Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The eICU Research Institute - A Collaboration Between Industry, Health-Care Providers, and Academia

As the volume of data that is electronically available promliferates, the health-care industry is identifying better ways to use this data for patient care. Ideally, these data are collected in real time, can support point-of-care clinical decisions, and, by providing instantaneous quality metrics, can create the opportunities to improve clinical practice as the patient is being cared for. The business-world technology supporting these activities is referred to as business intelligence, which offers competitive advantage, increased quality, and operational efficiencies. The health-care industry is plagued by many challenges that have made it a latecomer to business intelligence and data-mining technology, including delayed adoption of electronic medical records, poor integration between information systems, a lack of uniform technical standards, poor interoperability between complex devices, and the mandate to rigorously protect patient privacy. Efforts at developing a health care equivalent of business intelligence (which we will refer to as clinical intelligence) remains in its infancy. Until basic technology infrastructure and mature clinical applications are developed and implemented throughout the health-care system, data aggregation and interpretation cannot effectively progress. The need for this approach in health care is undisputed. As regional and national health information networks emerge, we need to develop cost-effective systems that reduce time and effort spent documenting health-care data while increasing the application of knowledge derived from that data.
Global Staffing and Control in Emerging Multinational Corporations (EMNCs) and their Subsidiaries in Developed Countries: Indian IT EMNCs in Australia

Purpose – This paper examines the control mechanisms used by multinational corporations from emerging economies to manage their subsidiaries in developed countries and their implications for human resource management practices. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on data collected through in-depth case studies and interviews with senior subsidiary managers of 12 major Indian IT MNCs operating in Australia. Findings – Indian IT MNCs rely heavily on the use of people-centric controls exerted through global staffing practices (via the transfer of PCNs) which, in turn, influence their subsidiary’s discretion over their HR practices. The use of people-centric controls allows Indian IT multinationals to replicate parent-country HRM practices in their Australian subsidiaries in an ethnocentric manner and significantly leverage the people-based competitive advantages from India through short and long-term expatriate assignments. Research limitations/implications – The study investigates control and HRM practices from a single country and a single industry perspective. It provides an insight into the normative means of control in foreign subsidiaries of MNCs and enhances our understanding by explaining the integrated relationship that control mechanisms (and their people-centric components) have with HRM practices including the global staffing approaches and expatriate management practices of emerging multinational corporations. Practical Implications – Indian MNCs are using their business model to leverage the Australian immigration and skilled visa program to maintain cost advantages. However, the immigration legislation in developed countries needs to be capable of allowing EMNCs to maintain such advantages as developed countries seek to attract FDI from emerging economies. Originality/value – The results indicate that the control practices of EMNCs are similar to the controls exerted by MNCs from developed countries. They also show that EMNCs do not adopt a portfolio approach to global staffing, and that the people-centric components of their control have a clear impact on their subsidiaries’ HRM practices.
The Src-Family Kinases Hck and Fgr Regulate Early Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Myeloid Cell Recruitment into the Lung and Their Ability To Secrete Chemokines

Myeloid leukocyte recruitment into the lung in response to environmental cues represents a key factor for the induction of lung damage. We report that Hck- and Fgr-deficient mice show a profound impairment in early recruitment of neutrophils and monocytes in response to bacterial LPS. The reduction in interstitial and airway neutrophil recruitment was not due to a cell-intrinsic migratory defect, because Hck- and Fgr-deficient neutrophils were attracted to the airways by the chemokine CXCL2 as wild type cells. However, early accumulation of chemokines and TNF-α in the airways was reduced in hck−/−fgr−/− mice. Considering that chemokine and TNF-α release into the airways was neutrophil independent, as suggested by a comparison between control and neutrophil-depleted mice, we examined LPS-induced chemokine secretion by neutrophils and macrophages in wild type and mutant cells. Notably, mutant neutrophils displayed a marked deficit in their capability to release the chemokines CXCL1, CXCL2, CCL3, and CCL4 and TNF-α in response to LPS. However, intracellular accumulation of these chemokines and TNF-α, as well as secretion of a wide array of cytokines, including IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10, by hck−/−fgr−/− neutrophils was normal. Intriguingly, secretion of CXCL1, CXCL2, CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, RANTES, and TNF-α, but not IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and GM-CSF, was also markedly reduced in bone marrow–derived macrophages. Consistently, the Src kinase inhibitors PP2 and dasatinib reduced chemokine secretion by neutrophils and bone marrow–derived macrophages. These findings identify Src kinases as a critical regulator of chemokine secretion in myeloid leukocytes during lung inflammation.
Shank synaptic scaffold proteins: keys to understanding the pathogenesis of autism and other synaptic disorders

Shank/ProSAP proteins are essential to synaptic formation, development, and function. Mutations in the family of SHANK genes are strongly associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as intellectual disability (ID), and schizophrenia. Thus, the term ‘Shankopathies’ identifies a number of neuronal diseases caused by alteration of Shank protein expression leading to abnormal synaptic development. With this review we want to summarize the major genetic, molecular, behavior and electrophysiological studies that provide new clues into the function of Shanks and pave the way for the discovery of new therapeutic drugs targeted to treat patients with SHANK mutations and also patients affected by other neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Corruption in Football of World in 21st Century

This article analyses the corruption in football of world in 21st century. In view of the many sporting events that take place every day throughout the world, the number of proven cases of corruption in sport can be put into perspective, even if the considerable percentage of unknown cases are taken into account. The purpose of this research was the study of corruption in football of world. For this purpose is used the documents, books, articles and websites has been associated with the corruption in football of world. The results show that Europe’s football is as advanced as it is more common corruption. The based on this results Football players and officials alike are made fully aware of their obligations under the anti-corruption rules, including their duty to report improper approaches, however trivial they may seem.
Robust explicit model predictive control for uncertain multirate system

This paper studies robust explicit model predictive control for multirate system with bounded additive disturbances. First, based on dynamic programming, the optimization problem is decomposed into multi-stages of subproblems with one-step optimal horizon. In the process of solving the subproblem of each stage, considering the influence of additive disturbance, we construct the constraint set of the first predicted state, and then such a constraint set is transformed into the constraint condition dependent on current state and input. After that, the multiparametric quadratic programming (mp-QP) technique is used to obtain the robust explicit control laws. The robust positively invariant set of the multirate system is chosen as the terminal constraint set of the optimization problem such that the robust stability can be ensured. The numerical ex ample sho ws that the proposed robust explicit predictive control can reduce online computation and satisfy the demand of the multirate system with the fast update speed of input.
Application of the 'critical effect' and 'critical concentration' concept to human risk assessment for cadmium.

Exposure to cadmium can give rise to a number of adverse health effects. In human risk assessment it is important to identify effects that occur at relatively low exposures, i.e., the critical effects, which are crucial for preventive action. The effect of cadmium on the kidney, namely, tubular dysfunction, has been regarded as the critical effect in long-term human exposures. Quantitative dose-response data can be derived from a risk model based on metabolic parameters and observed relationships between cadmium concentrations in the renal cortex and the occurrence of proteinuria in industrial workers. There is reasonable agreement between this model and epidemiological observations. Low-dose-low-incidence extrapolations have been made based on this model. However, experimental and epidemiological studies are providing increasing evidence that cadmium is carcinogenic and this serious effect, considered to be stochastic in character, may reasonably be considered as a critical effect. A quantitative evaluation is difficult with the available data. The preventive action usually taken for substances which are considered to be carcinogenic is to limit the use of and exposure to cadmium as much as possible, thus achieving exposure levels for cadmium lower than those giving rise to kidney damage.
Targeted inactivation of MLL3 histone H3–Lys-4 methyltransferase activity in the mouse reveals vital roles for MLL3 in adipogenesis

Activating signal cointegrator-2 (ASC-2), a transcriptional coactivator of multiple transcription factors that include the adipogenic factors peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and C/EBPα, is associated with histone H3-Lys-4-methyltransferase (H3K4MT) MLL3 or its paralogue MLL4 in a complex named ASCOM (ASC-2 complex). Indeed, ASC-2-null mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) have been demonstrated to be refractory to PPARγ-stimulated adipogenesis and fail to express the PPARγ-responsive adipogenic marker gene aP2. However, the specific roles for MLL3 and MLL4 in adipogenesis remain undefined. Here, we provide evidence that MLL3 plays crucial roles in adipogenesis. First, MLL3Δ/Δ mice expressing a H3K4MT-inactivated mutant of MLL3 have significantly less white fat. Second, MLL3Δ/Δ MEFs are mildly but consistently less responsive to inducers of adipogenesis than WT MEFs. Third, ASC-2, MLL3, and MLL4 are recruited to the PPARγ-activated aP2 gene during adipogenesis, and PPARγ is shown to interact directly with the purified ASCOM. Moreover, although H3K4 methylation of aP2 is readily induced in WT MEFs, it is not induced in ASC-2−/− MEFs and only partially induced in MLL3Δ/Δ MEFs. These results suggest that ASCOM-MLL3 and ASCOM-MLL4 likely function as crucial but redundant H3K4MT complexes for PPARγ-dependent adipogenesis.
Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma with inferior vena cava invasion.

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma with inferior vena cava invasion is a rare but fatal condition of disease progression. The aim of this study was to analyze the results of treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma with inferior vena cava invasion by three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy. METHODS From 1990 to 2006, 18 histopathologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma patients with inferior vena cava invasion who were unsuitable for surgery were treated by three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy at our hospital with two to four static or dynamic conformal arc fields. RESULTS A median total tumor dose of 50 Gy (range 30-60 Gy) was delivered. The progression-free rate was 91.6% among the patients in whom follow-up computed tomography was obtained. Actuarial survival at 1 year was 33.3%, and the median survival period was 5.6 months. CONCLUSIONS Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy might offer a chance of long survival for a part of the hepatocellular carcinoma patients with inferior vena cava invasion, since a third of such patients survived more than a year. Additional treatments should be considered to prevent distant metastases and hepatic functional deterioration after three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy.
Lessons of leprosy: the emergence of TH17 cytokines during type II reactions (ENL) is teaching us about T-cell plasticity.

BACKGROUND Leprosy was the first disease classified according to the thymus derived T-cell in the 1960s and the first disease classified by the cytokine profile as intact interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-2 (IL2) or TH1 (tuberculoid) and deficient IFN-γ and IL2 or TH2 (lepromatous), in the 1980s. OBJECTIVE In the present study, we set out to explore the T helper 17 (TH17) lymphocyte subset, the hallmark of T-cell plasticity, in skin biopsies from patients with erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) who were treated with thalidomide. METHOD RNA was extracted from paraffin embedded tissue before and after thalidomide treatment of ENL and RT-PCR was performed. RESULTS IL17A, the hallmark of TH17, was consistently seen before and after thalidomide treatment, confirming the TH17 subset to be involved in ENL and potentially up-regulated by thalidomide. CONCLUSION A reduction in CD70, GARP, IDO, IL17B (IL-20), and IL17E (IL-25), coupled with increases in RORγT, ARNT, FoxP3, and IL17C (IL-21) following thalidomide treatment, opens the door to understanding the complexity of the immunomodulatory drug thalidomide, which can operate as an anti-inflammatory while simultaneously stimulating cell-mediated immunity (CMI). We conclude that TH17 is involved in the immunopathogenesis of ENL and that thalidomide suppresses inflammatory components of TH17, while enhancing other components of TH17 that are potentially involved in CMI.
Gastro-oesophageal Reflux in Obese Subjects: Influence of Overweight, Weight Loss and Chronic Gastric Balloon Distension

Background: Gastro-oesophageal reflux is an obesity-related health risk assumed to improve after weight loss. Prolonged intragastric balloon distension might oppose this. The purpose of the study was to investigate the prevalence of gastro-oesophageal reflux in untreated obese subjects and to study the consequences of weight loss with or without intragastric balloon treatment. Methods: Patients participating in a randomized double-blind, sham-controlled trial received balloon or sham treatment for the first 13 weeks. Thereafter, all subjects received a balloon for the remaining year. Twenty-four-hour pH recordings were made at the start, after 13 weeks of balloon or sham treatment, after 26 and 52 weeks of balloon treatment and 13 weeks after balloon removal. Results: Group-wise, pH data of 42 untreated patients (BMI 43.4 kg/m 2 ) were highly abnormal. On an individual level, 22 subjects (52%) had some evidence of reflux, 17 patients (40%) showed pathological total reflux times and 8 (19%) had combined total, upright and supine reflux with grade B reflux oesophagitis in only one patient. Albeit poorly, oesophageal acid exposure was related to body weight and visceral fat distribution. A reduction in acid reflux was observed in sham-treated weight-losing subjects, whereas in balloon-treated subjects supine reflux and duration of the longest reflux increased. In the second 13-week period, the initially improved pH values worsened by balloon placement in sham-treated subjects. Values in balloon-balloon-treated subjects stabilized. After 52 weeks, acid reflux levelled off at pretreatment values and further improved after balloon removal. At these times, decreased visceral fat masses correlated significantly with diminished oesophageal exposure to acid. Conclusions: Obesity predisposed to gastro-oesophageal reflux. Body weight loss and, strikingly, visceral fat loss resulted in improved reflux parameters. Adverse effects on acid reflux by gastric balloon distension wore off over time.
Multidisciplinary Approach to the Management of Myopathies

Purpose of ReviewAside from some inflammatory myopathies and very few genetic disorders, there are no therapies that make most patients with myopathies stronger. Consequently, the management of these patients can be frustrating for patients and their families as well as the clinicians taking care of them. Treatment of these patients must involve a comprehensive approach focused on limiting the secondary effects of skeletal muscle weakness, managing comorbidities associated with specific diseases, and, most importantly, optimizing patients’ functional abilities and quality of life in terms of their ability to accomplish activities of daily living. While the approach to each patient differs depending on their disease, certain common themes can be addressed in each patient. This review highlights an approach centered on four conceptual themes (“the Four S’s”): Strength therapies, Supportive care, Symptomatic therapies, and pSychological support. Recent FindingsAlthough relatively few well-designed studies have been done that highlight conservative management of patients with various myopathies, an emerging literature helps guide the clinician in certain key areas, especially in relation to cardiac and pulmonary management of these patients. SummaryWhile disease-altering therapies have proven elusive for many muscle diseases, a multimodal approach to the conservative and supportive care of these patients can markedly improve their quality of life. Pharmacologic treatment options for specific myopathies will not be addressed in this article but are covered elsewhere in this issue of CONTINUUM.
Driver gaze tracker using deformable template matching

In driver assistance system, human eye gaze direction is an important feature described some driver's situation such as distraction and fatigue. This paper proposes a method to track driver's gaze direction by using deformable template matching. The method is divided into three steps: first, identifying the face area. Second, localizing the eye area. Finally, combining the eye region model and sight algorithm to determine the driver's gaze direction. Experimental results show that this method can effectively identify human's eye and track gaze motion in a real-time running basis.
Imaging Recommendations for Acute Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack Patients: A Joint Statement by the American Society of Neuroradiology, the American College of Radiology, and the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery

SUMMARY: Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Imaging plays a critical role in evaluating patients suspected of acute stroke and transient ischemic attack, especially before initiating treatment. Over the past few decades, major advances have occurred in stroke imaging and treatment, including Food and Drug Administration approval of recanalization therapies for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. A wide variety of imaging techniques has become available to assess vascular lesions and brain tissue status in acute stroke patients. However, the practical challenge for physicians is to understand the multiple facets of these imaging techniques, including which imaging techniques to implement and how to optimally use them, given available resources at their local institution. Important considerations include constraints of time, cost, access to imaging modalities, preferences of treating physicians, availability of expertise, and availability of endovascular therapy. The choice of which imaging techniques to employ is impacted by both the time urgency for evaluation of patients and the complexity of the literature on acute stroke imaging. Ideally, imaging algorithms should incorporate techniques that provide optimal benefit for improved patient outcomes without delaying treatment.
The Outcomes of Simultaneous Liver and Kidney Transplantation Using Donation After Cardiac Death Organs

Background There has been a remarkable increase in simultaneous liver and kidney transplantations (SLK). As organ demand has increased, so has the use of donation after cardiac death (DCD). However, little is known about the outcomes of DCD in SLK. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis using the United Network for Organ Sharing database to compare the outcomes of DCD SLK to donation after brain death (DBD) and determine the impact of donor and recipient factors on allograft and patient survival. Results Between 2002 and 2011, a total of 3,026 subjects received SLK from DBD and 98 from DCD. Kidney, liver, and patient survival from DCD donors were inferior to DBD at 1, 3, and 5 years (P=0.0056, P=0.0035, and P=0.0205, respectively). With the use of the Cox model, DCD was a significant risk factor for kidney and liver allograft failure and patient mortality. Recipient factors that were associated with worse allograft and patient outcomes included black race, diabetes, being on a ventilator, hospitalization, delayed graft function, hepatocellular carcinoma, and intensive care unit stay. Older age of the donor was also associated with worse outcomes. Conclusion Despite the decreased allograft and patient survival compared with DBD, DCD SLK provides an acceptable option for SLK, with a survival probability of more than 50% at 5 years.
Influence of the observer’s level of experience on systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure measurements using Doppler ultrasonography in healthy conscious cats

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of the observer’s level of experience on within- and between-day variability, and the percentage of successful systolic (SAP) and diastolic arterial blood pressure (DAP) measurements obtained by Doppler ultrasonography (DU) in awake cats. For this purpose, six healthy conscious cats were used and four observers with different levels of training performed 144 SAP and DAP measurements on 4 days using DU. Measurements were recorded five consecutive times, and mean values were used for statistical analysis. Only the two most skilled observers – a PhD student in cardiology and a Dipl ECVIM-CA (cardiology) – had within- and between-day coefficients of variation (CVs) for SAP ⩽16% (13–16%). Conversely, the two less experienced observers – a fifth-year student and an assistant – had high between-day CVs (61% and 73%). For DAP, only the most experienced observer (Dipl ECVIM-CA) succeeded in 100% of the attempts, with within- and between-day CVs of 11% and 4%, respectively. Conversely, DAP could not be measured by the other three observers in 8%, 19% and 56% of attempts (from the highest to the lowest level of experience); therefore, the corresponding CV values could not be calculated. In conclusion, SAP may be assessed using DU in healthy awake cats with good repeatability and reproducibility by a well-trained observer. Measurement of DAP is more difficult than of SAP, and needs a longer training period, which represents one of the limitations of DU in cats.