Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hypertension and Acute Kidney Injury following an Allograft Biopsy.

### Case Answer A 49-year-old woman was admitted with 2 weeks of progressive dyspnea, edema, and hypertension. Medical history is significant for ESKD attributed to hypertensive nephrosclerosis. She underwent a deceased-donor kidney transplant 2 months before admission. The post-transplant serum creatinine concentration reached a nadir of 2.0 mg/dl. An allograft biopsy performed 2.5 weeks before admission revealed acute cellular rejection (Banff borderline). She was treated with steroids. Physical examination on admission was notable for tachypnea at 24 breaths/min, BP of 180/95 mm Hg, pulse of 91/min, with oxygen saturation of 98% on 5 L of oxygen. Pertinent findings included bilateral 3+ pitting edema, crackles, and wheezing. Laboratory evaluation revealed serum sodium of 134 mmol/L, potassium of 4.6 mmol/L, bicarbonate of 16 mmol/L, BUN of 94 mg/dl, and serum …
Thefaut v. Johnston (2017): A game changer for consent in elective surgery

All orthopaedic surgeons consenting patients for elective surgery should be aware of the recent High Court decision in Thefaut v. Johnston. Lisa Thefaut won her claim for damages against very experienced spinal surgeon Francis Johnston on the basis that the consenting process for an elective discectomy had been substandard. This decision sets the bar for clinicians higher than ever before. Mr Justice Green made clear that surgeons are required to engage in a consenting process tailored to the individual patient with detailed, accurate and realistic explanations of the pros and cons of surgery. This was a spinal case but a patient’s rights would be the same with any other operation. The Judge’s starting point was the landmark decision of the Supreme Court in Montgomery v. Lanarkshire Health Board in March 2015. Nadine Montgomery was pregnant and diabetic. The risk of shoulder dystocia during a vaginal delivery was about 10% and the risk of serious harm to her baby as a result was about 1%. A consultant obstetrician did not tell Ms Montgomery of the risk or offer her a caesarean section. This was because the consultant believed that, given the choice, Ms Montgomery would opt for a caesarean section, something which the consultant thought better avoided if possible. The Supreme Court decided that the time had come to assess consent on the basis of what the reasonable patient wanted to know rather than what a reasonable doctor chose to say. Where different treatment options were available, it should be the patient rather than the doctor who decides which option to take. Two limited exceptions were preserved where it would be ‘seriously detrimental to the patient’s health’ to provide information to a patient and cases of necessity, for example where an unconscious patient requires urgent treatment. The decision in Montgomery is …
Thermal Variability and Plasticity Drive the Outcome of a Host-Pathogen Interaction

Variable, changing climates may affect each participant in a biotic interaction differently. We explored the effects of temperature and plasticity on the outcome of a host-pathogen interaction to try to predict the outcomes of infection under fluctuating temperatures. We infected Gryllus veletis crickets with the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium brunneum under constant (6°, 12°, 18°, or 25°C) or fluctuating (from 6° to 18°C or from 6° to 25°C) temperatures. We also acclimated crickets and fungi to constant or fluctuating conditions. Crickets acclimated to fluctuating conditions survived best under constant conditions if paired with warm-acclimated fungus. Overall, matches and mismatches in thermal performance, driven by acclimation, determined host survival. Mismatched performance also determined differences in survival under different fluctuating thermal regimes: crickets survived best when fluctuating temperatures favored their performance (from 6° to 25°C), compared with fluctuations that favored fungus performance (from 6° to 18°C). Thus, we could predict the outcome of infection under fluctuating temperatures by averaging relative host-pathogen performance under constant temperatures, suggesting that it may be possible to predict responses to fluctuating temperatures for at least some biotic interactions.
Développement d'un procédé d'intégration d'un contact multifonctionnel dans une cellule photovoltaïque III-V

La conversion de l'energie solaire en electricite, le photovoltaique, presente des limites notamment en termes de rendement de conversion. Cette perte d’energie est en partie due au fait que les semi- conducteurs utilises dans les cellules solaires ne convertissent pas l’integralite du spectre solaire. Cela se traduit par une dissipation d’energie sous forme de chaleur dans la cellule. L’association d’une cellule photovoltaique et d’un generateur thermoelectrique au sein d’un systeme hybride photovoltaique – thermoelectrique (PV-TE) pourrait permettre de recuperer une partie de cette energie perdue. Pour augmenter le rendement d’un tel systeme PV-TE, des chercheurs de l’equipe Photonique du LAAS-CNRS proposent de developper une electrode multifonctionnelle qui, outre sa fonction electrique, pourrait avoir d’autre fonctions optiques et/ou thermiques. La realisation des systemes PV-TE envisages necessite le detachement du substrat de croissance des semiconducteurs III-V obtenus par epitaxie. Dans ce contexte, l’objectif de mon stage etait de developper un procede technologique permettant de transferer une couche de semiconducteur III-V epitaxiee sur un substrat hote. J’ai ainsi travaille sur les deux etapes cles de collage sur le substrat hote et de detachement selectif du substrat de croissance.
Targeted PLGA Nanoparticles for the Sustained Release of Hypertensive Drugs

The major objective of this project was to design and characterize a novel antibody conjugated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA )nanoparticle that could successfully target human endothelial cells and provide a sustained release of hypertensive drugs, which could ultimately help to improve patient adherence by reducing the frequency of patient medication. Poor patient adherence remains one of the leading causes of inadequately controlled blood pressure in adults diagnosed with hypertension. Due to the short half-lives of most hypertensive drugs, patients are required to take multiple doses a day to keep their blood pressure under control, which decreases the likelihood of a patient’s adherence. To establish proof of concept, PLGA nanoparticles were prepared with antihypertensive drugs captopril (CAP) and valsartan (VAL) using the common nanoprecipitation fabrication technique, and then modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecules and ICAM-1 antibodies. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques were employed to characterize the size, shape, and zeta potential of the final nanoparticles, while Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to confirm the successful conjugation of the PEG molecules. The drug loading and release characteristics of the nanoparticles are observed using a UV-Vis spectrometer. The attachment of the antibody is initially validated using a Pierce 660 nm Protein assay, and the ability of the antibody to target the pulmonary endothelium was confirmed with static and flow experiments on human umbilical endothelial vein cells (HUVECS). The results of this study indicated an average size of 150 nm and <-10 mV zeta potential value for the final drug loaded nanoparticles, confirming the adequate size and zeta potential necessary for drug delivery. The results from UV-VIS indicated the successful encapsulation of both drugs and demonstrated a sustained release of over 100 hours for each drug. The antibody conjugated nanoparticles showed significant specificity towards the target cell type, as well as successfully adherence to the target cells under both static and flow conditions. The combination of these results indicates this formulated nanoparticle could successfully provide sustained drug delivery to a targeted area of the body, which could help to decrease the number of doses for hypertensive treatment, and subsequently increase patient adherence.
Translation and adaptation to English of a questionnaire to determine the psychological readiness of the injured football player

Different studies have shown that a bad psychological predisposition of the injured athlete could hinder his return to training. The aim of this work was to translate and adapt the questionnaire of psychological predisposition for injured athletes from Spanish to English. A translation-backtranslation methodology was used with native translator and experts in the field of injury recovery. The translators found a high conceptual equivalence between both versions, as well as a low level of difficulty for their translation. The PRIA-RS questionnaire is presented as a conceptually and contextually valid version. Its use at the international level, thanks to this new version in English, could be increased.
Microfluidics for the study of mechanotransduction

Mechanical forces regulate a diverse set of biological processes at cellular, tissue, and organismal length scales. Investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the conversion of mechanical forces to biological responses is challenged by limitations of traditional animal models and in vitro cell culture, including poor control over applied force and highly artificial cell culture environments. Recent advances in fabrication methods and material processing have enabled the development of microfluidic platforms that provide precise control over the mechanical microenvironment of cultured cells. These devices and systems have proven to be powerful for uncovering and defining mechanisms of mechanotransduction. In this review, we first give an overview of the main mechanotransduction pathways that function at sites of cell adhesion, many of which have been investigated with microfluidics. We then discuss how distinct microfluidic fabrication methods can be harnessed to gain biological insight, with description of both monolithic and replica molding approaches. Finally, we present examples of how microfluidics can be used to apply both solid forces (substrate mechanics, strain, and compression) and fluid forces (luminal, interstitial) to cells. Throughout the review, we emphasize the advantages and disadvantages of different fabrication methods and applications of force in order to provide perspective to investigators looking to apply forces to cells in their own research.
Psychological model of the investor and manager behavior in risk

All people have to make risky decisions in everyday life. And we do not know how true they are. But is it possible to mathematically assess the correctness of our choice? This article discusses the model of decision making under risk on the example of project management. This is a game with two players, one of which is Investor, and the other is the Project Manager. Each player makes a risky decision for himself, based on his past experience. With the help of a mathematical model, the players form a level of confidence, depending on who the player accepts the strategy or does not accept. The project manager assesses the costs and compares them with the level of confidence. An investor evaluates past results. Also visit the case where the strategy of the player accepts the part.
Pharmacology of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors and Differences

The dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitors, which enhance glucosedependent insulin secretion from pancreatic b cells by preventing DPP-4mediated degradation of endogenously released incretin hormones, represent a new therapeutic approach to the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. REVIEW ARTICLE
A History of the Modern Australian University

In 1857 all of the Arts students at the University of Sydney could fit into a single photograph. Now there are more than one million university students in Australia. After World War II, Australian universities became less elite but more important, growing from six small institutions educating less than 0.2 per cent of the population to a system enrolling over a quarter of high school graduates. And yet, universities today are plagued with ingrained problems. More than 50 per cent of the cost of universities goes to just running them. They now have an explicit commercial focus. They compete bitterly for students and funding, an issue sharply underlined by the latest federal budget. Scholars rarely feel their vice-chancellors represent them and within their own ranks, academics squabble for scraps. Knowing Australia is a perceptive, clear-eyed account of Australian universities, recounting their history from the 1850s to the present. Investigating the changing nature of higher education, it asks whether this success is likely to continue in the 21st century, as the university's hold over knowledge grows ever more tenuous.
The potential of utrophin modulators for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

ABSTRACT Introduction: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal, X-linked muscle-wasting disease caused by the lack of dystrophin. A few years after the identification of the dystrophin gene, a ubiquitously expressed transcript with high homology to dystrophin was identified leading to the postulate that utrophin might be an effective surrogate to compensate for the lack of dystrophin in dystrophic muscles. Areas covered: We review the utrophin gene, its regulation, the organisation of the corresponding protein and its dynamic expression pattern in comparison with dystrophin. In view of the evidence that utrophin acts as an efficient substitute to dystrophin to prevent the pathology, we describe the therapeutic approaches to modulate utrophin expression. We review the current status in the development of ezutromid, the first small utrophin modulator drug currently tested in DMD patients. Expert opinion: A utrophin based strategy is a highly promising approach applicable to all DMD patients irrespective of their genetic defect. Whereas accurate utrophin and regeneration quantification tools are urgently needed, the foundation of utrophin based therapies, defined 20 years ago, recently delivered first promising results in DMD patients with ezutromid. The field is at an exciting stage on the road of a universal treatment for all DMD patients.
Maternity Leave, Early Maternal Employment and Child Health and Development in the Us

This paper uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to explore links between mothers’ returns to work within 12 weeks of giving birth and health and developmental outcomes for their children. OLS models and propensity score matching methods are utilised to account for selection bias. Considerable associations between early returns to work and children’s outcomes are found suggesting causal relationships between early returns to work and reductions in breastfeeding and immunisations, as well as increases in externalising behaviour problems. These results are generally stronger for mothers who return to work full-time within 12 weeks of giving birth. New mothers in the US return to work very quickly by international standards. A third of new mothers in the US return to work within 3 months of giving birth (Klerman and Leibowitz, 1990, 1994, 1999; Smith and Bachu, 1999). These figures stand in sharp contrast to figures for other advanced industrialised nations. In Germany, Sweden and the UK, for instance, only about 5% of new mothers return to work so quickly (Gustafsson et al., 1996). The fact that US mothers return to work so quickly is a potential concern if early returns to work result in negative outcomes for their children. Staying home for at least 6 weeks after delivery (8 weeks if the delivery was by Caesarean section) allows new mothers time to recover from birth, facilitates breastfeeding and may help prevent some adverse health consequences for the mother and child. Indeed, in many countries, maternity leave laws specifically prohibit mothers from working until at least 6 weeks have elapsed. And, in most industrialised countries, maternity leave laws provide for an extended period of job-protected leave, at least a portion of which is paid. The situation in the US is very different. In the US, the primary source of maternity leave coverage has been employer policies, whether established voluntarily or as part of collective bargaining agreements. Under these employer policies, a new mother can typically stay home for up to 6 weeks, as long as she has the available leave time (e.g., through vacation, sick days, and/or temporary disability coverage) and obtains a doctor’s note. In some instances, a longer period of leave is permitted but rarely with pay. Beginning in the early 1970s, some US states passed maternity leave laws requiring firms to provide job-protected leaves to at least some employees. The most generous of these laws provide 18 weeks of leave; the least generous, only 4 weeks of leave. US policy was somewhat formalised in 1993, with the passage of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Although the FMLA is limited
Development of a population-based pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model to simulate treatment efficacy in metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer patients on erlotinib

Erlotinib improves progression-free survival (PFS) in metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) patients, but cause toxicities leading to dose reductions. The survival impact of dose reductions is unknown. We constructed a population-based pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) erlotinib model predicting PFS of mNSCLC patients, consisting of an erlotinib population PK component, a PD component describing the concentration-kill-constant relationship, and a tumour growth component tracking tumour size over time. This model was fit against clinical trial data to simulate population-based PFS estimates in mNSCLC patients and externally validated using other trial data. The model simulated population-based PFS estimates of placebo and erlotinib arms with 0.74-9.14% and 0.26-19.83% error, respectively. The model was externally validated with population-based PFS estimate errors of 11.3% and 16.7% in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant and EGFR-wild-type mNSCLC, respectively. It predicted significant PFS decreases with dose reductions. This is the first population-based PK-PD erlotinib model that predicts PFS in mNSCLC patients.
Comparison of Anisotropic Energy-Based and Jiles–Atherton Models of Ferromagnetic Hysteresis

In this article, we apply an anisotropic extension for the energy-based and the Jiles–Atherton (JA) hysteresis models to simulate both unidirectional alternating and rotational magnetic field excitations. The results show a good agreement with measurements for unidirectional alternating fields. However, the results for rotational fields, especially at high magnitudes, show a significant discrepancy with the measurement data. We demonstrate that the JA model with appropriate parameters can estimate the losses in alternating cases up to 1.5 T, whereas both models give reasonable loss estimation up to 1 T in rotational cases.
Influence of Various Carbon Sources on Growth and Biomass Accumulation of Some Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are among the most important group of bacteria, with a critical role in food, pharmaceutical and medical industry. The fast-growing characteristics of LAB strains, their metabolic activity associated with production of many beneficial compounds and most of all, their GRAS status (Generally Recognized As Safe) recommends them as starter cultures for food biotechnology processes. During last decades, LAB strains have also an extensive prophylactic or therapeutic use as probiotics. Due to the fact that there are current limitations in the use of standard MRS media (de Man Rogosa Sharpe), which is selective especially for lactobacilli and enterococci, the aim of the present study was to optimize the growth medium composition for isolating a wide range of LAB strains with biotechnological potential and to improve the biomass accumulation. For this purpose, it has been evaluated the growth of Lactobacillus (L.) rhamnosus ATCC� 9595�, Streptococcus (S.) salivarius subsp. thermophilus ATCC� 19258�, Pediococcus (P.) acidilactici ATCC� 8042�, Lactococcus (L.) lactis 28 and Enterococcus (E.) faecium FFb CMGB L-18 on MRS broth with various carbon sources (glucose, lactose, galactose, maltose, mannose, ribose, arabinose, sucrose, fructose). The results of the study showed that there are interesting differences in the requirements of each analyzed species. The optimization of standard medium composition will be very useful for growth studies as well as metabolic flux studies.
Exploring the Learning Indicators for Grasping the Learning Processes in a Computer-Based Simulation Learning Environment

Considering the rapid development of the learning analytics (LA) field and its unique advantages in data mining in the learning process, we will combine the theories of learning science and geometric-concept development to expand the learning analytics function in current computer-based simulation-assisted learning platforms. We initially conducted statistical analysis to evaluate learners' retention- and application-level performance, and we found that learners with different background variables in the experimental situations showed significant differences; however, we obtained no further explanatory data from the data regarding the learning process. This study preliminary revealed the various learning analytics, then the LA algorithm can be embedded to execute supervised or unsupervised processing mining; investigate the multiple learning indicators, such as engagement levels; and detect the proficiency of the geometric area schema formed as well as the conceptual development levels.
Fabrication of highly isotropic porous alumina refractory clinkers consisting of platelets using a gelatin-sol

ABSTRACT Porous alumina bodies are expected to find application as refractory materials to reduce energy consumption during the manufacture of inorganic products. The porosity of such bodies can be efficiently increased by using alumina platelets to form a so-called “house-of-cards” structure. This technique was employed in the present study, together with a gelatin-sol (as binder) and freeze-drying. The porosity, compressive strength, and thermal conductivity of a porous alumina body made in this manner and heat-treated at 1600°C were 80.2%, 1.7 MPa, and 0.94 W/m−1∙K−1, respectively. These physicochemical properties would allow this alumina to be used as a thermal insulation refractory clinker material.