Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
9-1-2011 Building IT Capability to Increase Organizational Performance : A Path-Oriented Process

Most studies on information technology (IT) capability have drawn their conceptualization from the tenets of resource-based view (RBV). Though path dependence is central to the concept of RBV, very few studies have examined the developmental paths of IT capabilities, which are typically treated as first-order constructs with their effects on firm performance investigated as direct causal links. This paper conceptualizes IT capability as the outcome of a pathspecific resource building process, driven by the e-business skills and knowledge of a firm’s IT human resources, which we refer to as e-business centric IT expertise. We posit that through the use of appropriate IT infrastructure, and the development of back-end integration and front-end functionalities, e-business centric IT expertise could be harnessed to provide the right information to the right customers at the right time, giving rise to a firm-specific IT capability. We further contend that IT capability is a source of competitive advantage, offering inimitable differentiation in market responsive agility, which is a key to securing sales in an increasingly customer-centric market. We operationalize these conceptualizations as a structural equation model (SEM) and tested 12 hypothesized relationships using data drawn from a survey of 310 fast-growth smallto-medium sized companies in Australia. The test results uphold 10 of the 12 formulated hypotheses, supporting our conceptualization that IT capability building is a path-specific process. To affirm our contention that IT capability is developed from the interacting effects of a suite of IT resources, and not the sum of the disjointed effects of individual resources, we also formulated and tested an alternative model that links individual IT resources directly to market responsive agility. Combined with a series of mediation tests, our SEM exercises confirm that IT resources interact in a specific way to give rise to IT capability to enhance market responsive agility and achieve sales performance. We discuss the implications of these findings in the context
UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE SANTA MARIA CENTRO DE CIÊNCIAS DA SAÚDE PROGRAMA DE PÓS-GRADUAÇÃO EM CIÊNCIAS FARMACÊUTICAS

ACTIVITY OF THE PURINERGIC SYSTEM ENZYME IN PLATELETS OF MULTIPLE MIELOMA PATIENTS AUTHOR: SABRINA FONTANA DE ANDRADE ADVISOR: JOSÉ EDSON PAZ DA SILVA Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized as a tumor of plasma cells which corresponds to approximately 10 % of haematological malignancies. Nowadays it is considered as an incurable disease, which can present complications such as bleeding or thrombosis. Hemostasis is the balance between procoagulant and anticoagulant systems aiming to prevent blood loss. The enzymes ectonucleotidases present on platelet surface are responsible for the regulation of extracellular levels of adenine nucleotides. ADP and ATP, as well as the nucleoside adenosine have been involved in a large number of physiological functions: ADP is the main platelets recruitment factor, while ATP is a competitive inhibitor of ADP-induced aggregation. Adenosine is a molecule able to induce vasodilation and inhibit platelet aggregation. Platelet activation process is accompanied by the secretion of platelet proteins such as platelet factor 4 (PF4) and increased formation of thromboxane (TXA2). Considering these concepts the aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of ectoenzymes (ENTPDase, 5'nucleotidase and E -ADA) in platelets and measuring concentration of PF4 and TXA2 in patients with MM. The results showed a reduction in the E-NTPDase activity for ATP hydrolysis in both treated (p<0,001) patients and in those who were not receiving treatment (p<0,05) for MM in the period of blood samples collection. This reduction can result in a decrease in extracellular levels of ADP, as this enzyme is responsible for conversion of ATP into ADP, which would reduce platelet aggregation in patients with MM. When we evaluated the enzyme E5'nucleotidase, no statistical difference was observed concerning its activity in these patients. An increase in EADA activity (p<0,001) was observed in patients with MM performing treatment, this may have occurred as a physiological response to increase of adenosine in these patients. Adenosine has vasoprotective and antiplatelet property and its increase can be related to the medicines used for these patients. Dosages of PF4 and TXB2 (stable metabolite of TXA2) showed lower values of these substances in MM untreated (p< 0,05; p< 0,001) and MM treated patients (p< 0,01; p< 0,001) in the control group. These data reveal a lower capacity aggregation and platelet activation in patients with MM, and highlight the participation of purinergic signaling in hemostasis in these patients.
The biomarker enriched proteome of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease cyst fluid

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is characterized by the development of numerous fluid‐filled cysts in the kidneys of patients. We recently published our description of the proteome of renal cyst fluid in ADPKD. As a follow‐up experiment, we hypothesized that the protein‐bound subfraction consists of molecules of mechanistic or diagnostic interest in ADPKD. Using a manual biomarker enrichment kit, we have identified 44 distinct proteins in human cyst fluid.
Predicting increased fluid requirements during the resuscitation of thermally injured patients.

BACKGROUND We determined whether factors present soon after burn predict which patients will receive more than 4 mL/kg/% burn during the first 24 hours, and whether total fluid intake during the first 24 hours (VOL) contributes to in-hospital mortality (MORT). METHODS We reviewed the records of patients admitted during 1987-97. The modified Brooke resuscitation formula was used. One hundred four patients met inclusion criteria: total body surface area burned (TBSA) > or = 20%; admission directly from the field; weight > 30 kg; no electric injury, mechanical trauma, or blood transfusions; and survival > or = 24 hours postburn. Eighty-nine records were complete. RESULTS Mean TBSA was 43%, mean full-thickness burn size was 21%, mean age was 41 years, mean VOL was 4.9 mL/kg/% burn, and mean lactated Ringer's volume was 4.4 mL/kg/% burn; 53% had inhalation injury. MORT was 25.8%. Mean urine output was 0.77 mL/kg/h. By linear regression, VOL was associated with weight (negatively) and full-thickness burn size (r2 = 0.151). By logistic regression, receipt of over 4 mL/kg/% burn was predicted at admission by weight (negatively) and TBSA; by 24 hours postburn, mechanical ventilation replaced TBSA. With respect to MORT, logistic regression of admission factors yielded a model incorporating TBSA and an age function; by 24 hours postburn, the worst base deficit was added. CONCLUSION Burn size and weight (negatively) were associated with greater VOL. However, a close linear relationship between burn size and VOL was not observed. Mechanical ventilation supplanted TBSA by 24 hours as a predictor of high VOL. Worst base deficit, TBSA, and an age function, but not VOL, were predictors of MORT.
Oral Tolerance Induced by Enterobacteria Altered the Process of Lymphocyte Recruitment to Intestinal Microvessels: Roles of Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecules, TGF‐beta and Negative Regulators of TLR Signaling

Objective: Although enterobacteria are implicated in intestinal immune response, there has been no report on how intraluminal pathogens affect lymphocyte recruitment. The aim of this study was to determine how the presence of intestinal flora affects lymphocyte migration to intestine under physiological and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced inflammatory conditions.
Efficacy and hemodynamic outcome of prolonged intermittent renal replacement therapy (PIRRT) in critically ill patients: a preliminary report.

BACKGROUND Acute kidney injury (AKI) is frequently part of a multiple-organ dysfunction syndrome presenting in critically ill patients. Prolonged intermittent renal replacement therapy (PIRRT) provides the advantages of both continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in term of hemodynamic stability and the cost-effectiveness of intermittent hemodialysis (IHD). This study aims to study PIRRT in the aspects of efficacy and hemodynamic outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHOD The authors present a single-center experience accumulated over 20 months from February 2009 to September 2010 with two PIRRT techniques, called SLEDD and SLEDD-f. Eight-hour treatments were performed daily for three consecutive days. Hemodynamic parameters were recorded at different time points and blood samples were taken for urea and solute clearance before and after treatment. RESULTS Sixty critically ill patients with AKI were randomly assigned to undergo PIRRT 33 patients received SLEDD and 27 patients received SLEDD-f. Our results demonstrate significant decrease in BUN, creatinine, serum potassium and phosphate in both PIRRT techniques. Moreover with the use of similar filters and blood flow rates, SLEDD-f was comparable with SLEDD in terms of small solute clearance and detoxification. For hemodynamic outcomes, the authors found that MAP increased after completion of the first session of PIRRT and along the three consecutive days of daily PIRRT, together with the gradual improvement of vasopressor scores. CONCLUSION The prolonged intermittent renal replacement therapy (PIRRT) appears to be an outstanding technique for treatment of critically ill patients with AKI and it also seems to have cost effectiveness. Moreover it is suitable to a limited resource region such as Thailand.
Individual and instrumental variations in irritant patch‐test reactions—clinical evaluation and quantification by bioengineering methods

A major purpose of irritant patch testing is to differentiate between normal, delicate and less sensitive skin. To assess the usefulness of irritant patch testing, knowledge of variation in responses to identical patch tests is essential. In the present study inter‐ and intra‐individual variation in irritant patch test reactions due to sodium lauryl sulphate and nonanoic acid is given when evaluated by traditional visual scoring as well as different non‐invasive methods, i.e. measurement of transepidermal water loss, the hydration state of stratum corneum by electrical conductance, cutaneous blood flow by laser Doppler flowmetry, and measurement of skin thickness by 20–MHz ultrasound A‐scan. The intra‐individual ‘site‐to‐site» variation was considerably less than the inter‐individual variation, which is essential to differentiate between persons with delicate and less sensitive skin. Methods used were relevant for this purpose except for the measurement of electrical conductance.
Latent Ability

Past research has assumed that group differences in academic performance entirely reflect genuine differences in ability. In contrast, extending research on stereotype threat, we suggest that standard measures of academic performance are biased against non-Asian ethnic minorities and against women in quantitative fields. This bias results not from the content of performance measures, but from the context in which they are assessed—from psychological threats in common academic environments, which depress the performances of people targeted by negative intellectual stereotypes. Like the time of a track star running into a stiff headwind, such performances underestimate the true ability of stereotyped students. Two meta-analyses, combining data from 18,976 students in five countries, tested this latent-ability hypothesis. Both meta-analyses found that, under conditions that reduce psychological threat, stereotyped students performed better than nonstereotyped students at the same level of past performance. We discuss implications for the interpretation of and remedies for achievement gaps.
Prediction of radiation-induced normal tissue complications in radiotherapy using functional image data

The aim of this study has been to explicitly include the functional heterogeneity of an organ as a factor that contributes to the probability of complication of normal tissues following radiotherapy. Situations for which the inclusion of this information can be advantageous to the design of treatment plans are then investigated. A Java program has been implemented for this purpose. This makes use of a voxelated model of a patient, which is based on registered anatomical and functional data in order to enable functional voxel weighting. Using this model, the functional dose–volume histogram (fDVH) and the functional normal tissue complication probability (fNTCP) are then introduced as extensions to the conventional dose–volume histogram (DVH) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). In the presence of functional heterogeneity, these tools are physically more meaningful for plan evaluation than the traditional indices, as they incorporate additional information and are anticipated to show a better correlation with outcome. New parameters mf, nf and TD50f are required to replace the m, n and TD50 parameters. A range of plausible values was investigated, awaiting fitting of these new parameters to patient outcomes where functional data have been measured. As an example, the model is applied to two lung datasets utilizing accurately registered computed tomography (CT) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) perfusion scans. Assuming a linear perfusion–function relationship, the biological index mean perfusion weighted lung dose (MPWLD) has been extracted from integration over outlined regions of interest. In agreement with the MPWLD ranking, the fNTCP predictions reveal that incorporation of functional imaging in radiotherapy treatment planning is most beneficial for organs with a large volume effect and large focal areas of dysfunction. There is, however, no additional advantage in cases presenting with homogeneous function. Although presented for lung radiotherapy, this model is general. It can also be applied to positron emission tomography (PET)–CT or functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)–CT registered data and extended to the functional description of tumour control probability.
Anti-biofilm activity of Salvadora persica on cariogenic isolates of Streptococcus mutans: in vitro and molecular docking studies

Salvadora persica sticks are used for chewing and oral-hygiene measures worldwide. The growth inhibition and anti-biofilm effects of various extracts on cariogenic Streptococcus mutans isolates were evaluated. Biofilm inhibition, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analyses for phytochemicals and their possible mode of interaction with biofilm response regulators were revealed using LigandFit docking protocols. All S. persica extracts showed considerable inhibitory activity and the cariogenic S. mutans showed varied susceptibility when compared with controls. The percentage reduction in biofilm inhibition obtained for methanol, ethanol, chloroform, acetone, and aqueous extracts were 87.92%, 85.75%, 72.44%, 61.66% and 58.68%, respectively. GC–MS analyses revealed >28 compounds, of which benzyl (6Z,9Z,12Z)-6,9,12-octadecatrienoate, 3-benzyloxy-1-nitro-butan-2-ol and 1,3-cyclohexane dicarbohydrazide interacted efficiently with the bacterial communication quorum-sensing (QS) regulators Streptococcus OmpP and Staphylococcus Lux proteins. The bioactive, dual-function, anti-biofilm agents in S. persica not only inhibit growth, but also control the colonization and accumulation of caries-causing S. mutans.
Medical teachers’ perception of professional roles in the framework of the German National Competence-Based Learning Objectives for Undergraduate Medical Education (NKLM)—A multicenter study

Abstract Background: Based on CanMEDS and others, the German National Competence-Based Learning Objectives for Undergraduate Medical Education (NKLM) were recently consented. International studies recommend integrating national and cultural context when transferring a professional roles framework in different countries. Teachers’ misconceptions may establish barriers in role understanding and implementation. Objectives: The aim is to analyze medical teachers’ rating and perception of NKLM roles in order to reveal differences to official definitions. Methods: A two-step sequential mixed methods design was used including a survey and focus groups with N = 80 medical teachers from four German universities. Results: Most of the teachers highly valued the importance of the role “Medical Expert” and understood comprehensively. The Communicator and the Collaborator were rated fairly and perceived to a large extent. Other intrinsic roles like Health Advocate and Scholar showed more deficits in perception and less importance by the participants. This was seen generally problematic and should be considered carefully. Manager and professional showed one-sided weaknesses either in importance or perception. Conclusion: Medical teachers considered NKLM roles relevant for medical practice, although their role perception differed considerably. The value and risk matrix visualizes the specific role profile and offers strategic implications for NKLM communication and handling, thus supporting change management.
Psychiatric comorbidity in treatment-seeking substance use disorder patients with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: results of the IASP study.

AIMS To determine comorbidity patterns in treatment-seeking substance use disorder (SUD) patients with and without adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with an emphasis on subgroups defined by ADHD subtype, taking into account differences related to gender and primary substance of abuse. DESIGN Data were obtained from the cross-sectional International ADHD in Substance use disorder Prevalence (IASP) study. SETTING Forty-seven centres of SUD treatment in 10 countries. PARTICIPANTS A total of 1205 treatment-seeking SUD patients. MEASUREMENTS Structured diagnostic assessments were used for all disorders: presence of ADHD was assessed with the Conners' Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV (CAADID), the presence of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), major depression (MD) and (hypo)manic episode (HME) was assessed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview-Plus (MINI Plus), and the presence of borderline personality disorder (BPD) was assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II (SCID II). FINDINGS The prevalence of DSM-IV adult ADHD in this SUD sample was 13.9%. ASPD [odds ratio (OR) = 2.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.8-4.2], BPD (OR = 7.0, 95% CI = 3.1-15.6 for alcohol; OR = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.8-6.4 for drugs), MD in patients with alcohol as primary substance of abuse (OR = 4.1, 95% CI = 2.1-7.8) and HME (OR = 4.3, 95% CI = 2.1-8.7) were all more prevalent in ADHD(+) compared with ADHD(-) patients (P < 0.001). These results also indicate increased levels of BPD and MD for alcohol compared with drugs as primary substance of abuse. Comorbidity patterns differed between ADHD subtypes with increased MD in the inattentive and combined subtype (P < 0.01), increased HME and ASPD in the hyperactive/impulsive (P < 0.01) and combined subtypes (P < 0.001) and increased BPD in all subtypes (P < 0.001) compared with SUD patients without ADHD. Seventy-five per cent of ADHD patients had at least one additional comorbid disorder compared with 37% of SUD patients without ADHD. CONCLUSIONS Treatment-seeking substance use disorder patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are at a very high risk for additional externalizing disorders.
Analysis of the Time-To-Accuracy Metric and Entries in the DAWNBench Deep Learning Benchmark

Researchers have proposed hardware, software, and statistical optimizations to improve the computational performance of deep learning. While some of these optimizations keep model semantics exactly the same (e.g., using a NVIDIA K80 GPU vs. a P100 GPU), many also modify the semantics of the training procedure (e.g., reduced precision) and impact the final model’s validation accuracy. Due to a lack of standard evaluation criteria that considers these trade-offs, it is difficult to compare optimizations. DAWNBENCH and MLPERF are benchmarks that use time-to-accuracy to compare the behavior of different techniques that improve deep learning computational performance. In this work, we investigate time-to-accuracy and analyze DAWNBENCH entries, including recent rolling submissions. We show that time-to-accuracy is stable and provide evidence that models optimized for time-to-accuracy generalize about as well as pre-trained models. Additionally, we find that the best entries, which can train a model on ImageNet to 93% top-5 accuracy in under 19 minutes, severely underutilize modern hardware.
A Novel Reason Mining Algorithm to Analyze Public Sentiment Variations on Twitter and Facebook

With the explosive growth of social media on web, analyzing Public Sentiment Variations (PSV) has become utmost necessity as public sentiments fluctuate with alterations in real life events. Analysis of PSV empowers decision makers to gain a better understanding of public reactions in social, political and economic environment thus helps in better decision making. Most of the recent studies are bounded to be analyzing and predicting public sentiments. In this paper, we have done further analysis to know the useful insights for PSV using tweets and Facebook comments with a specific target. We propose a Novel Reason Mining Algorithm to find the possible reasons affecting PSV in significant sentiment variation period. It uses incremental iterative approach to refine the final list of most influential reasons. To give more intuitive representation, the algorithm ranks a set of mined reason candidates. The reason candidate with the most number of tweets/comments is the main reason for sentiment variation in that time period. The quality of mined reasons mainly depends on the quality of clusters formed prior to reason mining. The performance of our approach is compared with baseline K-means clustering technique. Experimental results show that our approach forms better clusters and effectively mine the reasons for sentiment variations. The Kmeans technique attained 57.05% precision and 53.31% recall on Twitter and 69.86% precision and 40.62% recall on Facebook. The Novel Reason Mining Algorithm achieved 79.4 % precision and 44.45% recall on Twitter and 71.13 % precision and 40.62% recall on Facebook. General Terms Data Mining, Sentiment Analysis.
Americas Conference on Information Systems ( AMCIS ) December 2003 Measuring Enterprise Systems Success : A Preliminary Model

The business value of Enterprise Systems (ES), and in general large software implementations, has been extensively debated in both the popular press and in the academic literature for over three decades. Organizations have invested heavily in Enterprise Systems (and related infrastructure), presumably expecting positive outcomes to the organization. Some studies have reported large productivity improvements and substantial benefits from Enterprise Systems, while others have reported that Enterprise Systems have not had any bottom-line improvements. This paper discusses preliminary findings from a study of evaluating ES success in 27 organizations in Queensland, Australia. Two surveys, an exploratory survey followed by a confirmatory survey, were conducted and data from four hundred and fifty four respondents was analyzed. An a priori model of ES success with five constructs and forty-two sub-constructs was tested. Validation of the model constructs through exploratory factor analysis identified four dimensions of ES success.