Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determinants of Accelerated Progression of Arterial Stiffness in Normotensive Subjects and in Treated Hypertensive Subjects Over a 6-Year Period

Background—Elastic artery stiffness, a result of arterial aging, is an independent indicator of cardiovascular risk. The aim of the present longitudinal study was to compare the progression of aortic stiffness over a 6-year period in treated hypertensive subjects and normotensive subjects, and to evaluate the determinants of this progression. Methods and Results—Data for the present analysis were gathered from 483 subjects who had 2 health checkups at the Centre d’Investigations Préventives et Cliniques, the first one in 1992–1993 and the second one in 1998–1999. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) was used to evaluate aortic stiffness in 187 hypertensive subjects who were under treatment at the time of the first visit and throughout the follow-up period, and in 296 subjects who were classified as normotensive during the first visit and who remained treatment-free throughout the follow-up period. In both populations, PWV progression was higher in older subjects. Annual rates of progression in PWV in treated hypertensives were significantly higher than in normotensives. Only treated hypertensives with well-controlled blood pressure levels at the time of both visits had a PWV progression similar to that of normotensives. In treated hypertensives, high heart rate and high creatinine during the first visit were associated with an accelerated progression in PWV. Conclusions—The presence of high blood pressure, high heart rate, and high serum creatinine were the major determinants of accelerated progression of aortic stiffness in treated hypertensives. This is the first longitudinal study to evaluate the determinants of arterial aging over an extended period of time.
IntCris: A tool for enhanced communication and collective decision-making during crises

Responding to a large-scale disaster such as an earthquake or hurricane is a collective problem. Human agents are increasingly collaborating with non-human agents (autonomous systems) in attempt to respond to a disaster. IntCris is a prototype intended to bring together interaction for human and non-human agents to aid the decision-making process by focusing on how to facilitate the “correct information to the correct agent” problem as well as encouraging new and agile behaviour. We focus on three categories of information: command, report and personal with a formal grammar to accompany the implementation. The requirements for the software were inspired by real life case studies from Hurricane Katrina, the Fukoshima Nuclear Disaster and Hurricane Sandy. The contribution of this work is to advance technology that brings together HAS (human and autonomous system interaction), in addition to enhancing collective intelligence.
Government-Owned Companies and Corporate Governance in Australia and China: Beyond Fragmented Governance

The ownership and control of government owned companies presents a major challenge for the integrity of established corproate law ideas regarding accountability of directors and the independence of government owned companies. Drawing upon experience from China and Australia, this article discusses some of the key corporate governance tensions that have emerged from the corporatisation of state owned assets. The attempt to uncritically apply private sector ideas to the corporatisation of state owned and controlled companies is fraught with difficulties that are discussed in this article. The article also examines attempts to place state owned companies on a sounder conceptual footing through changes in their culture brought about by adopting and embedding guidelines and standards, such as the recent OECD Guidelines on the Corporate Governance of State-owned Enterprises.
Intestinal Transplantation. Experience in the United States

This review presents recent experience with intestinal transplantation in the United States and Canada. Indications are for combined liver and small intestinal transplantation irreversible intestinal failure and end-stage liver disease, and--for isolated intestinal transplantation--intestinal failure associated with severe progressive complications of parenteral nutrition. With a proportion of 80%, short-bowel syndrome represents the major disease complex thus treated. Long-term graft and patient survival exceeds 50% in large series with better outcome for isolated intestinal grafts than for combined liver and small-bowel transplants. Limiting factors are infections (responsible for 60% of graft losses), frequently due to CMV or EBV, technical and management errors (22%), and rejection (14%). One of the main problems of immunosuppression is post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease with an incidence of 20% which seems especially linked with EBV infections, OKT3 and steroids. The first line immunosuppressive agent nowadays used is tacrolimus. Trials with unmodified donor bone-marrow infusions to promote graft acceptance have not proved successful so far. Hopes for the future include increasing use of living related donors in order to overcome the shortage of donor organs, and continuing progress in immunosuppression.
UK plc: Just how innovative are we? Findings from the Cambridge-MIT Institute International Innovation Benchmarking project

Sustainable economic development in advanced economies is increasingly linked to innovation in products, processes, and services. A high level of innovative activity is widely perceived as a necessary (though not sufficient) condition for good jobs and wages. As Bruce Mehlman, US Assistant Secretary of Technology Policy, remarked in 2003: “America must never compete in the battle to pay their workers least, and it will take sustained innovation to ensure that we don’t have to. ” Yet in a world where work is increasingly outsourced and jobs exported offshore, economies are at risk of seeing vital innovative activities migrating overseas as well. It is therefore argued that for domestic economies to build and maintain innovative activities (and the good jobs associated with them), sustained investment in research and development is required, along with investment in the education of skilled professionals. In addition, the increasing complexity of the innovation process - and an increasingly open innovation system - requires closer collaboration between university and industry sectors and government policy.
Employment Relations at the Workplace Level in China: Two Contrasting Cases

This paper explores the pressures of standardisation and differentiation in employment relations in China. Using case studies from two companies that share the same ownership, industry, size, location and labour market, the paper will show that, despite moves by the state and internationalisation of production to standardise employment relations in different ways, there continues to be an opening at the workplace level to construct very different employment and worker relations.
FORMAL NETWORKS AND REGIONAL CONTEXTS: THE CASE OF THE OXFORD TO CAMBRIDGE ARC

come back into sectors where the new jobs will be. Longer term, Ireland cannot compete on low-end manufacturing. Yet shifting from that into higher-value added services requires putting in place local policies to help workers retrain and firms shift strategically. The MG Rover and West Midlands case suggests that that is not easy but requires carefully tailored policies which fit local needs, with a long-term plan for how to help the economy restructure. This was a very different time, of course, as in 2005 the UK economy was growing. Yet lessons from the MG Rover Task Force still offer some interesting insights in preparing for, and dealing with, redundancies and plant closures. That success is seen in the fact that three years after the closure some 90% of ex-MG Rover workers who lost their jobs had found new employment. Lessons can be learned by those charged with dealing with Irish plant layoffs and closures. Getting the financial system ‘right’ is crucial but we also need intelligent policies to tackle the issues of the real economy.
A Retrospective, Single-Center Comparative Cost Analysis of OnabotulinumtoxinA and AbobotulinumtoxinA for Cervical Dystonia Treatment

BACKGROUND: Chemodenervation with botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is recommended as first-line treatment for the management of cervical dystonia. The choice of BoNT for treatment is subject to the consideration of several factors, including cost. OBJECTIVE: To compare the costs incurred by patients and payers for onabotulinumtoxinA (ONA) or abobotulinumtoxinA (ABO) for the treatment of cervical dystonia. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, noninterventional closed cohort study of cervical dystonia patients within a single U.S. private neurological practice. Patient and payer incurred costs from medical billing records for patients satisfying inclusion and exclusion criteria treated from November 1, 2009, through January 1, 2013, were de-identified and included in the analysis. Forty-seven patients initially treated with at least 3 consecutive cycles of ONA, followed by at least 3 consecutive cycles of ABO were included, representing 282 injection cycles available for analysis. Patients were required to have had a positive response to treatment with both agents and no concomitant treatment with BoNT for any other condition during the analysis period. The analysis compared the primary endpoint of median overall payer and patient incurred costs reimbursed to the clinic under each treatment regimen. For the purposes of this cost analysis, comparable clinical outcomes on both therapies was assumed. RESULTS: Switching from ONA to ABO resulted in an overall incurred reimbursement cost savings for payers and patients. Median costs per injection cycle for ONA were $1,925 ($0-$2,814) compared with $1,214 ($229-$2,899; P < 0.0001) for ABO, representing an approximate 37% reduction in incurred reimbursement costs inclusive of toxin and procedure. Overall toxin reimbursement costs, patient out-of-pocket toxin costs, and the cost of unavoidable waste were also lower when patients were treated with ABO. CONCLUSIONS: For patients treated for cervical dystonia, switching from ONA to ABO resulted in payer and patient reimbursement cost reductions in a single U.S. private practice with outcomes assumed to be similar.
A random number generator based on insulator-to-metal electronic phase transitions

Random number generators (RNG) are a fundamental hardware component in modern cryptographic systems [1]. The generation of random numbers can be subdivided into two classes, pseudo-RNGs and hardware RNGs. In pseudo-RNGs software algorithms are implemented on deterministic hardware but are dependent on a set of initial values or “seed”, which reduces the security. In contrast, hardware RNGs generate random numbers from a naturally occurring physical phenomenon, such as thermal noise. However, implementations often suffer from large silicon footprints due to the need to create resistor-amplifier-ADC chains [2] or bias removal circuits [3]. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate a compact and scalable 1T1R based RNG by harnessing the inherent stochasticity in the insulator-to-metal phase transition (IMT) in vanadium dioxide (VO2).
New MR techniques in gynecologic cancer.

OBJECTIVE Functional MR techniques report on a variety of biologic features of tumors: dynamic contrast-enhanced, diffusion-weighted, and intrinsic susceptibility-weighted MRI and MR spectroscopy reflect, at a simplistic level, vascularity, cellularity, hypoxic status, and metabolism, respectively. This article reviews the evidence for each of the functional MR readouts to determine these clinical end points and thus influence the management of ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancer. CONCLUSION These techniques may be implemented in gynecologic malignancies to detect, characterize, and stage tumors as well as potentially to predict the outcome and measure response to treatment.
Stabilization of the Inertia Wheel Pendulum by Time-Delayed State Feedback

Through coordinate changes and an initial control design, the inertia wheel pendulum is transformed into a feedforward-type system with higher order nonlinear terms, and then a controller is suggested to attenuate the higher order terms. Partial state variables in the controller admit moderate small saturation restriction and time delay. The global asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system is proven by showing that it has no finite escape time and converges to an asymptotically stable dynamics in finite time. Simulation results show that the proposed design is effective.
Ten years' experience with industrial audiometry.

Abstract Data from audiograms of 2789 males and 2875 females are presented and discussed to demonstrate age and sex as factors in hearing levels. The test groups were selected to minimize possibilities of disease or prior noise exposures affecting the results. Agreement with reports of other observers is excellent. A significant difference in hearing of men and women is found. Data establish a reasonably reliable norm for presbycusis.
A New Brand World: 8 Principles for Achieving Brand Leadership in the 21st Century

concise summary of a different business book. Each summary is about 8 pages long and contains the stripped-down essential ideas from the entire book in a time-saving format. By investing less than one hour per week in these summaries, subscribers gain a working knowledge of the top business titles. Subscriptions are available on a monthly or yearly basis. Further information is available at www.summaries. com. A NEW BRAND WORLD
Investor Relations in the Transition Economies of Central and Eastern Europe

This study concerns the emergence of investor relations (IR) practices in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The study employs a model (Marston, 2008) that predicts the emergence of IR once certain prior conditions exist (i.e., companies, stock markets, and investors). Research questions are derived from the model and investigated via a postal questionnaire and interviews. Adoption of IR has emerged rapidly in response to market-side disclosure demands that did not exist in the days of planned economy. Perceptions about IR are largely positive. Companies are using the full range of IR tools and report substantial levels of IR activity. Although respondents are unsure about the market outcomes of IR, they perceive that benefits outweigh the costs. The results show the convergence of the IR function to a Westernized model rather than the development of a holistic model specific to the area.
グループ会社の内部監査 = Internal auditing

第１章 内部監査の必要性 第２章 現代の実践的内部監査の基本 第３章 関係会社とは 第４章 関係会社に対する内部監査の目的と形態 第５章 関係会社の内部監査実施上の障害と留意点 第６章 関係会社の内部監査の監査要点と監査項目 第７章 海外の関係会社等における内部監査の整備 第８章 関係会社に対する内部監査実施上の留意事項
Entrepreneur Heterogeneity and New Venture Financing

We explain the coexistence of different financiers like Venture Capital (VC) and Angel investors and study the role of policymakers in promoting innovation. VC investors are better informed. However, Angel investors offer entrepreneurs a better avenue to capture entrepreneurs' motivational factors. We show that policy measures to enhance entrepreneurial activity should focus on promoting VC ventures rather than Angel ventures. Our model implies that profitable industries and locations with better entrepreneurial ecosystems attract more Angel financing; Boom periods exhibit more Angel financing; Angel-backed ventures are smaller, and are less likely to be liquidated compared to VC-backed ventures.
Human Adrenomedullin and Its Binding Protein Attenuate Organ Injury and Reduce Mortality After Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion

Objective:To determine whether administration of a vasoactive peptide, human adrenomedullin (AM), in combination with its binding protein (ie, AMBP-1), prevents or minimizes hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Summary Background Data:Hepatic I/R injury results from tissue hypoxia and subsequent inflammatory responses. Even though numerous pharmacological modalities and substances have been studied to reduce I/R-induced mortality, none have been entirely successful. We have shown that administration of AM/AMBP-1 produces significant beneficial effects under various pathophysiological conditions. However, it remains unknown if human AM/AMBP-1 has any protective effects on hepatic I/R-induced tissue damage and mortality. Methods:Seventy percent hepatic ischemia was induced in male adult rats by placing a microvascular clip across the hilum of the left and median lobes for 90 minutes. After removing the clip, human AM alone, human AMBP-1 alone, human AM in combination with human AMBP-1 or vehicle was administered intravenously over a period of 30 minutes. Blood and tissue samples were collected 4 hours after reperfusion for various measurements. In additional groups of animals, the nonischemic liver lobes were resected at the end of 90-minute ischemia. The animals were monitored for 7 days and survival was recorded. Results:After hepatic I/R, plasma levels of AM were significantly increased, whereas AMBP-1 levels were markedly decreased. Likewise, gene expression of AM in the liver was increased significantly, whereas AMBP-1 expression was markedly decreased. Administration of AM in combination with AMBP-1 immediately after the onset of reperfusion down-regulated inflammatory cytokines, decreased hepatic neutrophil infiltration, inhibited liver cell apoptosis and necrosis, and reduced liver injury and mortality in a rat model of hepatic I/R. On the other hand, administration of human AM alone or human AMBP-1 alone after hepatic I/R failed to produce significant protection. Conclusions:Human AM/AMBP-1 may be a novel treatment to attenuate tissue injury after an episode of hepatic ischemia.
Community Health Centers and Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Healthy Life

This study examined disparities in health status among individuals of different racial and ethnic groups cared for by the nation's community health centers (CHCs) and compared these results with the findings for individuals using non-CHC sites as their usual source of care. The sample consisted of CHC users from the 1994 CHC User Survey and non-CHC users from the 1994 National Health Interview Survey. Bivariate comparisons were made between individuals' race/ethnicity and their experience of healthy life, an integrated measure that incorporates both activity limitation and self-perceived health status. Multiple regressions were followed to examine the independent association of race/ethnicity with healthy life experience for both CHC and non-CHC users while controlling for sociodemographic correlates of health. Among CHC users, racial and ethnic minorities did not have worse health than whites, but among non-CHC users there were significant racial and ethnic disparities: whites experienced significantly healthier life than both blacks and non-white Hispanics. These findings persisted after controlling for sociodemographic correlates of health. The results indicate that while racial/ethnic disparities in health persist nationally, these disparities do not exist within CHCs, safety-net providers with an explicit mission to serve vulnerable populations.
Social factors, weight perception, and weight control practices among adolescents in Mexico

We evaluated the association of social factors and weight control practices in adolescents, and the mediation of this association by weight perception, in a national survey of students in Mexico (n = 28,266). We employed multinomial and Poisson regression models and Sobel’s test to assess mediation. Students whose mothers had a higher level of education were more likely to perceive themselves as overweight and also to engage in weight control practices. After adjusting for body weight perception, the effect of maternal education on weight control practices remained significant. Mediation tests were significant for boys and non-significant for girls.
The resource matching foundations of competitive advantage: An alternative perspective on the globalization of service firms

Purpose – The extant international service marketing literature focuses heavily on the impact of globalization on the outward process of the internationalization of service firms. The purpose of this paper is to propose scholars examine international service marketing from a different perspective, that of the globalization of domestic markets and the existence of global segments throughout the world.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses resource‐advantage theory and a congruence approach to suggest that the alignment of resources with consumer needs in the globalized domestic market leads to competitive advantage for the firm.Findings – It can be argued that this alignment will lead to the replication of the competitive advantage across global segments in expansion to new markets.Originality/value – The paper provides two significant contributions to the literature: a new perspective for considering the globalization of services that incorporates the challenges of operating in globalized markets; a.
A new algorithm in assembly for component-based software using dependency chart

Component-Based Software Development (CBSD) promises to reduce development cost and time by enabling rapid development of highly flexible and easily maintainable software modules. CBSD is based on the idea that software systems can be developed by selecting and integrating appropriate components which have already been developed and then assembling them to obtain the functionality desired in target application. Improper assembly of software components will lead to more number of defects, increase in complexity, development time, less reliability, etc. So, correct assembly of software components is an important issue. The aim of this paper is to develop a systematic procedure to assemble software components to build high quality software. The proposed algorithm is based on dependency chart in which the interaction between the components is considered as the major criteria. The proposed algorithm is applied in a component-based Enterprise Resource Planning software system to discuss the implications of the proposed algorithm.
Drug dependence: neuropharmacology and management

This overview has attempted to highlight the brain regions associated with reward, and the pathways and neurotransmitters responsible for communication between these regions. Work conducted in this field has shown that stimulants and opioids, despite interactions with different receptor types and different neurotransmitter reuptake transporters, appear to share a common action on brain reward pathways. Their effects on these pathways (the distinct brain regions making up the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic system) are predominantly mediated through changes in dopamine neurotransmission, and compounds aimed at selectively modulating these effects may form the basis of drugs to treat addiction. Other transmitters such as GABA, acetylcholine and serotonin inevitably have a role to play in reward, although at present the exact nature of their effects remains unclear. Diverging from manipulating the CNS directly as a management strategy for dependence, it might be possible to exploit the immune system to prevent administered psychostimulants penetrating the brain, but antibody saturation and specificity are problematic.