Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel model of ischemia in renal tubular cells which closely parallels in vivo injury.

PURPOSE Renal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury is a devastating clinical problem. While effective animal models have been developed to investigate this condition, they are limited by differential renal cell inflammatory mediator production and heterogeneous cell sensitivity to ischemia. We therefore developed an in vitro model of renal tubular cell ischemia that simulates the cellular injury observed in animal models of renal IR injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using the established renal tubular cell line, LLC-PK1, simulated ischemia was induced by immersing the cellular monolayer in mineral oil. The effect of simulated ischemia on renal tubular cells was then determined by measuring the time course of TNF-alpha protein expression (ELISA), TNF-alpha mRNA induction (RT-PCR), and renal tubular cell apoptosis (TUNEL). RESULTS Maximal TNF-alpha protein expression occurs following 60 min of simulated ischemia and 2 h of substrate replacement (reimmersion in media), and maximal TNF-alpha mRNA induction occurs following 60 min of simulated ischemia. Cellular apoptosis peaks following 60 min of simulated ischemia and 24 h of reperfusion. CONCLUSION The time course of TNF-alpha production and apoptosis induction in this model closely parallels the time course for these markers in vivo. This study constitutes the initial demonstration that an in vitro oil immersion model of ischemia simulates the cellular injury (TNF-alpha production and apoptosis) observed in animal models of renal ischemia-reperfusion. This model may be used to study cellular mechanisms of IR in the absence of the systemic confounding variables.
Influence of work-related factors and individual characteristics on work ability among Dutch construction workers.

OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of individual characteristics, health problems, lifestyle factors, and work-related factors with work ability among Dutch construction workers. METHODS In this cross-sectional survey, the study population consisted of 19 507 Dutch construction workers who had participated in a voluntary periodic medical examination in 2005 and for whom complete information on laboratory tests and spirometry was available. The main outcome of the study was work ability, measured by the work ability index. Independent variables consisted of physical and psychosocial work-related factors, individual characteristics, lifestyle factors, and some objective health indicators. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used to determine the influence of different factors on work ability. RESULTS Physical workload and, to a less extent, psychosocial factors at work together explained 22% of the variability in work ability. Age, leisure-time physical activity, lung obstruction, and cardiovascular risk profile explained about 10% of the workers' ability to work, but, when adjusted for work-related risk factors, their effects became very small. Awkward back posture, static work postures, repetitive movements, and lack of support at work had the highest influence on work ability. CONCLUSIONS In the construction industry, work-related risk factors were the most important in association with work ability. This finding suggests that interventions aimed at preventing construction workers from dropping out of the workforce should primarily focus on reducing physical and psychosocial load at work.
Sexual dimorphism in resource acquisition and deployment: both size and timing matter.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The males and females of many dioecious plant species differ from one another in important life-history traits, such as their size. If male and female reproductive functions draw on different resources, for example, one should expect males and females to display different allocation strategies as they grow. Importantly, these strategies may differ not only between the two sexes, but also between plants of different age and therefore size. Results are presented from an experiment that asks whether males and females of Mercurialis annua, an annual plant with indeterminate growth, differ over time in their allocation of two potentially limiting resources (carbon and nitrogen) to vegetative (below- and above-ground) and reproductive tissues. METHODS Comparisons were made of the temporal patterns of biomass allocation to shoots, roots and reproduction and the nitrogen content in the leaves between the sexes of M. annua by harvesting plants of each sex after growth over different periods of time. KEY RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Males and females differed in their temporal patterns of allocation. Males allocated more to reproduction than females at early stages, but this trend was reversed at later stages. Importantly, males allocated proportionally more of their biomass towards roots at later stages, but the roots of females were larger in absolute terms. The study points to the important role played by both the timing of resource deployment and the relative versus absolute sizes of the sinks and sources in sexual dimorphism of an annual plant.
[Regional Homogeneity Changes in Patients with Social Anxiety Disorders after Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.]

OBJECTIVES To examine the altered spontaneous brain activity in patients with social anxiety disorders (SAD) before and after cognitive behavior therapy (CBT),and determine the neuromechanism of formation,treatment and recovery of SAD. METHODS Fifteen SAD patients were treated with an eight-week group CBT.The patients underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at resting state before and after the treatments.Eighteen healthy controls (HC) were recruited and underwent a baseline fMRI scan.The regional homogeneity (ReHo) of the patients was compared with the healthy controls.Before the baseline scanning,all participants were assessed with the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale(LSAS),the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD). RESULTS All participants were right-handed.10 males and 4 females were in the patient group,with mean age of (27.07±8.11) years.13 males and 5 females were in the HC group,with mean age of (26.28±2.42) years.There was no difference for gender and age while significant differences were found in LSAS,HAMA,HAMD between patients and controls (P<0.01). After 8 weeks of group CBT,clinical assessments significantly decreased (P<0.05) in patients group.Compared with HC,the pre-treatment SAD patients showed significantly increased ReHo in right cerebellum lobe at baseline [(P<0.05,with Gaussian random field (GRF) correction]; but the difference became insignificant after the group CBT.The post-treatment patients showed increased ReHo in left putamen and right caudate compared with their pre-treatment conditions (P<0.05,with GRF correction). Pre-post ReHo change in right cerebellum posterior in patients was positively correlated with pre-post change of LSAS-fear scores (r=0.62,P=0.015). CONCLUSIONS The activity of cerebellum might be one of the potential biomakers to modulate the treatment effect of CBT in SAD,which provides a basis for further investigation into the pathophysiology of SAD.
The effectiveness of ultrasound surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma in a Canadian centre and determinants of its success.

BACKGROUND The effectiveness of surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using ultrasound (US) in North America has been questioned due to the predominance of patients of Caucasian ethnicity and larger body habitus. OBJECTIVE To determine the effectiveness of US surveillance for HCC in a Canadian hepatobiliary centre and to identify independent variables associated with early detection of tumour(s). METHODS A retrospective review of patients with first HCC in a US surveillance population at the authors' hospital yielded 201 patients (over a 10.5-year period). Patients were categorized into three groups: regular surveillance (frequency of surveillance ≤12 months [n=109]); irregular surveillance (frequency of surveillance >12 months [n=38]); or first surveillance (tumour detected on first scan [n=54]). The Milan criteria for transplantation and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system were used as outcome measures. Effective surveillance was defined as tumour detection within Milan criteria or curative BCLC stages 0 and A; its association with multiple patient- and disease-related variables was tested. RESULTS When using the Milan criteria as outcome, 84 of 109 (77%) regular surveillance patients, 23 of 38 (61%) irregular surveillance patients and 40 of 54 (74%) first surveillance patients had tumours meeting the transplantation criteria. The difference between regular and irregular surveillance was statistically significant (P=0.03). When using the BCLC staging system, 87 of 109 (80%) regular surveillance patients, 26 of 38 (68%) irregular surveillance patients and 41 of 54 (76%) first surveillance patients had their tumours detected in BCLC curative stages (0 and A; P=0.11). Regular surveillance was the only variable significantly associated with detection of tumour(s) within the Milan criteria (OR 2.76 [95% CI 1.10 to 6.88]). Tumours detected more recently were more likely to be <2 cm in size (BCLC stage 0; OR 2.38 [95% CI 1.07 to 5.31]). CONCLUSION A high rate of HCC surveillance success was achieved using US alone when performed regularly in a specialized hepatobiliary centre.
The leghemoglobin proximal heme pocket directs oxygen dissociation and stabilizes bound heme

Sperm whale myoglobin (Mb) and soybean leghemoglobin (Lba) are two small, monomeric hemoglobins that share a common globin fold but differ widely in many other aspects. Lba has a much higher affinity for most ligands, and the two proteins use different distal and proximal heme pocket regulatory mechanisms to control ligand binding. Removal of the constraint provided by covalent attachment of the proximal histidine to the F‐helices of these proteins decreases oxygen affinity in Lba and increases oxygen affinity in Mb, mainly because of changes in oxygen dissociation rate constants. Hence, Mb and Lba use covalent constraints in opposite ways to regulate ligand binding. Swapping the F‐helices of the two proteins brings about similar effects, highlighting the importance of this helix in proximal heme pocket regulation of ligand binding. The F7 residue in Mb is capable of weaving a hydrogen‐bonding network that holds the proximal histidine in a fixed orientation. On the contrary, the F7 residue in Lba lacks this property and allows the proximal histidine to assume a conformation favorable for higher ligand binding affinity. Geminate recombination studies indicate that heme iron reactivity on picosecond timescales is not the dominant cause for the effects observed in each mutation. Results also indicate that in Lba the proximal and distal pocket mutations probably influence ligand binding independently. These results are discussed in the context of current hypotheses for proximal heme pocket structure and function. Proteins 2002;46:268–277. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Oscillatory fluctuations in the incidence of infectious disease and the impact of vaccination: time series analysis

Summary This paper uses the techniques of time series analysis (autocorrelation and spectral analysis) to examine oscillatory secular trends in the incidence of infectious diseases and the impact of mass vaccination programmes on these well-documented phenomena. We focus on three common childhood diseases: pertussis and mumps (using published disease-incidence data for England and Wales) and measles (using data from England and Wales, Scotland, North America and France). Our analysis indicates highly statistically significant seasonal and longer-term cycles in disease incidence in the prevaccination era. In general, the longer-term fluctuations (a 2-year period for measles, 3-year periods for pertussis and mumps) account for most of the cyclical variability in these data, particularly in the highly regular measles series for England and Wales. After vaccination, the periods of the longer-term oscillations tend to increase, an observation which corroborates theoretical predictions. Mass immunization against measles (which reduces epidemic fluctuations) magnifies the relative importance of the seasonal cycles. By contrast, we show that high levels of vaccination against whooping cough in England and Wales appear to have suppressed the annual cycle.
Prodrug approach for alphaIIbbeta3-peptidomimetic antagonists to enhance their transport in monolayers of a human intestinal cell line (Caco-2): comparison of in vitro and in vivo data.

PURPOSE Different lipophilic derivatives of a potent alphaIIbbeta3-antagonist with benzamidino-oxazolidinone structure were investigated with respect to transport and metabolism properties to evaluate their potential as prodrugs with improved absorption behavior. METHODS Intestinal transport and metabolism of the compounds were studied in Caco-2 monolayers under in vitro conditions and quantitated by a reversed-phase HPLC- method. Peroral bioavailability in cynomolgus monkeys and inhibition of platelet aggregation (guinea pig) were compared to in vitro permeability coefficients. RESULTS N-alkoxycarbonyl- and N-benzoyl-derivatization of the benzamidine-parent drug increased the apparent permeabilities across Caco-2 monolayers by a factor of 25-100 fold. Most prodrugs were transported mainly by passive diffusion, whereas the methoxycarbonyl-derivative EMD 122347 displayed directional transport from basolateral (BL) to apical (AP). This polarized efflux was concentration dependent (saturable kinetics with Km = 207 microM, Vmax = 0.275 nmol cm(-2) min(-1)) and could be reduced in the presence of verapamil (300 microM), an inhibitor of p-glycoprotein. Cell mediated cleavage of the prodrugs was low and showed only slight differences to hydrolysis in buffer solution, indicating a predominantly non enzymatic cleavage. Both peroral bioavailability (monkey) and the inhibition of ex-vivo platelet aggregation (guinea pig) gave the same rank order as the permeability coefficients obtained in Caco-2 monolayers. CONCLUSIONS Alkoxycarbonylamidine- and benzoylamidine promoieties of a RGD mimetic alphaIIbbeta3-antagonist considerably increased both effect bioavailabilities in animal experiments as well as in-vitro permeability in cell monolayers, demonstrating the potential of this approach to enhance transport of peptidomimetic drugs.
Regional correlation among ganglion cell complex, nerve fiber layer, and visual field loss in glaucoma.

PURPOSE To analyze the relationship among macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness, peripapillary nerve fiber layer (NFL) thickness, and visual field (VF) defects in patients with glaucoma. METHODS A Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) system was used to map the macula and peripapillary regions of the retina in 56 eyes of 38 patients with perimetric glaucoma. The macular GCC and peripapillary NFL thicknesses were mapped and standard automated perimetry (SAP) was performed. Loss of GCC and NFL were correlated with the VF map on both a point-by-point and regional basis. RESULTS Correlation between GCC thickness and peripapillary NFL thickness produced a detailed correspondence map that demonstrates the arcuate course of the NFL in the macula. Corresponding regions within the GCC, NFL, and VF maps demonstrate significant correlation, once parafoveal retinal ganglion cell (RGC) displacement is taken into account. CONCLUSIONS There are significant point-specific and regional correlations between GCC loss, NFL loss, and deficits on SAP. Using these different data sources together may improve our understanding of glaucomatous damage and aid in the management of patients with glaucoma.
Implementation of Multi-Priority Variable-Length iSLIP Algorithm Based on FPGA

At present, crossbar-based exchange structure has become the mainstream of building large-capacity switches. The iSLIP (iterative round-robin matching with slip) algorithm has been widely used because of its easy to achieve, can achieve 100% throughput and other advantages. But the current research on iSLIP algorithm is for fixed-length cells. In order to improve the bandwidth utilization of the iSLIP algorithm, we improve the iSLIP algorithm to support variable-length cell scheduling, and provide multi-priority support in order to achieve priority service forwarding and reduce its waiting time. We use the FPGA(Field-Programmable Gate Array) to achieve an 8x8 port switching structure, the internal bandwidth achieves 128Gbps. Through the performance analysis, it shows that the algorithm has a good throughput rate and delay characteristics building up the foundation for the future construction of large-capacity multi-level switch fabric.
Ink-Jet-Printed Zinc–Tin–Oxide Thin-Film Transistors and Circuits With Rapid Thermal Annealing Process

We report on high-performance ink-jet-printed amorphous zinc-tin-oxide (a-ZTO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) and simple inverter circuits. The solution-processed a-ZTO layer was directly printed on source/drain electrodes and then thermally treated by using rapid thermal annealing process. The ink-jet-printed a-ZTO TFTs (W/L = 100 μm/10 μm) have shown a carrier mobility of 4.98 cm2/V · s with an on/off current ratio that is greater than 109 and a subthreshold slope of 0.92 V/dec. The a-ZTO TFT-based inverter operation was good with acceptable logic level conservation.
Causes of death and mortality in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients with implantable defibrillators in Sweden

Aims Implantable defibrillators (ICDs) successfully terminate ventricular arrhythmias in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), protect against bradycardia, and monitor atrial arrhythmias. This may alter the natural history and causes of death. Methods This nationwide observational longitudinal retrospective study of all HCM patients implanted during 1995–2012 obtained data from the Swedish ICD Registry, the National Patient Register, the Cause of Death Register, and were validated by review of medical records. Results Of 342 patients (mean age 51.8 years, 70.8% males), 45 died during a total follow-up of 1847 years (mean 5.4 years). Mean age at death was 68.2 years (range 21–83 years; 12 were ≥75 years). Mean follow-up time among the deceased was 4.9 years (quartiles 1.4–7.4 years). All-cause mortality was higher in HCM patients compared with the age and sex-matched Swedish general population (standardized mortality ratio 3.4; 95% confidence interval 2.4–4.5; P < 0.001). Main cause of death was heart failure (n = 27), stroke (n = 5), cancer (n = 3), myocardial infarction (n = 2), sepsis (n = 2), and others (n = 4). Two patients died suddenly, one after the ICD was turned off because of inappropriate shocks, and one patient whose device system was removed after infection. HCM was the main cause of death in 76% of the cases, mainly because of progressive heart failure. Conclusion For HCM patients, ICDs almost eliminate premature arrhythmic death and result in a shift to heart failure as the cause of death in the majority of cases. Still, mortality in HCM patients remains elevated and management of heart failure and comorbidities must be improved to increase survival.
KAJIAN KOMPETENSI SUMBER DAYA MANUSIA PADA KANTOR AUDIT INTERNAL ITS

Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) telah mendapatkan status sebagai PTN BH serta mempunyai Satuan Pengawas Internal, bernama Kantor Audit Internal (KAI). Guna peningkatan pelayanannya maka dipandang perlu dilakukan Kajian Kompetensi Sumber Daya Manusia pada KAI ITS dengan menggunakan informasi dari internal stakeholder. Informasi tersebut akan memberikan feedback kepada KAI ITS untuk meningkatkan peran dan kualitas KAI ITS dalam melakukan pengawasan organisasi institusi. Pendekatan kualitatif dengan wawancara semi terbuka dipergunakan dalam memperoleh informasi mengenai kompetensi yang dibutuhkan oleh SDM KAI terkait dengan peran dan fungsi KAI. Penerapan metode tersebut menghasilkan temuan bahwa kompetensi SDM (auditor) pada KAI ITS perlu ditingkatkan dengan mengikuti pelatihan atau sertifikasi audit dan diperlukan auditor yang dapat bekerja secara full time sehingga peran dan fungsi KAI dapat terlaksana secara maksimal yaitu sebagai mitra, controller pada setiap bagian Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) dalam organisasi, melakukan quality assurance dan audit berbasis resiko.
Probability and delay of reinforcement as factors in discrete-trial choice.

Pigeons chose between two alternatives that differed in the probability of reinforcement and the delay to reinforcement. A peck on the red key always produced a delay of 5 s and then a possible reinforcer. The probability of reinforcement for responding on this key varied from . 05 to 1.0 in different conditions. A response on the green key produced a delay of adjustable duration and then a possible reinforcer, with the probability of reinforcement ranging from . 25 to 1.0 in different conditions. The green-key delay was increased or decreased many times per session, depending on a subject's previous choices. The purpose of these adjustments was to estimate an indifference point, or a delay that resulted in a subject's choosing each alternative about equally often. In conditions where the probability of reinforcement was five times higher on the green key, the green-key delay averaged about 12 s at the indifference point. In conditions where the probability of reinforcement was twice as high on the green key, the green-key delay at the indifference point was about 8 s with high probabilities and about 6 s with low probabilities. An analysis based on these results and those from studies on delay of reinforcement suggests that pigeons' choices are relatively insensitive to variations in the probability of reinforcement between . 2 and 1.0, but quite sensitive to variations in probability between . 2 and 0.
Whole-genome association study for fatty acid composition of oleic acid in Japanese Black cattle.

Fatty acid composition, especially oleic acid (C18:1), plays an important role in the eating quality of meat in Japanese Black cattle. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify loci associated with C18:1 in the intramuscular fat of the trapezius muscles in Japanese Black cattle using the Illumina BovineSNP50 BeadChip whole genome single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assay. We also evaluated the relationship between C18:1 and three fatty acid synthesis genes, fatty acid synthase (FASN), stearoyl-CoA desaturase and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1. In this experiment, we applied a mixed model and Genomic Control approach using selective genotyping to perform a genome-wide association study. A total of 160 animals (80 animals with higher values and 80 animals with lower values), selected from 3356 animals based on corrected phenotype, were genotyped using the Illumina BovineSNP50 BeadChip and three fatty acid synthesis genes, and the quality of these SNPs was assessed. In this study, a total of 38 955 SNPs, which included SNPs in the three fatty acid synthesis genes, were used, and the estimated inflation factor was 1.06. In the studied population, a total of 32 SNPs, including the FASN gene, had significant effects, and in particular 30 SNPs of all significant SNPs were located between 49 and 55 Mbp on chromosome 19. This study is one of the first genome-wide association studies for fatty acid composition in a cattle population using the recently released Illumina BovineSNP50 BeadChip.