Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cost-related immunosuppressive medication nonadherence among kidney transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Immunosuppressive medications are essential in preventing kidney transplant rejection. Continuous insurance coverage for outpatient immunosuppressive medications remains a major issue. The objective of this study was to establish the prevalence and consequences of cost-related immunosuppressive medication nonadherence. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS A descriptive survey of all U.S. kidney transplant programs (n = 254) was conducted. The response rate for the survey exceeded 99%. The main outcome measures included the following: transplant recipient concerns related to medication costs, ability to pay for medications, medication nonadherence and its consequences, and failure of transplant centers to place patients on the transplant waiting list. RESULTS Continuous insurance coverage for outpatient immunosuppressive drugs is a problem having potentially grave consequences for the majority of kidney transplant recipients. More than 70% of kidney transplant programs report that their patients have an extremely or very serious problem paying for their medications. About 47% of the programs indicate that more than 40% of their patients are having difficulty paying for their immunosuppressive medications. In turn, 68% of the programs report deaths and graft losses attributable to cost-related immunosuppressive medication nonadherence. Some of the problems identified here are more significant for adult than pediatric patients. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence and consequences of cost-related immunosuppressive medication nonadherence among kidney transplant recipients have now been documented. The results presented here should serve as the necessary impetus for the development of health care policies supporting Medicare coverage of immunosuppressive medications for the life of the transplanted kidney.
Open Government Data Concept Over Time: Approaches and Dimensions

Research in the Open Government Data (OGD) area has grown substantially in recent years, producing several different conceptual approaches and dimensions. Considering that, it is important to understand the concept over time as a way to better conceive researches based on the contemporary approaches. Therefore, the present study aims to review and categorize existing research on OGD, identifying which approaches are being adopted, which are the research strategies used, how the concept evolves and which are the most referenced articles. Thus, this study reviewed and categorized existing researches on OGD. A systematic review of literature was performed, covering 186 publications presented in the main databases. Papers were analysed through content analysis, more specifically through the steps of reduction, display, conclusion and double verification in isolation. The researches were classified into seven dimensions and under ten different themes. Moreover, countries now considered fully mature in relation to the open data initiatives have addressed issues relating to policy in articles from previous years, when they were still implementing their initiatives. Concurrently with the development of global initiatives in OGD, new scientific papers tend to direct their focus on issues such as added value and corruption. Through the results of this research it is possible to identify widely discussed approaches and those that can be further explored as well as the development of the OGD concept and its dimensions, which can form the basis for future research.
Common and unique features of T antigens encoded by the polyomavirus group

Although 12 different members of the polyomavirus group have now been identified, only SV40 and PyV have been studied extensively. Whereas each member of the group shows a restricted host range, viruses infecting species from birds to humans have been reported. Although little is known concerning the biology of natural infections in the wild, it is apparent that these viruses exhibit various cell-type tropisms. Some viruses, such as LPV (B lymphocytes) or KV (pulmonary endothelium), are tightly restricted to specific cell types, while others, such as PyV, infect a variety of tissues in the animal. Despite these differences, all polyomaviruses share a common strategy of productive infection, expressing T antigens which act both on cellular targets, preparing cellular metabolism for supporting optimal viral replication, and then on targets within the viral genome, to regulate viral DNA replication, transcription, and assembly. Presumably, this common replication strategy restricts the degree to which the sequences of these viruses can diverge. Thus, sequence motifs conserved among these different viruses may indicate key structural elements essential for biochemical function. In this article I have compared the sequences of all polyomavirus-encoded large and small T antigens sequenced to date. This has led to the following conclusions and speculations. (i) Comparison of the domain organization of different large T antigens reveals that these proteins fall into two structural classes. Members of the SV40 class, which include SV40, JCV, BKV, and SA12, possess a carboxyl-terminal domain, which in SV40 has been shown to be dispensable for viral DNA replication but essential for virion assembly. The PyV class lacks the carboxyl-terminal domain and carries additional amino acids within the amino-terminal domain. When total amino acid identity is examined, members of the SV40 class show the highest degree of conservation (65 to 85%), while sequence identity among the remaining viruses varies from 18 to 55%. (ii) The DNA binding domains of most large T antigens are closely related, with amino acid identities ranging from 35 to 86%. Several residues within this domain are invariant among all T antigens. All of these viruses have multiple copies of the consensus T-antigen-binding pentanucleotide (GAGGC) in their ori region, suggesting that all T antigens recognize this sequence. The single exception is the large T antigen encoded by the avian virus BFDV. The putative DNA binding domain of this protein shows little or no sequence relation to that of other T antigens. Furthermore, the GAGGC motif is not found in the ori region of this virus. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Using predicted 30 day mortality to plan postoperative colorectal surgery care: a cohort study†

Background. Preoperative identification of high-risk surgical patients might help to reduce postoperative morbidity and mortality. Using a patient’s predicted 30 day mortality to plan postoperative high-dependency unit (HDU) care after elective colorectal surgery might be associated with reduced postoperative morbidity. Methods. The 30 day postoperative mortality was predicted for 504 elective colorectal surgical patients in a preoperative clinic. The prediction was used to determine postoperative surgical ward or HDU care. Those with a predicted 30 day mortality of 1–3% mortality, and thus deemed at intermediate risk, had either planned HDU care (n=68) or planned ward care (n=139). The main outcome measures were emergency laparotomy and unplanned critical care admission. Results. There were more emergency laparotomies and unplanned critical care admissions in patients with a predicted 30 day mortality of 1–3% who went to an HDU after surgery compared with patients who went to a ward: 0 vs 14 (10%), P=0.0056 and 0 vs 22 (16%), P=0.0002, respectively. Conclusions. Planned postoperative critical care was associated with a lower rate of complications after elective colorectal surgery.
Effects of maternal strain on ethanol responses in reciprocal F1 C57BL/6J and DBA/2J hybrid mice

Variations in maternal behavior, either occurring naturally or in response to experimental manipulations, have been shown to exert long‐lasting consequences on offspring behavior and physiology. Despite previous research examining the effects of developmental manipulations on drug‐related phenotypes, few studies have specifically investigated the influence of strain‐based differences in maternal behavior on drug responses in mice. The current experiments used reciprocal F1 hybrids of two inbred mouse strains (i.e. DBA/2J and C57BL/6J) that differ in both ethanol (EtOH) responses and maternal behavior to assess the effects of maternal environment on EtOH‐related phenotypes. Male and female DBA/2J and C57BL/6J mice and their reciprocal F1 hybrids reared by either DBA/2J or C57BL/6J dams were tested in adulthood for EtOH intake (choice, forced), EtOH‐induced hypothermia, EtOH‐induced activity and EtOH‐induced conditioned place preference (CPP). C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice showed differences on all EtOH responses. Consistent with previous reports that maternal strain can influence EtOH intake, F1 hybrids reared by C57BL/6J dams consumed more EtOH during forced exposure than did F1 hybrids reared by DBA/2J dams. Maternal strain also influenced EtOH‐induced hypothermic responses in F1 hybrids, producing differences in hybrid mice that paralleled those of the inbred strains. In contrast, maternal strain did not influence EtOH‐induced activity or CPP in hybrid mice. The current findings indicate that maternal environment may contribute to variance in EtOH‐induced hypothermia and EtOH intake, although effects on EtOH intake appear to be dependent upon the type of EtOH exposure.
Contribution of Ionic Currents to Magnetoencephalography (MEG) and Electroencephalography (EEG) Signals Generated by Guinea‐Pig CA3 Slices

A mathematical model was used to analyse the contributions of different types of ionic currents in the pyramidal cells of longitudinal CA3 slices to the magnetic fields and field potentials generated by this preparation. Murakami et al. recently showed that a model based on the work of Traub et al. provides a quantitatively accurate account of the basic features of three types of empirical data (magnetic fields outside the slice, extracellular field potentials within the slice and intracellular potentials within the pyramidal neurons) elicited by stimulations of the soma and apical dendrites. This model was used in the present study to compute the net current dipole moment (Q) due to each of the different voltage‐ and ligand‐gated channels in the cells in the presence of fast GABAA inhibition. These values of Q are proportional to the magnetic field and electrical potential far away from the slice. The intrinsic conductances were found to be more important than the synaptic conductances in determining the shape and magnitude of Q. Among the intrinsic conductances, the sodium (gNa) and delayed‐rectifier potassium (gK(DR)) channels were found to produce sharp spikes. The high‐threshold calcium channel (gCa) and C‐type potassium channel (gK(C)) primarily determined the overall current waveforms. The roles of gCa and gK(C) were independent of small perturbations in these channel densities in the apical and basal dendrites. A combination of gNa, gK(DR), gCa, and gK(C) accounted for most of the evoked responses, except for later slow components, which were primarily due to synaptic channels.
Enzyme replacement therapy in orphan and ultra-orphan diseases: the limitations of standard economic metrics as exemplified by Fabry-Anderson disease.

BACKGROUND Fabry-Anderson disease is an x-linked deficiency of lysosomal alpha-galactosidase A (GALA), resulting in chronic renal failure, cardiac arrhythmia, hypertrophy, valvular disease, pain (acro-paraesthesiae) and stroke, together with premature mortality. The disease has a significant impact on quality of life (QOL), as illustrated by studies using the EQ-5D. A specific treatment is available for Fabry-Anderson disease consisting of intravenous enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) of the deficient enzyme. The variable clinical efficacy and cost of ERT has resulted in reluctance by some health providers to approve it. METHODS We use the limited QOL data available in the Fabry-Anderson disease literature on ERT to derive standard economic metrics. These were derived by bootstrap estimates of the incremental net benefit (INB) statistics together with a cost-effectiveness acceptability curve relating the willingness to pay to the probability that the INB was >0. The estimates were further developed by adoption of a supplementary Bayesian approach utilising a sceptical and enthusiastic prior of the INB of ERT in Fabry-Anderson disease. RESULTS ERT for Fabry-Anderson disease is not economically viable by standard health programme evaluation metrics. Based on current ERT costs (year 2005 values), derivation of the INB distribution, and a Bayesian analysis using an enthusiastic and sceptical prior of the INB, an upper (350,000 dollars over 1 year) and lower (175,000 dollars over 1 year) economic cost, respectively, of ERT was derived. CONCLUSION The cost of ERT will always result in a net deficit to society under current costing and ERT efficacy as determined by the QALY metric. The rules of fair cooperation should govern decision making both for ERT in Fabry-Anderson disease and for funding therapeutic advances in other rare diseases belonging to the orphan and ultra-orphan categories.
A switching variable step size affine Projection adaptive algorithm for acoustic echo cancellation

As the technology advances, adaptive filtering algorithms used for the implementation of Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) have a wider choice. The performance of AEC mainly depends on the effectiveness of the adaptive filter. The signals associated with such applications are highly correlated and its characteristics changes quite fast, which demands that the adaptive filters used should have high convergence rate and low misalignment with lesser execution time and it should also track the optimum solution. In this paper, a Switching Variable Step Size Affine Projection Adaptive Algorithm (SVSS APA) is proposed, which is an efficient combination of Variable Step Size Affine Projection Algorithm (VSS APA) and Affine Projection Algorithm (APA). Algorithm starts with VSS APA. As the weight converges, it switches on to APA. Thus in the new algorithm execution time can be minimized. SVSS APA is applied to a typical AEC scenario where environment slowly changes with time. Simulation results show that the new algorithm has performance almost equal to VSS APA with lesser execution time. In AEC scenario during the double talk condition, where talkers on the both sides talks simultaneously, double talk detector is used to control the adaptation.
Conserved TAAATG sequence at the transcriptional and translational initiation sites of vaccinia virus late genes deduced by structural and functional analysis of the HindIII H genome fragment

The sequence of the 8,600-base-pair HindIII H fragment, located at the center of the vaccinia virus genome, was determined to analyze several late genes. Seven major complete open reading frames (ORFs) and two that started from or continued into adjacent DNA segments were identified. ORFs were closely spaced and present on both DNA strands. Some adjacent ORFs had oppositely oriented overlapping termination codons or contiguous stop and start codons. Nucleotide compositional analysis indicated that the A-T frequency was consistently lowest in the first codon position. The sizes of the polypeptides predicted from the DNA sequence were compared with those determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of cell-free translation products of mRNAs selected by hybridization to cloned single-stranded DNA segments or synthesized in vitro by bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase. Six transcripts that initiated within the HindIII H DNA fragment were detected, and of these, four were synthesized only at late times, one was synthesized only early, and one was synthesized early and late. The sites on the genome corresponding to the 5' ends of the transcripts were located by high-resolution nuclease S1 analysis. For late genes, the transcriptional and translational initiation sites mapped within a few nucleotides of each other, and in each case the sequence TAAATGG occurred at the start of the ORF. The extremely short leader and the absence of A or G in the -3 position, relative to the first nucleotide of the initiation codon, distinguishes the majority of vaccinia virus late genes from eucaryotic and vaccinia virus early genes.
Are Non-Steroidal Anti-Androgens Appropriate as Monotherapy in Advanced Prostate Cancer?

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of non-steroidal anti-androgen monotherapy in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Methods: The pertinent literature regarding the use of nilutamide, flutamide, and bicalutamide as monotherapy in the treatment of prostate cancer has been reviewed. Results: The clinical utility of non-steroidal antiandrogen monotherapy is currently under investigation. As with other endocrine therapies, this approach appears to provide effective palliation of symptoms, but offers certain quality-of-life benefits, including preservation of libido and sexual potency, issues which may be important in certain patients, particularly younger men. Available data indicate that flutamide may be as effective as orchidectomy in terms of prolonging progression-free survival in selected patients. Nilutamide has been less extensively investigated, but the clinical utility of this agent, except for use in combined therapy, would appear to be somewhat limited by a high incidence of drug-related side effects. Bicalutamide, however, is well tolerated as monotherapy and appears to be as effective as castration in patients with locally advanced non-metastatic disease. In metastatic disease, the improved subjective response and quality of life gains with bicalutamide may outweigh the slightly inferior survival. Conclusion: These promising preliminary findings, a number of issues remain to be determined before non-steroidal antiandrogen monotherapy can be considered to be routine clinical practice. These include optimum indication and dosage, long-term clinical efficacy and tolerability, and response to second-line therapy.
Polyunsaturated fatty acid status of Dutch vegans and omnivores.

We compared the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) status of Dutch vegans and omnivores to investigate whether disparities can be explained by different diets and long chain PUFA (LCP) synthesis rates. Dietary intakes and fatty acid compositions of erythrocytes (RBC), platelets (PLT), plasma cholesterol esters (CE) and plasma triglycerides (TG) of 12 strict vegans and 15 age- and sex-matched omnivores were determined. Vegans had higher omega 6 (CE, TG), 18:2 omega 6 (RBC, CE, TG), 18:3 omega 6 (TG), 20:3 omega 6 (TG), 22:4 omega 6 (TG), 22:5 omega 3 (RBC, PLT), 22:5 omega 3/22:6 omega 3 (RBC, PLT) and 22:5 omega 6/22:6 omega 3 (RBC, PLT), and lower 22:4 omega 6 (RBC, PLT), 22:4 omega 6/22:5 omega 6 (RBC, PLT), omega 3 (CE), LCP omega 3 (CE, TG), 20:5 omega 3 (RBC, PLT, CE), 22:5 omega 3 (TG) and 22:6 omega 3 (all compartments). Vegans had lower 20:4 omega 6 (TG) after normalization of PUFA to 100%, and normalization of eicosanoid precursors to 100% revealed similar 20:4 omega 6 (all), higher 20:3 omega 6 (TG) and lower 20:5 omega 3 (all). High omega 6 (notably 18:2 omega 6) and low omega 3 (notably 20:5 omega 3, 22:6 omega 3) status in Dutch vegans derives from low dietary LCP omega 3 and 18:3 omega 3/18:2 omega 6 ratio. Higher 18:3 omega 6 and 20:3 omega 6 in their TG may reflect higher hepatic 20:4 omega 6 production rate, whereas higher 20:4 omega 6 and 22:4 omega 6 in omnivores indicates 20:4 omega 6 intake from meat.
Three-year follow-up of survivors of a mass shooting episode

This report describes a 3-year follow-up study of survivors of a mass shooting incident. Acute-phase and 1-year follow-up data from this incident have been previously reported. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule/Disaster Supplement was used to assess 116 survivors at 1–2 months and again 1 and 3 years later, with an 85% reinterview rate. Examining the course of postdisaster posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression in individuals allowed detailed consideration of remissions and delayed detection of disorders not possible from data presenting overall rates across different time frames. Only about one half of the PTSD cases identified at any time over 3 years were in remission at the 3-year follow-up. Those who did not recover from PTSD diverged from those who recovered at 3 years by reporting increased numbers of symptoms over time, especially avoidance and numbing symptoms. Although women and people with preexisting disorders were at greater risk for the development of PTSD, these variables did not predict chronicity. Chronicity of PTSD was predicted by functional impairment and seeking mental health treatment at baseline. Chronicity of major depression was predicted by report of family history of depression and treatment for paternal alcohol problems. No delayed cases of PTSD were identified. Studies are needed to compare these characteristics of the course of PTSD with other populations, using consistent methodology to allow valid comparison.
Minimizing the Age of the Information through Queues

In this paper, we investigate scheduling policies that minimize the age of information in single-hop queueing systems. We propose a Last-Generated, First-Serve (LGFS) scheduling policy, in which the packet with the earliest generation time is processed with the highest priority. If the service times are i.i. d. exponentially distributed, the preemptive LGFS policy is proven to be age-optimal in a stochastic ordering sense. If the service times are i.i. d. and satisfy a New-Better-than-Used (NBU) distributional property, the non-preemptive LGFS policy is shown to be within a constant gap from the optimum age performance. These age-optimality results are quite general: (i) They hold for arbitrary packet generation times and arrival times (including out-of-order packet arrivals), (ii) They hold for multi-server packet scheduling with the possibility of replicating a packet over multiple servers, (iii) They hold for minimizing not only the time-average age and mean peak age, but also for minimizing the age stochastic process and any non-decreasing functional of the age stochastic process. If the packet generation time is equal to packet arrival time, the LGFS policies reduce to the Last-Come, First-Serve (LCFS) policies. Hence, the age optimality results of LCFS-type policies are also established.
Biometrics for electronic eyes: system authentication with embedded CMOS image sensor

Identically designed electronic devices such as transistors may have random variations in their physical quantities. Inspired by human biometrics, this paper presents a novel approach that enables home appliances to have unique identities based on the intrinsic features of a CMOS image sensor (CIS) embedded in their electronic eyes (i.e., inbuilt cameras). More specifically, the column component of the fixed pattern noise (FPN) that inevitably exists in most modern CISs is utilized as a unique feature of the CIS for describing a unique ID for the embedded system. To practically capture column FPNs that were originally canceled out by a correlated double sampling (CDS) process, this paper also proposes a novel readout scheme. The feasibility of the proposed CIS-based identification is assessed with real measurements using 12 CIS prototypes. In conclusion, a set of applications requiring unique device identifications are presented for demonstrating the utility of the proposed approach in the domain of consumer electronics.1