Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Case Mix and Outcomes of Nursing Home Patients: The Importance of Prior Nursing Home Care and Admission From Home Versus Hospital

The authors compared the personal characteristics, measures of functional status/case mix, and discharge outcomes of nursing home patients admitted to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) in 1984 for the first time (first admissions) to those of patients with a prior history of nursing home care (readmissions). Compared to first admissions, readmitted patients were more disabled and debilitated, significantly less likely to return home, and more likely to be hospitalized. History of a prior nursing home admission is an important indicator of prognosis, service needs, length of stay (LOS) of patients in the nursing home, and their discharge outcomes. Location before admission—home versus hospital—was associated with case-mix descriptors and LOS but was unrelated to discharge outcomes, except for those readmitted from hospitals, who returned home less often and were more likely to die in the SNFs.
Parenteral Glycerol Enhances Gluconeogenesis in Very Premature Infants

We have previously demonstrated that very premature infants receiving total parenteral nutrition maintain normoglycemia primarily by glucose produced via gluconeogenesis and that the lipid emulsion is most important in supporting gluconeogenesis. It is, however, not clear whether this is a result of the glycerol or the fatty acid constituent. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of intravenous supplemental glycerol alone on glucose production and gluconeogenesis. Twenty infants (birth weight, 1014 ± 32 g; gestational age, 27 ± 1 wk) were studied on d 4 ± 1 (mean ± SE). All infants received glucose at 17 μmol/kg·min for 9 h (after an initial study hour with 33 μmol/kg·min). Eight infants received no additional substrate during the study, and 12 infants received supplemental glycerol at 5 (n = 6) or 10 μmol/kg·min (n = 6) over the last 5 h of study. In infants receiving glucose alone, between period 1 (study hours 4–5) and period 2 (study hours 9–10), rates of glucose production ([U-13C]glucose) decreased from 12.9 ± 1.2 to 7.4 ± 0.9 μmol/kg·min (p < 0.01). This was the result of decreased glycogenolysis but no change in gluconeogenesis ([U-13C]glucose mass isotopomer distribution analysis) (5.1 ± 0.6 versus 5.7 ± 0.4 μmol/kg·min) (ns). Glycerol infusion at 5 and 10 μmol/kg·min, respectively, maintained glucose production (despite comparable decrease in glycogenolysis) by increasing gluconeogenesis from 4.3 ± 0.2 to 6.3 ± 0.5 (p < 0.03), and 6.0 ± 0.7 to 8.8 ± 0.8 μmol/kg/min (p < 0.01). In very premature infants, parenteral glycerol enhances gluconeogenesis and attenuates time dependent decrease in glucose production.
Longitudinal change in HbA1c in patients with type 2 diabetes: comparison of short-acting, biphasic and basal insulin.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the annual change in HbA1c values among patients with type 2 diabetes in primary care practices comparing different insulin regimens. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Longitudinal data from 666 nationwide general and internal medicine practices in Germany (Disease Analyser, IMS HEALTH) from 7/2004 to 6/2006 were analysed, including 348 patients (mean age+/-SD: 61+/-11 years) with continuous short-acting (regular insulin or analogues), 1 906 with biphasic (72+/-9 years), 439 with basal-bolus (68+/-10 years), and 1 719 with basal insulin therapy (65+/-10 years). The mean of the individual relative changes in HbA1c (level in 2006 divided by level in 2005) were compared between insulin groups, adjusting for age, sex, BMI, diabetes duration, oral antidiabetics, comorbidity, health insurance, visits, hospitalisations, and practice type using general linear models. RESULTS There was only a small difference in baseline HbA1c values (range 7.3-7.5%) between the four insulin groups (p=0.008). Substantial group differences were observed for age, diabetes duration, and additional prescriptions of oral antidiabetics (p<0.0001). After adjusting for potential confounders, the relative annual increase in HbA1c was highest for biphasic insulin (1.021; 95%CI 1.016-1.025), followed by basal-bolus therapy (1.017; 1.012-1.022), and basal insulin (monotherapy) (1.012; 1.002-1.021). No significant change in HbA1c was found for short-acting insulin (1.006; 0.996-1.016). CONCLUSIONS Although many options for insulin therapy are now available, a progression of glycemia still occurs in the majority of insulin-treated type 2 diabetic patients in primary care.
Adiposity and stroke among older adults of low socioeconomic status: the Chicago Stroke Study.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that overall and truncal adiposity increase the risk of stroke independent of their association with cardiovascular disease risk factors and other preexisting illnesses. METHODS Analyses were conducted of longitudinal data from a poor, biracial cohort of noninstitutionalized adults 65 to 74 years of age who participated in the Chicago Stroke Study from 1965 to 1970. RESULTS Ponderal index (cm/kg1/3) and chest skinfold were significantly associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol and triglycerides, plasma glucose, and smoking. Ponderal index was also associated with diabetes and risk of stroke. After potential confounders were controlled, the following variables showed significant independent associations with risk of stroke: Black race, female gender, and age 70+; hypertensive heart disease; and diabetes. Neither adiposity variable was associated with risk of stroke in the presence of these powerful predictors. CONCLUSIONS Control of hypertension and diabetes continues to be important among older adults. Since excess adiposity seems to influence risk of stroke through its association with these disorders and other cardiovascular disease risk factors, control of weight and fat remains an important concern as well.
Phase II study of concurrent chemoradiotherapy with S-1 in patients with stage II (T2N0M0) squamous cell carcinoma of the Pharynx or Larynx.

OBJECTIVE The goals of treatment for head and neck cancer are cure and organ-function preservation. For organ preservation, primary treatment via radiotherapy alone is thought to be insufficient for Stage II squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, oropharynx or hypopharynx. The objective of the present study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of concurrent chemoradiotherapy with S-1 for patients with Stage II squamous cell carcinoma of the pharynx or larynx for primary organ preservation. METHODS Previously untreated patients with Stage II squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, oropharynx or hypopharynx received three courses of S-1 (40 or 50 mg twice a day; 2 weeks of administration followed by 1 week of rest every 3 weeks) during conventional radiotherapy (a single daily fraction of 1.8 Gy) to a total dose of 70.2 Gy. The primary endpoint was the local control rate at 3 years. RESULTS From August 2009 to October 2012, 37 patients were evaluated for the study. The overall response rate was 100%. The 3-year local control rate was 89.0% (95% confidence interval, 78.9-99.2%), and the 3-year overall survival rate was 97.2% (95% confidence interval, 91.8-100%). Mucositis and dermatitis in the radiation field were the most common acute adverse events observed. The rates of Grade 3 mucositis and dermatitis were 27 and 35%, respectively. No patients experienced Grade 4 acute adverse events. The treatment completion rate was 89.2%. CONCLUSION Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with S-1 was safe and effective in improving local control for Stage II squamous cell carcinoma of the pharynx or larynx.
Audit committees, Cadbury Code and audit fees: an empirical analysis of UK companies

Audit committees have become more important and prevalent in recent years but there is a relative paucity of empirical research concerning their value. This paper contributes to this research by reporting an analysis of the relationship between the size of the audit fee and the existence of an audit committee. The analysis builds on previous research in this area in several ways. First, it uses more recent data than previous research which may have been influenced by transitional problems. The data in this paper were collected from financial reports for the years ending in 1994 and 1995. Second, it investigates the effect on audit fees of audit committee adherence to the Cadbury Committee Report recommendations of 1992. Finally, the analysis is set within a theoretical framework developed from agency theory. The results suggest that audit committees have been through a transitional phase comprising changes to the general audit environment and a learning phase for the establishment and operation of committees. By 1995 there is no evidence that audit committees, whether adhering to the Cadbury Code or not, have any overall effect on audit fees. The only effect found was a reduction in fees due to improved internal controls in the presence of auditee complexity. There was evidence that size was the main determinant of the presence of an audit committee.
Responses of international stock markets to oil price surges: a regime-switching perspective

We propose an enhanced regime-switching model to investigate the relationships between oil price surges and stock market cycles in five oil-dependent countries. Our model accounts for the joint effects of the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent oil markets and simultaneously captures asymmetry, volatility persistence and regime shifts contained in the underlying financial data. We find that stock market returns strongly exhibit a regime-switching behaviour, but they react differently to the increases in the price of oil. More precisely, the conditional volatility of studied stock markets during the bear market phases is found to be less affected by oil price surges than during the bull market phases. Whether the effects of oil shocks are positive or negative depends greatly on the degree of reliance on imported oil, the share of the cost of oil in the national income and the degree of improvement in energy efficiency of a given country. Finally, the relatively opposite effects of the WTI and Brent oil markets suggest the potential of substitution between them as well as the necessity of a diversification strategy of oil supply sources.
Strategic Management Objectives of Small Manufacturers: A Case Study of the Cheese Industry

The structure of dairy processing has changed significantly with declining numbers of processors, increasing firm size, and movement of production out of traditional areas. In order to compete with large manufactures on a noncost basis, small cheese manufactures are turning to the production of specialty cheeses and the use of specific value-added activities in marketing their product. In this study, we examine the strategic management behavior of these firms. A strategic management typology used in previous analyses of small businesses is applied to a sample of forty-seven Wisconsin cheese plants. A case study of four representative firms is presented.
Low-load prolonged stretch vs. high-load brief stretch in treating knee contractures.

This study was designed to compare the results of a traditional method of stretching knee flexion contractures by high-load brief stretch (HLBS) with the results of an experimental method of prolonged knee extension by skin traction, low-load prolonged stretch (LLPS). End range of passive knee extension was measured by standard goniometry. Subjects were 11 nonambulatory residents of a nursing home who had demonstrated gradually progressive bilateral knee contractures. Each subject served as his or her own control with one lower limb receiving LLPS and the other limb receiving HLBS and passive range of motion (PROM). Sequential medical trials were used as the clinical research design. Whether comparing the LLPS limb PROM measurements pretreatment and posttreatment (p less than or equal to .05) or the HLBS to the LLPS limb PROM recordings posttreatment (p less than or equal to .05), the results demonstrated a preference for LLPS in the treatment of knee contractures in the immobile nursing home resident.
Is Water Policy Limiting Residential Growth? Evidence from California

Rapid population growth and increasing water costs have led western states to condition development on long-term water availability. Using original survey data, this paper examines the effects of water screening policies on California’s housing supply from 1994 to 2003. Panel regressions indicate that these policies significantly slowed housing growth. However, impact fees based on the costs of residential water connections do not have this effect and may constitute a preferred policy. To enhance the social efficiency of screening policies, regulators should encourage the adoption of conservation-oriented water rates, which are associated with significant savings in residential water use. (JEL Q25, R31)
Controlling for lagged stock price responses in pricing regressions: An application to the pricing of cash flows and accruals

This study reevaluates the securities market's differential pricing of the operating cash flow, current accrual (noncash working capital), and non-current accrual components of earnings. This reevaluation is motivated by evidence in Sloan [1996] of a lagged adjustment of securities prices to the differing implications of operating cash flows and accruals for future earnings. Similar to previous research, we find no statistically significant differential valuations of operating cash flows and current accruals in the conventional model that relates contemporary security returns to changes in these earnings components. When we allow for the market's multiyear correction of past mispricing and mean reversion in the earnings components, we document significant valuation differences for operating cash flows, relative to both current and noncurrent accruals.
Defective calmodulin-dependent rapid apical endocytosis in zebrafish sensory hair cell mutants.

Vertebrate mechanosensory hair cells contain a narrow "pericuticular" zone which is densely populated with small vesicles between the cuticular plate and cellular junctions near the apical surface. The presence of many cytoplasmic vesicles suggests that the apical surface of hair cells has a high turnover rate. The significance of intense membrane trafficking at the apical surface is not known. Using a marker of endocytosis, the styryl dye FM1-43, this report shows that rapid apical endocytosis in zebrafish lateral line sensory hair cells is calcium and calmodulin dependent and is partially blocked by the presence of amiloride and dihydrostreptomycin, known inhibitors of mechanotransduction channels. As seen in lateral line hair cells, sensory hair cells within the larval otic capsule also exhibit rapid apical endocytosis. Defects in internalization of the dye in both lateral line and inner ear hair cells were found in five zebrafish auditory/vestibular mutants: sputnik, mariner, orbiter, mercury, and skylab. In addition, lateral line hair cells in these mutants were not sensitive to prolonged exposure to streptomycin, which is toxic to hair cells. The presence of endocytic defects in the majority of zebrafish mechanosensory mutants points to a important role of apical endocytosis in hair cell function.
24h VARIATION IN THE EXPRESSION OF THE mt1 MELATONIN RECEPTOR SUBTYPE IN CORONARY ARTERIES DERIVED FROM PATIENTS WITH CORONARY HEART DISEASE

Previous studies presented evidence for impaired nocturnal secretion and synthesis of melatonin in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). This study aimed to investigate whether the melatonin receptor subtype mt1 is differentially expressed in coronary arteries derived from patients with CHD (n = 9) compared to patients with dilative cardiomyopathy (CMP; n = 10) who served as controls. Expression of the mt1 receptor was studied in sections of isolated coronary arteries by a reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and a Western immunoblot technique. In addition, the data from the Western blotting of 15 patients were interpolated against the exact time of aortic clamp to study the 24h expression of the mt1 receptor. The analyses of the results from both methods indicated the presence of the mt1 receptor in all of the individuals. No statistically significant difference was observed in the receptor expression between patients with CHD and those with CMP (in arbitrary units: 3.39 ± 3.08 versus 3.91 ± 2.78). Expression of the melatonin receptor in the coronary arteries of the whole patient group presented a 24h variation, with the lowest values detectable after 02:00 up to the late morning hours and a progressive increase beginning after 13:00 until 00:00 (mesor = 3.66, amplitude = 3.23, acrophase = 20.45, P =. 0003). When studying the 24h variation in patients with CHD and CMP separately, a nearly similar circadian course was observed. In conclusion, we demonstrated for the first time a 24h variation of a melatonin receptor subtype in human vessels. Furthermore, in relation to our results, we suggest that the expression of the mt1 melatonin receptor in the coronary arteries is probably not impaired in patients with CHD. (Chronobiology International, 18(6), 973–985, 2001)
Blood albumin alterations and lymphocyte populations in advanced cancer patients

Objective: Patients with cancer (namely advanced cancer) exhibit poorly functionating immune system. It is now widely accepted that dynamics of changes, along the certain types of alterations in structures of lipid/protein themselves of immune system cells and blood plasma, plays a critical role in the maintenance of the immune status of organism. Biomarkers for prediction of disease outcome are of great interest in human medicine. Methods: The fluorescent probe ABM was used to characterize lymphocyte membranes and blood plasma albumin of cancer patients suffering from advanced cancer with wide metastasis and intoxication. The aim of these studies was to evaluate the potential applicability of measures of ABM fluorescence intensity as a standard tool in the analyses of host immune status and for a clinical interpretation of alterations in albumin per se and in lymphocyte functional activity in cancer patients receiving palliative care. We registered probe ABM spectral parameters in patients‟ lymphocytes and blood plasma, and ABM auto-fluorescence in plasma. Results: The fluorescence intensity of ABM in blood plasma and lymphocyte suspension differed from control values and showed specific differences in patient groups in accordance (correlation) with survival rate. A significant decrease in ABM fluorescence in plasma could be explained, in part, by a diminished binding capacity of the albumin of these patients. The lymphocyte distribution among the subsets of patients also differed. Interestingly, the ABM fluorescence in the cell suspension and blood plasma was also found to correlate with selected immunological parameters (CD4 + :CD8 + ratios, lymphocyte counts, etc.). Conclusion: Results strongly correlated with changes in ABM spectral characteristics and both clinical and pathological estimates of patient immune state. ABM spectroscopy appears to be useful for clinicians to monitor the course of certain diseases (e.g., gastrointestinal cancers).
Formal Participation in the IASB's Due Process of Standard Setting: A Multi-issue/Multi-period Analysis

This paper sets out to enquire about the nature of constituents' participation in the IASB's due process in terms of representation (constituents' diversity and characteristics) and drivers to participate. We choose to adopt a multi-issue/multi-period approach to investigate constituents' formal participation. An analysis of comment letters sent directly to the IASB over the period 2002–2006, reveals that preparers sent most letters followed by the accounting profession and standard setters. With regard to timing, we find that preparers concentrate their participation efforts at a later stage in the process compared to the other constituents, who react earlier. Formal indirect participation in the IASB's due process by submitting comment letters to EFRAG is infrequently used by European constituents. In those cases where constituents exert influence to both IASB and EFRAG, they often use exactly the same comment letter. Concentrating on the drivers to participate, the data reveal that preparers, accountants and standard setters react significantly more when proposals have a major impact on the accounting numbers of a company. Users, stock exchanges and their supervisory authorities write significantly more comment letters when disclosure issues are at stake. Finally, participating preparers in the IASB's due process are larger and more profitable than non-participating preparers.
Draft Genome Sequence of Anammox Bacterium “Candidatus Scalindua brodae,” Obtained Using Differential Coverage Binning of Sequencing Data from Two Reactor Enrichments

ABSTRACT We present the draft genome of anammox bacterium “Candidatus Scalindua brodae,” which at 282 contigs is a major improvement over the highly fragmented genome assembly of related species “Ca. Scalindua profunda” (1,580 contigs) which was previously published.
Bromodomain and extra-terminal domain bromodomain inhibition prevents synovial inflammation via blocking IκB kinase-dependent NF-κB activation in rheumatoid fibroblast-like synoviocytes.

OBJECTIVE To explore the roles of the bromodomain (Brd) and extra-terminal domain (BET) of chromatin adaptors in regulating synovial inflammation in RA. METHODS Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) were isolated from synovial tissue from RA patients. A specific BET inhibitor, JQ1, and short hairpin RNA (shRNA) for Brd2 or Brd4 were used to evaluate the role of the BET Brd in inflammatory responses. Protein expression was measured by western blot or immunofluorescence staining. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) gene activity was detected by luciferase assay. The secretion and gene expression of cytokines and MMPs were evaluated by ELISA and real-time PCR, respectively. FLS proliferation was detected by BrdU incorporation. RESULTS Four Brd proteins, including Brd2, Brd3, Brd4 and Brdt, were expressed in FLSs from patients with RA and OA; however, the expression of Brd2 and Brd4 was increased in RA compared with that in OA. Treatment with JQ1, Brd2 shRNA or Brd4 shRNA decreased the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8), MMPs expression (MMP-1, MMP-3 and MMP-13) and proliferation by RA FLSs. BET inhibition downregulated TNFα-induced NF-κB-dependent transcription and expression of the NF-κB target genes. JQ1 suppressed the phosphorylation of IκB kinaseβ and IκBα, and nuclear translocation of p65. Intraperitoneal injection of JQ1 in mice with collagen-induced arthritis reduced synovial inflammation, joint destruction and serum levels of the anti-CII antibodies TNFα and IL-6. CONCLUSION This study implicates BET Brds as important regulators of IκB kinase/NF-κB-mediated synovial inflammation of RA and identifies BET proteins as novel therapeutic targets in inflammatory arthritis.
Simulating the implications of glaciers’ retreat for water management: a case study in the Rio Santa basin, Peru

This paper presents a model of Andean glacier hydrology which can be used to assess the water management implications of possible future glacier retreat. The approach taken uses the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) system and integrates both hydrologic processes and representations of the operations of built infrastructure. The model is applied in the Rio Santa watershed in Peru to illustrate how alternative water management strategies can be simulated. The WEAP platform built for this study has been used to engage with local stakeholders for water management.