule sets.
Dorsal specification in blastoderm at the blastula stage in the goldfish, Carassius auratus

The teleost dorsoventral axis cannot be morphologically distinguished before gastrulation. Previous studies by the current authors have shown that localized dorsalizing activity in the yolk cell (YC) induces the dorsal tissues in the overlying blastoderm. In order to examine whether or not dorsal blastomeres are committed to their dorsal fate before the gastrula stage, a variety of transplant operations were performed in goldfish blastoderms at the mid‐ to late‐blastula stages. When the blastoderm was cut from the YC, rotated horizontally at 180°, and recombined with the YC, the blastoderm frequently developed two axes, indicating that dorsal blastomeres of the blastula had already acquired the ability to differentiate into the organizer in the absence of dorsalizing signals from the YC. This result was further confirmed by experiments using ventralized embryos in which no dorsal structures formed: the axis formation was frequently observed in the normal blastoderm combined with the ventralized YC at the blastula stage. However, the axes formed in the absence of dorsal information from the YC exhibited a lower dorso‐anterior index. Furthermore, the dorsal specification was not stably maintained when the dorsal cells were located far from the YC. These results suggest that the inductive and permissive influence of the YC may be required for the blastoderm to undergo full dorsal differentiation.
Exponential stability of stochastic delay interval systems with Markovian switching

In the past few years, a lot of research has been dedicated to the stability of interval systems as well as the stability of systems with Markovian switching. However, little research has been on the stability of interval systems with Markovian switching, which is the topic of this paper. The system discussed is the stochastic delay interval system with Markovian switching. It is a very advanced system and takes all the features of interval systems, Ito equations, and Markovian switching, as well as time lag, into account. The theory developed is applicable in many different and complicated situations so the importance of the paper is clear.
Model reduction for linear systems with low-rank switching

We introduce a novel model order reduction (MOR) method for large-scale linear switched systems (LSS) where the coefficient matrices are affected by a low-rank switching. The key idea is to replace the LSS by a nonswitched system with extended input and output vectors---called the envelope system---which is able to reproduce the dynamical behavior of the original LSS by applying a certain feedback law. The envelope system can be reduced using standard MOR schemes and then transformed back into an LSS. Furthermore, we present an upper bound for the output error of the reduced-order LSS and show how to preserve quadratic Lyapunov stability. The approach is tested by means of a numerical example demonstrating the efficacy of the presented method.
My life in politics

Born in 1913 to poor working-class parents, Willy Brandt was involved in socialist politics from an early age. By 1933 he was an active anti-Nazi, so that at 19 he had to flee Germany for Denmark and Norway. He was to remain outside Germany for the next 18 years, involved in the resistance and as a radical journalist all that time. For his troubles he was stripped of his German nationality in 1938; it was only returned to him in 1948. And yet within a year he was a deputy for Berlin in the first German Bundestage. From then on his rise was rapid, and in 1970 he was made Chancellor and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1971. Now in his seventies he is still a tireless internationalist. The historic events of 1989 were the culmination of a political career dedicated to bringing East and West together. This book chronicles the life of Willy Brandt, the former Chancellor of West Germany.
Industrial Ecosystems as Food Webs

Colocated industries exchange products and by‐products in ways reminiscent of the exchange of resources in biological ecosystems. To better understand these “industrial ecosys‐tems”, we have applied food‐web theory to a set of 19 actual and hypothetical eco‐industrial parks and integrated biosys‐tems. We find a linear relationship between number of industrial tenants and number of linkages among them and connectance values of 0.5 to 0.6 (typical of biological ecosystems). The results may provide initial perspective on designing eco‐industrial parks to maximize the utilization of resources and minimize the generation of wastes. Increased connectance in industrial ecosystems, however, does not necessarily imply increased stability or improved environmental performance.
Disability evaluation in chronic fatigue syndrome: associations between exercise capacity and activity limitations/participation restrictions

Objective: In an attempt to examine whether impairments in cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with daily functioning in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), this study addresses the correlations between exercise capacity and activity limitations/participation restrictions. Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: An outpatient tertiary care, chronic fatigue clinic at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium. Subjects: Seventy-seven patients fulfilling the 1994 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) case definition for CFS. Interventions: All patients filled in the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Activities and Participation Questionnaire (CFS-APQ) and performed a maximal exercise stress test on a bicycle ergometer. Heart rate was monitored continuously by use of an electrocardiograph. Metabolic and ventilatory parameters were measured through spirometry. Results: A statistically significant correlation between the score obtained with the CFS-APQ and the body weight-adjusted peak oxygen uptake (Spearman rho = -0.32; p = 0.005), functional aerobic impairment (rho = 0.33; p = 0.004), workload/body weight (rho = -0.30; p = 0.009), exercise duration (rho = -0.30; p = 0.008), and the percentage of target heart rate achieved (rho = -0.33; p = 0.004) was observed. The correlations between the remaining exercise capacity parameters and the scores obtained with the CFS-APQ all indicated a trend towards association (0.01<p<0.05). Conclusions: These results suggest a moderate association between exercise capacity and activity limitations/participation restrictions in patients with CFS. The observed correlations lack strength to predict activity limitations/ participation restriction based on exercise capacity parameters. Disability evaluation in CFS should therefore encompass both exercise capacity testing and measurements at the activity/participation dimension.
Alternative splicing regulation by Muscleblind proteins: from development to disease

Regulated use of exons in pre‐mRNAs, a process known as alternative splicing, strongly contributes to proteome diversity. Alternative splicing is finely regulated by factors that bind specific sequences within the precursor mRNAs. Members of the Muscleblind (Mbl) family of splicing factors control critical exon use changes during the development of specific tissues, particularly heart and skeletal muscle. Muscleblind homologs are only found in metazoans from Nematoda to mammals. Splicing targets and recognition mechanisms are also conserved through evolution. In this recognition, Muscleblind CCCH‐type zinc finger domains bind to intronic motifs in pre‐mRNA targets in which the protein can either activate or repress splicing of nearby exons, depending on the localization of the binding motifs relative to the regulated alternative exon. In humans, the Muscleblind‐like 1 (MBNL1) proteins play a critical role in hereditary diseases caused by microsatellite expansions, particularly myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), in which depletion of MBNL1 activity through sequestration explains most misregulated alternative splicing events, at least in murine models. Because of the involvement of these proteins in human diseases, further understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which MBNL1 regulates splicing will help design therapies to revert pathological splicing alterations. Here we summarize the most relevant findings on this family of proteins in recent years, focusing on recently described functional motifs, transcriptional regulation of Muscleblind, regulatory activity on splicing, and involvement in human diseases.
Study on cross-coupled substrate integrated evanescent-mode waveguide filter

A direct-coupled and a cross-coupled substrate integrated evanescent-mode waveguide bandpass filter (BPF) are implemented with folded and ridge substrate integrated waveguide (FSIW/RSIW). The proposed BPFs have the advantages of high frequency selectivity, low loss, low cost, and easy integration. Compared with the conventional SIW cavity-coupled BPFs, the proposed cross-coupled BPF has much smaller size. The spurious suppression characteristics of both the direct-coupled and the cross-coupled evanescent-mode BPFs are also examined, and their superior performances are validated by the simulated and measured results, with good agreement obtained between them.
A Three (or More) Factor Model of Growth with Induced Innovation

To the classical economists, and especially to Ricardo, the primary obstacle to economic growth was diminishing returns to a fixed supply of land. Capital accumulation could only be a temporary phenomenon, accompanied by a falling rate of profit, until ultimately the rent of scarce natural resources would swallow up the whole of national income above a bare subsistence wage. Essentially similar views have been revived recently with the emphasis on physical constraints, rather than their expression in prices as rent, and with the semantic alteration of substituting "environment" for " land ". The principal counter-argument, then as now, to this gloomy perspective, is that technical progress can stave off diminishing returns to permit continued growth. Since modern, formal growth theory has been so concerned with states of steady growth, the obvious question is whether steady growth is compatible with the existence of a fixed supply of economically scarce land. We do not, of course, expect growth in the real world to conform to the rigid requirements of steady growth as defined for model-building purposes, but an answer to this question would at least be a start. We shall see below that exogenous technical progress will not fit the bill, except by coincidence, so we turn to the theories of induced bias in technical progress put forward by Kennedy [1] and developed by Samuelson [2], Drandakis and Phelps [3] and others which have been used to provide a mechanism which leads technical progress to Harrod neutrality in the two factor case. In this paper these theories will be extended to show how steady growth could co-exist with fixed supplies of land.3
Can CD34 discriminate between benign and malignant hepatocytic lesions in fine‐needle aspirates and thin core biopsies?

Distinguishing well differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from benign hepatocellular lesions is a well recognized problem in fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) cytology. The endothelial cell marker CD34 is negative in normal hepatic sinusoids and stains vessels diffusely in HCC. This feature is useful in distinguishing benign from malignant hepatocytic lesions in histological specimens, although benign lesions may show focal positivity for CD34 confined to periportal and periseptal areas. In this study, we assess the role of CD34 in cell block and thin core biopsy material from benign and malignant hepatocellular lesions, and compare it with reticulin staining.
Long‐Term Culture and Differentiation of Rat Embryonic Stem Cell‐Like Cells into Neuronal, Glial, Endothelial, and Hepatic Lineages

The in vitro differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells into different somatic cell types such as neurons, endothelial cells, or myocytes is a well‐established procedure. Long‐term culture of rat embryonic stem cells is known to be hazardous, and attempts to differentiate these cells in vitro so far have been unsuccessful. We herein describe stable long‐term culture of an alkaline phosphatase‐positive rat embryonic stem cell‐like cell line (RESC) and its differentiation into neuronal, endothelial, and hepatic lineages. RESCs were characterized by typical growth in single cells as well as in embryoid bodies when cultured in the presence of leukemia inhibitory factor. RESC expressed stage‐specific‐embryonic antigen‐1 and the major histocompatibility complex class I molecule. For neuronal differentiation, cells were incubated with medium containing 10−6 M retinoic acid for 14 days. For endothelial differentiation, RESCs were grown on Matrigel for 14 days, and for induction of hepatocyte‐specific antigen expression, RESCs were grown in medium supplemented with fibroblast growth factor‐4. Differentiated cells exhibited typical morphological changes and expressed neuronal (nestin, mitogen‐activated protein‐2, synaptophysin), glial (S100, glial fibrillary acid protein), endothelial (panendothelial antibody, CD31) and hepatocyte‐specific (α‐fetoprotein [αFP], albumin, α‐1‐antitrypsin, CK18) antigens. In addition, expression of hepatocyte‐specific genes (αFP, transthyretin, carbamoyl‐phosphate synthetase, and coagulation factor‐2) was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. We were able to culture RESCs under stable, long‐term conditions and to initiate programmed differentiation of RESCs to endothelial, neuronal, glial, and hepatic lineages in the rat species.
Mortality After Kidney Transplantation: A Comparison Between the United States and Canada

There is a paucity of comparative studies on country‐specific outcomes in kidney transplantation. We compared post‐transplant mortality among primary, adult, solitary kidney transplant recipients (KTR) from the United States (n = 70 708) and Canada (n = 5773), between January 1, 1991 and December 31, 1998, using data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients and the Canadian Organ Replacement Register. Multivariable Cox regression revealed higher adjusted post‐transplant mortality among U.S. (vs. Canadian) KTR (HR = 1.35 [95% CI 1.24, 1.47; p < 0.005]). Mortality risk in the first post‐transplant year was similar in both countries but higher in the United States beyond the first year (HR = 1.49–1.53; p < 0.005). There was no difference in mortality among patients transplanted within 1 year of starting dialysis, but mortality was increased in U.S. (vs. Canadian) patients after 1–2 and 4+ years on dialysis (HR = 1.36–1.66; p < 0.005). Greater mortality was also seen in U.S. patients with diabetes mellitus and/or graft failure. In conclusion, there are considerable differences in the survival of KTR in the United States and Canada. A detailed examination of factors contributing to this variation may yield important insights into improving outcomes for all KTR.
Change in Employee Relations — Can Line Managers Deliver?

This paper originates from a 30‐month study funded by the Leverhulme Trust on ‘Preparing Managers for Changes in Employee Relations’. The study consists of two linked empirical stages, the first consisting of in‐depth surveys of 45 establishments, with aggregated employment in excess of 100,000 employees. Each establishment has been subjected to a lengthy questionnaire, in‐depth follow‐up interviews with senior on‐site managers and in some cases, additional questionnaires administered to line managers. The second stage, commencing in April 1995, consists of in‐depth case studies of six of these organisations.
Late Gadolinium Enhancement on Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Predicts Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes in Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background—Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) by cardiac MR (CMR) is a predictor of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM). However, these findings are limited by single-center studies, small sample sizes, and low event rates. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic role of LGE by CMR (LGE-CMR) imaging in patients with NICM. Methods and Results—PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, and EMBASE were searched for studies looking at the prognostic value of LGE-CMR in patients with NICM. The primary end points included all-cause mortality, heart failure hospitalization, and a composite end point of sudden cardiac death (SCD) or aborted SCD. Pooling of odds ratios was performed using a random-effect model, and annualized event rates were assessed. Data were included from 9 studies with a total of 1488 patients and a mean follow-up of 30 months. Patients had a mean age of 52 years, 67% were men, and the average left ventricular ejection fraction was 37% on CMR. LGE was present in 38% of patients. Patients with LGE had increased overall mortality (odds ratio, 3.27; P<0.00001), heart failure hospitalization (odds ratio, 2.91; P=0.02), and SCD/aborted SCD (odds ratio, 5.32; P<0.00001) compared with those without LGE. The annualized event rates for mortality were 4.7% for LGE+ subjects versus 1.7% for LGE− subjects (P=0.01), 5.03% versus 1.8% for heart failure hospitalization (P=0.002), and 6.0% versus 1.2% for SCD/aborted SCD (P<0.001). Conclusions—LGE in patients with NICM is associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, heart failure hospitalization, and SCD. Detection of LGE by CMR has excellent prognostic characteristics and may help guide risk stratification and management in patients with NICM.