Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Urinary proteomics in renal pathophysiology: Impact of proteinuria

Urinary differential proteomics is used to study renal pathophysiological mechanisms, find novel markers of biological processes and renal diseases, and stratify patients according to proteomic profiles. The proteomic procedure determines the pathophysiological meaning and clinical relevance of results. Urine samples for differential proteomic studies are usually normalized by protein content, regardless of its pathophysiological characteristics. In the field of nephrology, this approach translates into the comparison of a different fraction of the total daily urine output between proteinuric and nonproteinuric samples. Accordingly, alterations in the level of specific proteins found by this method reflect the relative presence of individual proteins in the urine; but they do not necessarily show alterations in their daily excretion, which is a key parameter for the understanding of the pathophysiological meaning of urinary components. For renal pathophysiology studies and clinical biomarker identification or determination, an alternative proteomic concept providing complementary information is based on sample normalization by daily urine output, which directly informs on changes in the daily excretion of individual proteins. This is clinically important because daily excretion (rather than absolute or relative concentration) is the only self‐normalized way to evaluate the real meaning of urinary parameters, which is also independent of urine concentration.
The Quaternary Lidocaine Derivative, QX-314, Produces Long-lasting Local Anesthesia in Animal Models In Vivo

Background: QX-314 is a quaternary lidocaine derivative considered to be devoid of clinically useful local anesthetic activity. However, several reports document that extracellular QX-314 application affects action potentials. Hence, the authors tested the hypothesis that QX-314 could produce local anesthesia in animal models in vivo. Methods: The authors tested QX-314 (10, 30, and 70 mM) in three standard in vivo local anesthetic animal models, using a randomized, blinded experimental design with negative (placebo) and positive (70 mM lidocaine) controls. The guinea pig intradermal wheal assay (n = 29) was used to test for peripheral inhibition of the cutaneous trunci muscle reflex, the mouse tail-flick test (n = 30) was used to test for sensory blockade, and the mouse sciatic nerve blockade model (n = 45) was used to test for motor blockade. Results: In all three animal models, QX-314 concentration-dependently and reversibly produced local anesthesia of long duration, at concentrations equivalent to those clinically relevant for lidocaine. In the guinea pig intradermal wheal assay, QX-314 produced peripheral nociceptive blockade up to 6 times longer than lidocaine (650 ± 171 vs. 100 ± 24 min [mean ± SD]; n = 6 per group; P < 0.0001). In the mouse tail-flick test, QX-314 produced sensory blockade up to 10 times longer than lidocaine (540 ± 134 vs. 50 ± 11 min; n = 6 per group; P < 0.0001). Finally, in the mouse sciatic nerve model, QX-314 produced motor blockade up to 12 times longer compared with lidocaine (282 ± 113 vs. 23 ± 10 min; n = 9 or 10 per group; P < 0.0001). The onset of QX-314–mediated blockade was consistently slower compared with lidocaine. Animals injected with saline exhibited no local anesthetic effects in any of the three models. Conclusion: In a randomized, controlled laboratory study, the quaternary lidocaine derivative, QX-314, concentration-dependently and reversibly produced long-lasting local anesthesia with a slow onset in animal models in vivo. The authors' results raise the possibility that quaternary ammonium compounds may produce clinically useful local anesthesia of long duration in humans and challenge the conventional notion that these agents are ineffective when applied extracellularly.
Low level of gene flow from cultivated beets (Beta vulgaris L. ssp. vulgaris) into Danish populations of sea beet (Beta vulgaris L. ssp. maritima (L.) Arcangeli)

Gene flow from sugar beets to sea beets occurs in the seed propagation areas in southern Europe. Some seed propagation also takes place in Denmark, but here the crop–wild gene flow has not been investigated. Hence, we studied gene flow to sea beet populations from sugar beet lines used in Danish seed propagation areas. A set of 12 Danish, two Swedish, one French, one Italian, one Dutch, and one Irish populations of sea beets, and four lines of sugar beet were analysed. To evaluate the genetic variation and gene flow, eight microsatellite loci were screened. This analysis revealed hybridization with cultivated beet in one of the sea beet populations from the centre of the Danish seed propagation area. Triploid hybrids found in this population were verified with flow cytometry. Possible hybrids or introgressed plants were also found in the French and Italian populations. However, individual assignment test using a Bayesian method provided 100% assignment success of diploid individuals into their correct subspecies of origin, and a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MC MC) approach revealed clear distinction of individuals into groups according to their subspecies of origin, with a zero level of genetic admixture among subspecies. This underlines that introgression beyond the first hybridization is not extensive. The overall pattern of genetic distance and structure showed that Danish and Swedish sea beet populations were closely related to each other, and they are both more closely related to the population from Ireland than to the populations from France, the Netherlands, and Italy.
Predictors of the Effectiveness of Management Accounting Function in Nigerian Firms

Abstract This study evaluated the influence of six contingent variables – firm size, age, sector, existence of management accounting department, affiliation to foreign entity and public-quotation status – on the effectiveness of management accounting function in Nigerian firms. Stratified random sampling technique was deployed to obtain the views of 131 Finance Officers with oversight role across major sectors of the Nigerian economy. Statistical tools used in analysis were descriptive statistics, factor-analysis, Kruskal Wallis Test and binary logistic regression. Whilst detecting that contextual variables such as size, age, sector, existence of management accounting department and public-quotation status significantly affect the effectiveness of the management accounting function, affiliation to foreign entity was found not to exert significant influence. The strongest predictor of the likelihood of operating a very effective management accounting function was the existence of management accounting department. Organisations are encouraged to have separate management accounting department because of additional benefits imbued by specialist management accounting skills.
A Complicated Formation of Warm Glow Giving

We examine what lies behind the act of warm glow giving in a laboratory experiment. Making use of the experimental design in Crumpler and Grossman (2008, Journal of Public Economics), we separate the warm glow giving from the altruistic motivation. We find that the contributions generated by the warm glow giving are highly sensitive to the reference contribution, indicating to the complementary relationship between own and the others' contributions. Finally, we make regression to investigate the relationship between demographic attributes and the contribution generated by the warm glow.
Europeanisation of the Nordic Alcohol Monopoly Systems Collisions between Ideologies and Political Cultures1

The decisions of Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden in 1993 to participate in the EEA, implied that the EU had become a more significant political community for policies and institutions in the Nordic nation-states. By reference to the obligations of the EEA Treaty and the EC Treaty respectively, the established alcohol monopoly systems in these countries were challenged by the EU and subsequently transformed. This transformation represents a break with the identity, traditions and dynamics of the Nordic alcohol monopolies. An examination of two collisions between ideologies and political cultures associated with the Nordic countries on the one hand, and the EU on the other, increase the understanding of why and how this transformation occurred. This process illustrates how market considerations have gained ground over health aspects, and how policy-making to an increasing extent is characterised by less national and democratic control.
Russia’s Power Projection after the Ukraine Crisis

Abstract This essay discusses how Russia’s power manifested itself in relation to Western policies in its neighbourhood. It focuses on how Russia understands power, the way this understanding impacts the ideational and cultural influence that it projects, and how Moscow has applied a range of tools in Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. It argues that Russia’s power projection cannot be understood without reference to its interactions with the West. The 2014 crisis in Ukraine brought greater consistency to Moscow’s approach, which has become more strategic, mixing different elements in pursuit of foreign policy objectives. Still, Moscow remains an anti-revisionist power beyond the Ukrainian case and continues to act as a status quo power in Europe where it has been adapting its strategies to a climate of hostile international relations. Russian soft power is a significant asset that needs to be recognised as a phenomenon in its own right and more clearly distinguished from the direct pursuit of state interests.
The role of CD8 and CD4 T cells in intestinal allograft rejection: a comparison of monoclonal antibody-treated and knockout mice.

BACKGROUND The relative contribution of CD8 and CD4 T cells to allograft rejection remains an unresolved issue. Experimental results suggest that the relative importance of these T-cell subsets may vary depending on the model used and the organ studied. We have previously shown that treatment of murine recipients of intestinal allografts with a depleting anti-CD8 or a depleting anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody (mAb) significantly inhibited allograft rejection. This study was undertaken to further examine the contribution of CD8 and CD4 T cells to the rejection of intestinal allografts. METHODS Intestinal allografts from B6C3F1/J (C57BL/6 x C3H/HeJ) mice were transplanted into C57BL/6 recipients. Recipient groups included mice with an acquired deficiency in CD8 or CD4 T cells caused by treatment with depleting mAb or mice genetically deficient in CD8 or CD4 T cells as a result of disruption of the genes encoding major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, MHC class II, CD8, or CD4. In all cases, rejection was assessed histologically at predetermined time points. In some recipient groups, graft function was also assessed using a maltose absorption assay. RESULTS Rejection, assessed between days 10 and 28 after transplantation, was significantly inhibited in mice deficient in CD8 or CD4 T cells after treatment with depleting mAb. In contrast, mice genetically deficient in either CD8 T cells (MHC class I or CD8 knockouts) or CD4 T cells (MHC class II or CD4 knockouts) rejected intestinal allografts promptly. Both histologic and functional evaluation of anti-CD8 mAb-treated mice on day 60 showed that the inhibition of rejection persisted even after the return of a substantial number of CD8 T cells. Although intestinal allografts from anti-CD8 mAb-treated mice displayed little to no evidence of rejection on day 60 after transplantation, these mice were able to reject both donor and third-party skin grafts. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that the inhibition of intestinal allograft rejection associated with mAb treatment is not attributable solely to depletion of CD8 or CD4 T cells. Furthermore, anti-CD8 mAb administration did not induce donor-specific tolerance or cause nonspecific immune suppression, as indicated by the skin-grafting experiments. Our findings suggest that at least some depleting mAbs mediate their protective effect on allograft rejection via an alternative mechanism such as the induction of a regulatory cell population(s).
Is Radical Oncosurgery Justified for the Treatment of Primary Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma of the Urinary Bladder? Report of Two Cases and Analyses of Disease-Specific Survival Rates Based on a Review of the Literature

Disease-specific survival (DSS) rates were evaluated in 20 patients with primary malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the bladder. The most common pathologic finding was the pleomorphic subtype of MFH (55%) with a mean tumor size of 6.8 cm. 10 patients underwent surgery without and 6 patients with adjuvant therapy. Local and systemic rates of progression were 30 and 60% after surgery only compared with 16.7 and 50% after surgery with adjuvant therapy. Although none of the patients showed metastatic dissemination at the time of diagnosis, overall 1- and 2-year DSS rates of only 47.8 and 31.9% were observed. Hence, after the onset of clinical symptoms, the disease runs a very aggressive course regardless of the therapeutic options employed. Although distant dissemination seems to be rare at the time of diagnosis, the prognostic outcome is dismal. The rarity and inconsistency of the currently available case reports on MFH of the bladder hampers the development of therapeutic guidelines. Advanced studies enrolling a larger number of patients with appropriate clinical and pathological data are needed to compare the beneficial effects of various treatment options.
What types of intangible resources are important for emerging market firms when going international

The paper explores the use of different types of intangible resources on each phase of the process of internationalization in the context of emerging economies. Assuming that companies follow a gradual process, an internationalization index considering export, import and investment activities is built. The index allows identification of six stages of international expansion, using a database of more than 2,000 Russian companies. The findings reveal that relational capital has a significant positive impact on each stage of internationalization, and that organizational capital improves internationalization except in the last, multinational stage. A higher endowment of human capital is positively associated with first three stages of internationalization.
Latest developments in the assessment and management of chronic musculoskeletal pain syndromes in children

Purpose of reviewAs many as 25% of new patients in pediatric rheumatology clinics present with idiopathic chronic pain and recent data suggest the prevalence of these conditions is increasing. Knowledge of the latest developments in assessment and treatment is critical for providing optimal clinical care. This review summarizes advances published in the past year forwarding our understanding of chronic musculoskeletal pain syndromes in children. Recent findingsResearch has recently focused on the impairment associated with chronic pain syndromes in children, issues impacting the diagnosis of these conditions, and the efficacy of pharmacological and psychosocial treatments. No diagnostic criteria have been developed for specific chronic pain syndromes in children; however, data from several studies substantiate the need for thorough assessment of the child and family in multiple domains. In addition, studies have expanded both pharmacologic and psychosocial treatment options for children with these syndromes. SummaryDespite a growing body of research on chronic pain syndromes in children, there are no established standards of care. Data continues to support an interdisciplinary approach for effectively assessing and managing these conditions.
Inhibition of current harmonics in LCL/LCC wireless power transfer system

Aimed at the distortion problem of the inverter output current when LCL/LCC wireless power transfer system is under light load, an additional LC band-pass filter can lower the total harmonic distortion to achieve high-quality power transmission. Meanwhile, the output current can still be kept nearly constant and the system work is in totally resonant state. Simulated results indicate that the distortion of the inverter output current is reduced effectively on the base that system features are still stable by adding a LC band-pass filter to the system. Moreover, the proposed method is supported by simulation and experiment.
Routine quantitative analysis of brain and cerebrospinal fluid spaces with MR imaging

A computerized system for processing spin‐echo magnetic resonance (MR) imaging data was implemented to estimate whole brain (gray and white matter) and cerebrospinal fluid volumes and to display three‐dimensional surface reconstructions of specified tissue classes. The techniques were evaluated by assessing the radiometric variability of MR volume data and by comparing automated and manual procedures for measuring tissue volumes. Results showed (a) the homogeneity of the MR data and (b) that automated techniques were consistently superior to manual techniques. Both techniques, however, were affected by the complexity of the structure, with simpler structures (eg, the intracranial cavity) showing less variability and better spatial correlation of segmentation results between raters. Moreover, the automated techniques were completed for whole brain in a fraction of the time required to complete the equivalent segmentation manually. Additional evaluations included interrater reliability and an evaluation that included longitudinal measurement, in which one subject was imaged sequentially 24 times, with reliability computed from data collected by three raters over 1 year. Results showed good reliability for the automated segmentation procedures.
The Ability To Rearrange Dual TCRs Enhances Positive Selection, Leading to Increased Allo- and Autoreactive T Cell Repertoires

Thymic selection is designed to ensure TCR reactivity to foreign Ags presented by self-MHC while minimizing reactivity to self-Ags. We hypothesized that the repertoire of T cells with unwanted specificities such as alloreactivity or autoreactivity are a consequence of simultaneous rearrangement of both TCRα loci. We hypothesized that this process helps maximize production of thymocytes capable of successfully completing thymic selection, but results in secondary TCRs that escape stringent selection. In T cells expressing two TCRs, one TCR can mediate positive selection and mask secondary TCR from negative selection. Examination of mice heterozygous for TRAC (TCRα+/−), capable of only one functional TCRα rearrangement, demonstrated a defect in generating mature T cells attributable to decreased positive selection. Elimination of secondary TCRs did not broadly alter the peripheral T cell compartment, though deep sequencing of TCRα repertoires of dual TCR T cells and TCRα+/− T cells demonstrated unique TCRs in the presence of secondary rearrangements. The functional impact of secondary TCRs on the naive peripheral repertoire was evidenced by reduced frequencies of T cells responding to autoantigen and alloantigen peptide–MHC tetramers in TCRα+/− mice. T cell populations with secondary TCRs had significantly increased ability to respond to altered peptide ligands related to their allogeneic ligand as compared with TCRα+/− cells, suggesting increased breadth in peptide recognition may be a mechanism for their reactivity. Our results imply that the role of secondary TCRs in forming the T cell repertoire is perhaps more significant than what has been assumed.
A Second Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase with Variable Distribution among Placental Mammals*

Fatty acid amides constitute a large and diverse class of lipid transmitters that includes the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide and the sleep-inducing substance oleamide. The magnitude and duration of fatty acid amide signaling are controlled by enzymatic hydrolysis in vivo. Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) activity in mammals has been primarily attributed to a single integral membrane enzyme of the amidase signature (AS) family. Here, we report the functional proteomic discovery of a second membrane-associated AS enzyme in humans that displays FAAH activity. The gene that encodes this second FAAH enzyme was found in multiple primate genomes, marsupials, and more distantly related vertebrates, but, remarkably, not in a number of lower placental mammals, including mouse and rat. The two human FAAH enzymes, which share 20% sequence identity and are referred to hereafter as FAAH-1 and FAAH-2, hydrolyzed primary fatty acid amide substrates (e.g. oleamide) at equivalent rates, whereas FAAH-1 exhibited much greater activity with N-acyl ethanolamines (e.g. anandamide) and N-acyl taurines. Both enzymes were sensitive to the principal classes of FAAH inhibitors synthesized to date, including O-aryl carbamates and α-keto heterocycles. These data coupled with the overlapping, but distinct tissue distributions of FAAH-1 and FAAH-2 suggest that these proteins may collaborate to control fatty acid amide catabolism in primates. The apparent loss of the FAAH-2 gene in some lower mammals should be taken into consideration when extrapolating genetic or pharmacological findings on the fatty acid amide signaling system across species.
Earnings or Cash Flows: Which is a Better Predictor of Future Cash Flows?

We reexamine the relative ability of earnings and cash flows in predicting future cash flows to achieve two objectives: (i) reconcile the mixed evidence in the prior literature, and (ii) investigate the implications of temporal shifts in accrual accounting for trends in cash flow predictability. Three key insights emerge from our analyses. First, contrary to conventional wisdom, we find that cash flows are superior to earnings in predicting future cash flows. After evaluating several alternative explanations, we attribute the mixed evidence in prior research mainly to measurement errors induced by the balance sheet method of estimating cash flows. Second, we find that earnings’ ability to predict future cash flows is increasing over the period 1989-2015. However, this trend is attributable to the increasing predictive ability of cash flows rather than accruals. That is, while cash flows show an increasing ability to predict future cash flows over time, accruals display no such trend. Our findings are robust to US and international settings. Finally, we document that the increasing predictive ability of cash flows is associated with shortening operating cycles, decreasing working capital accruals, and increasing intensity of intangibles over time.
Kalman-Filter-Based Approach for Multisensor, Multitrack, and Multitemporal InSAR

A Kalman-filter-based approach is presented for resolving 3-D surface displacements using multisensor, multitrack, and multitemporal interferometric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) measurements. Measurements from each interferogram are projected into the three reference directions and combined in the Kalman filter model with displacements determined from previous interferograms to produce updated displacement measurements. Both simulated and real data sets are used to test the proposed approach. It is found that the method works well when the measurement noise is low. The displacements in the north direction, however, are much lower in accuracy than those in the other two directions and even become unstable when the measurement noise is high due to the polar-orbiting imaging geometries of the current satellite SAR sensors.