Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predictors of Graft Failure and Death in Elderly Kidney Transplant Recipients

Background The upper age limit to receive a kidney transplant has progressively risen, but the outcomes of elderly (ages ≥65 years) transplant recipients remain understudied. We therefore evaluated mortality, graft failure, and predictors of these outcomes in this population. Methods Three cohorts of recipients transplanted between 1963 and 2012 (ages <50 years [n=2900], 50–64 years [n=1218], and ≥65 years [n=364] at transplantation) were compared for allograft and patient outcomes. Three similar age cohorts transplanted after 2000 (n=1410) were studied separately to address era effect. Results Death-censored graft survival was higher in recipients ages ≥65 years: 5, 10, and 15 years was 90.7%, 80.4%, and 73.7%; for ages 50–64 years, it was 87.2%, 77.6%, and 71.5%; and for ages <50 years was 79.8%, 70.3%, and 60.8%. Risk factors for graft failure in those ages ≥65 years included panel-reactive antibody >10%, congestive heart failure (CHF), delayed graft function, and cellular rejection. The 5-, 10-, and 15-year patient survival rate was 69.7%, 36.0%, and 14.0% for those ages ≥65 years; 76.4%, 54.8%, and 34.0% for those ages 50–64 years; and 81.7%, 66.7%, and 52.2% for those ages <50 years. For the entire cohort of elderly recipients, coronary artery disease and CHF were associated with mortality, and in those recipients transplanted after 2000, the risk factors for mortality were coronary artery disease, graft failure, peripheral vascular disease, and cause of end-stage renal disease listed as other. For graft failure, only CHF and cellular rejection were associated with this outcome. Conclusions The overall outcomes of transplantation in elderly kidney transplant recipients ages ≥65 years are excellent, but the risk factors for mortality and graft failure are distinctly different than those observed in younger recipients.
Atypical Antipsychotics: CATIE Study, Drug-Induced Movement Disorder and Resulting Iatrogenic Psychiatric-Like Symptoms, Supersensitivity Rebound Psychosis and Withdrawal Discontinuation Syndromes

movement disorder(s) (DIMD) has continuously decreased with atypical antipsychotics, DIMD persist as do psychiatric and psychiatric-like symptoms associated with DIMD, and these must also be identified and evaluated. Persistent DIMD have been found to be a predictor of the later emergence of tardive dyskinesia (TD) and supersensitivity psychosis [4] . At present, we need to determine the relative risk of iatrogenic discontinuation syndromes, DIMD and DIMD psychiatric symptoms resulting from atypical antipsychotics. Although atypical antipsychotics are now most commonly prescribed, a debate has emerged on the differences between classical and atypical antipsychotics following the results of the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) study [5] . The question that comes to the forefront is why recent studies are no longer finding well-established differences between these two generations in terms of efficacy and DIMD. Reasons to explain why recent schizophrenia studies have found reduced drug and placebo differences were examined at the International Society for CNS Clinical Trials and Methodology Annual Mid-Year Conference [6] . Chronic illness can result in chronicity of clinical practice. As we have moved away from prescribing classical antipsychotics and tricyclic antidepressants, issues remain with the use of atypical antipsychotics and second-generation antidepressants that need to be addressed, namely, iatrogenic discontinuation syndromes and supersensitivity psychiatric symptoms. An optimal maintenance drug treatment consists of regular attempts to reduce the dose by finding a minimal therapeutic dose, regularly asking the question of when to reduce or withdraw treatment and for which patients, and moreover, why it is difficult to decrease a given drug treatment. Recently, Falloon [1] proposed that maintenance pharmacotherapy in schizophrenia will depend on finally finding minimally effective doses through ‘extensive training in stress management’. In the long-term treatment of major depression, Fava [2] has hypothesized that antidepressants can aggravate the course of depressive illness. Lambert [3] recently suggested that ‘antipsychotic-switching syndromes’, which include discontinuation syndromes, are a ‘major barrier’ to adjusting antipsychotic treatment. In this paper, we propose that to achieve optimal maintenance treatment with antipsychotics, and to reduce or withdraw antipsychotics effectively, we must distinguish syndromes associated with discontinuing antipsychotics, such as supersensitivity psychosis, from true relapse. While the prevalence and incidence of drug-induced Published online: January 25, 2008
Reducing cigarette consumption in California: tobacco taxes vs an anti-smoking media campaign.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to examine the relative effects of taxation vs an anti-smoking media campaign on cigarette consumption in California. METHODS Quarterly cigarette sales data reported by the California State Board of Equalization between 1980 and 1992 were used to estimate a time-series model, adjusted for seasonal variations and time trends. RESULTS The estimated results show that sales of cigarettes were reduced by 819 million packs from the third quarter of 1990 through the fourth quarter of 1992 owing to an additional 25-cent state tax increase, while the anti-smoking media campaign reduced the cigarette sales by 232 million packs during the same period. CONCLUSIONS Both taxation and anti-smoking media campaigns are effective means of reducing cigarette consumption. The strength of those effects, however, is influenced by the magnitude of the taxes and the amount of media campaign expenditures.
[Therapeutic effect observation of chronic knee joint pain assisted with the central-square needling technique of the thumb-tack needles].

OBJECTIVE To compare the differences in the clinical therapeutic effects on chronic knee joint pain between the combination of the central-square needling technique of thumb-tack needles with the routine therapy of acupuncture, moxibustion and tuina and the routine therapy of acupuncture, moxibustion and tuina. METHODS One hundred and twenty patients of chronic knee joint pain were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 60 cases in each one. In the control group, the routine therapy of acupuncture, moxibustion and tuina was adopted. In the observation group, at the end of treatment with the routine therapy of acupuncture, moxibustion and tuina, the subcutaneous embedding therapy was followed with four thumb-tack needles at the sites 1 to 1.5 cm above, below and bilateral to the main point (ashi point) separately, and the needles were retained for 24 h to 48 h. The treatment was given once every two days, three times a week, totally 6 times in two weeks; and the follow-up visit was done for 3 months in patients of the two groups. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score before and after each treatment, Lequesne index score before treatment and at the end of follow-up and the case numbers of proactive use of painkillers or receiving acupuncture treatment in the follow-up stage were compared and observed in the patients of the two groups. RESULTS The VAS score was reduced gradually after treatment in the patients of the two groups. The differences were significant statistically after the second treatment as compared with those before the treatment in the two groups (all P<0.05), in which, the improvements in VAS scores after the third treatment in the observation group were more obvious than those in the control group (all P<0.05). At the end of follow-up visit, Lequesne index scores were all improved as compared with those before treatment in the two groups (both P<0.05) and the improvements were similar between the two groups (P>0.05). In the follow-up stage, there were 0 case in the observation group and 9 cases in the control group in terms of proactive use of painkillers (P<0.05). There were 5 cases in the observation group and 1 case in the control group receiving acupuncture treatment again (P>0.05). CONCLUSION The acupuncture scheme in assistance with the central-square needling technique of thumb-tack needles obviously relieves chronic knee joint pain, much better sustains the analgesic effects of acupuncture and improves patient compliance.
GLUTATHIONE PEROXIDASE LEVELS IN BRAIN

Glutathione peroxidase activity in brains of various animals was examined. Enzyme activity was low, approximately 10 nmol of glutathione oxidized min−1 mg protein−1 or less. This result suggests that brain tissues contain insufficient glutathione peroxidase activity to provide protection from peroxidative damage and that an alternative mechanism may be present.
Mise au point Curiethérapie des cancers de la tête et du cou ( cavum exclu ) Brachytherapy for head and neck cancers ( nasopharynx excluded )

Brachytherapy is one of the standard treatments of head and neck cancers. The main indications are: the oral cavity, the oropharynx, the lips, the peri-orificial skin carcinomas on the face, the postoperative treatments for T1–2/N0 cancers of the oral cavity with close or positive margins, the second cancers in previously irradiated areas, the intra-operative brachytherapy for recurrent cervical lymph node metastases from previously irradiated tissues after maximal surgical debulking. The major prognostic factors published allowed to improve the technique: using a leaded protection of the mandible, the intersource spacing (1,2–1,4 cm), the volume treated (30 cm3, i.e. three loops), the safety margin (5 mm), the dose rate (0,5 Gy/h), the total dose (65 Gy in case of exclusive brachytherapy, 25 Gy in case of a combination of external beam irradiation [50 Gy] and brachytherapy in the oropharyngeal carcinomas, 35 Gy in case of a combination of external beam irradiation [40 Gy] and brachytherapy in the oral cavity carcinomas, 60 Gy in case of a second cancer in previous irradiated tissues), the delay between external irradiation and brachytherapy (<20 days). The pulse dose rate brachytherapy should improve results with the control of the dose rate and the optimization of the dose distribution. For high dose rate brachytherapy, more results are needed to recommend this technique for routine use. 2008 Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits réservés. ots clés : Curiethérapie ; Cancer ; Tête et cou ; Radiothérapie eywords: Brachytherapy; Cancer; Head and neck; Radiotherapy Présenté au 19e congrès de la Société française de radiothérapie oncologique e 12 novembre 2008, Paris, France. ∗ Auteur correspondant. Adresse e-mail : michel.lapeyre@cjp.fr (M. Lapeyre). 1
Lipids of the platelet membrane.

The blood platelet’s major function is to seal, by clotting, breaks in blood vessels. The process by which platelets cease to be tranquil, discoid components of blood and become spiky, sticky aggregates secreting various vasoactive and procoagulant substances is complicated. The plasma membrane participates in this process in a multitude of ways. Initially it must recognize the proper signals indicating vessel tears, then it must communicate this information to the cytoplasm. Not only does the plasma membrane detect coagulation signals, but it is involved either directly or indirectly, in most of the cellular responses to these signals. These responses include changes in the components on the cell surface, such as (1) the exposure of fibrinogen receptors (37); (2) conformational changes in glycoproteins (26, 29) and appearance of anionic lipids (9, 17, 20, 22); (3) activation of membrane-bound enzymes, such as phospholipases and adenosine-5′-monophosphate cyclase (18, 27); (4) increases in the intensity of surface staining with cationic dyes; and (5) changes in the association of cytoskeletal elements with the plasma membrane (10, 23, 25, 28, 31, 38). Physiologically, the activated platelet plasma membrane must become adherent to other platelets, must allow fluxes of ions such as Ca2+, Na+ and H+ (8, 33), and must accomodate the shape occasioned by the projection of pseudopodia. Finally, the plasma membrane must incorporate the membranes of intracellular granules and those of the surface-connected cannalicular system, because these two systems fuse (34) to become confluent with the plasmalemma during secretion (the release reaction). The plasma membrane may also provide lipid substrates for the production of the prostaglandin precursor, arachidonic acid (27).
Strategies to expand the donor pool for pancreas transplantation.

BACKGROUND Our organ procurement organization has been forced to liberalize the donor criteria in order to expand the donor pool for pancreas transplantation. In this report, we describe our experience using whole organ pancreatic grafts from "marginal" donors, which include grafts obtained from donors over 45 years of age and from donors who were identified to be hemodynamically unstable at the time of organ retrieval. METHODS A prospective study was performed between July 1994 and March 1998, during which time 137 pancreas transplants were performed at our center using organs procured by our own surgeons (organs sent by other teams were excluded). The rapid en bloc technique was used exclusively. The use of pancreatic grafts from marginal donors was analyzed for short-term and overall graft survival, and for delayed graft function and complications. RESULTS Overall pancreas graft survival for our series was 83%, with a mean follow-up of 23 months. There were 22 pancreas grafts from donors over 45 years of age, 13 of whom were greater than 50 years of age. The actual graft survival rate of the over-45 donor group was 86%. Fifty-one grafts were removed from hemodynamically unstable donors on high-dose vasopressors. The actual graft survival in this group was 86%. There was no significant difference found in graft survival between recipients of pancreatic grafts from marginal and nonmarginal donors. Delayed graft function was exhibited by more recipients of grafts from donors on high-dose vasopressors (P<0.05), but this had no effect on long-term graft survival and endocrine function. Recipients of marginal donor grafts did not have higher rates of complication compared to recipients of nonmarginal grafts. CONCLUSIONS Based on our results, we currently employ a graft selection strategy not limited by donor age or hemodynamic stability. Our selection of pancreas organs for transplantation is based on careful inspection of the pancreas and determination of the adequacy of the ex vivo flush. Our results suggest that the current pancreas donor pool may be expanded substantially.
An efficient implementation of 2D convolution in CNN

Convolutional neural network(CNN), a well-known machine learning algorithm, has been widely used in the field of computer vision for its amazing performance in image classification. With the rapid growth of applications based on CNN, various acceleration schemes have been proposed on FPGA, GPU and ASIC. In the implementation of these specific hardware accelerations, the most challenging part is the implementation of 2D convolution. To obtain a more efficient design of 2D convolution in CNN, this paper proposes a novel technique, singular value decomposition approximation (SVDA) to reduce the usage of resources. Experimental results show that the proposed SVDA hardware implementation can achieve a reduction in resources in the range of 14.46% to 37.8%, while the loss of classification accuracy is less than 1%.
Effects of amphetamine, morphine, and CP 55, 940 on Go/No-Go task performance in rhesus monkeys

In humans, impulsivity measured as false alarms in a Go/No-Go task is reportedly decreased by amphetamine and is not affected by oxycodone and delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol. To model these findings in animals, three rhesus monkeys were trained to perform a food-reinforced Go/No-Go task. In this task, amphetamine was found to decrease false alarms (i.e. responding during No-Go trials), but only at doses that also decreased hits (i.e. responding during Go trials). Morphine generally decreased hits but not false alarms. The cannabinoid receptor agonist CP 55, 940 decreased both false alarms and hits, but only at doses that also decreased the number of trials completed. Additional studies in animals and humans are necessary to delineate the conditions under which amphetamine and other psychoactive drugs affect impulsivity in Go/No-Go tasks.
The hyal and ventral branchial muscles in caecilian and salamander larvae: Homologies and evolution

Amphibians (Lissamphibia) are characterized by a bi‐phasic life‐cycle that comprises an aquatic larval stage and metamorphosis to the adult. The ancestral aquatic feeding behavior of amphibian larvae is suction feeding. The negative pressure that is needed for ingestion of prey is created by depression of the hyobranchial apparatus as a result of hyobranchial muscle action. Understanding the homologies of hyobranchial muscles in amphibian larvae is a crucial step in understanding the evolution of this important character complex. However, the literature mostly focuses on the adult musculature and terms used for hyal and ventral branchial muscles in different amphibians often do not reflect homologies across lissamphibian orders. Here we describe the hyal and ventral branchial musculature in larvae of caecilians (Gymnophiona) and salamanders (Caudata), including juveniles of two permanently aquatic salamander species. Based on previous alternative terminology schemes, we propose a terminology for the hyal and ventral branchial muscles that reflects the homologies of muscles and that is suited for studies on hyobranchial muscle evolution in amphibians. We present a discussion of the hyal and ventral branchial muscles in larvae of the most recent common ancestor of amphibians (i.e. the ground plan of Lissamphibia). Based on our terminology, the hyal and ventral branchial musculature of caecilians and salamanders comprises the following muscles: m. depressor mandibulae, m. depressor mandibulae posterior, m. hyomandibularis, m. branchiohyoideus externus, m. interhyoideus, m. interhyoideus posterior, m. subarcualis rectus I, m. subarcualis obliquus II, m. subarcualis obliquus III, m. subarcualis rectus II‐IV, and m. transversus ventralis IV. Except for the m. branchiohyoideus externus, all muscles considered herein can be assigned to the ground plan of the Lissamphibia with certainty. The m. branchiohyoideus externus is either apomorphic for the Batrachia (frogs + salamanders) or salamander larvae depending on whether or not a homologous muscle is present in frog tadpoles. J. Morphol. , 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Loneliness, social isolation and social relationships: what are we measuring? A novel framework for classifying and comparing tools

Objectives We present a novel way of classifying and comparing measures of social relationships to help readers interpret the growing literature on loneliness and social isolation and to provide researchers with a starting point to guide their choice of measuring tool. Methods Measures of social relationships used in epidemiological studies were identified from two systematic reviews—one review on the association between social relationships and health and social care service use, and a second review on the association between social relationships and health. Questions from each measure were retrieved and tabulated to derive a classification of social relationship measures. Results We present a classification of measures according to two dimensions: (1) whether instruments cover structural or functional aspects of social relationships and (2) the degree of subjectivity asked of respondents. We explain how this classification can be used to clarify the remit of the many questionnaires used in the literature and to compare them. Conclusions Different dimensions of social relationships are likely to have different implications for health. Our classification of social relationship measures transcends disciplinary and conceptual boundaries, allowing researchers to compare tools that developed from different theoretical perspectives. Careful choice of measures is essential to further our understanding of the links between social relationships and health, to identify people in need of help and to design appropriate prevention and intervention strategies.
BHIVA guidelines: coinfection with HIV and chronic hepatitis C virus

3 All HIV/HCV coinfected patients should have a thorough assessment of disease status and risk of progression which includes a detailed clinical history, examination and blood tests including liver function tests (LFTs), PT and HCV-RNA (IV). 4 Consider liver biopsy (if no contra-indications) to assess disease severity and exclude other causes of chronic liver disease (III). 5 Exclude coinfection with Hepatitis B and vaccinate for Hepatitis B and Hepatitis A if nonimmune (I). Vaccination success is related to CD4 count and re-vaccination should be attempted in vaccine failures who have a CD4 count response to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) (II). 6 Counsel regarding risks of transmission (III). 7 Advise abstinence from alcohol (III). 8 Check HCV genotype as a predictor of treatment response (II). 9 All HCV-PCR positive patients without histological evidence of cirrhosis should be screened annually with a-fetoproteins (AFP) and ultrasound scanning (USS). Patients with confirmed end stage liver disease (ESLD) should have 6-monthly AFP and USS scans performed (III). 10 Patients with confirmed ESLD and hepatic decompensation should be considered for liver transplantation (III). 11 The presence of hepatitis C coinfection increases the risk of developing hepatotoxicity on HAART by roughly 2–3-fold and clinicians must be alert to this possibility (II). The majority of patients with HCV are able to take HAART without problems and therefore HCV infection should not prejudice the decision to initiate treatment (II). 12 There should be close liaison between the HIV physician and local hepatology team with clear links to a transplant centre to ensure equity of access to hepatitis therapy irrespective of the patient’s main site of care (IV).
Online Coupled LC-GC-ITD/MS for the Identification of Alkylated, Oxygenated, and Nitrated Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds in Urban Air Particulate Extracts.

A method has been developed to identify oxygenated, nitrated, and alkylated polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) adsorbed onto urban air particulates using an on-line coupled chromatographic method and mass spectrometry. High-pressure normal-phase liquid chromatography was coupled to a high-resolution gas chromatograph with an ion trap detector mass spectrometer. The instrument was configured to use an on-column LC-GC interface, enabling partially concurrent solvent evaporation with an early solvent vapor exit. This instrument was used to identify many substituted PAC contained in the extracts obtained from the supercritical fluid extraction of urban air particulates collected roadside by a high volume sampler in Leeds. Compounds identified included alkylated pyrene and chrysene species, nitrated fluoranthene and pyrene species, and many oxygenated quinone and aldehyde PAC.