Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal analysis of changes in illicit drug use and health services utilization.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the relationships between illicit drug use and three types of health services utilization: emergency room utilization, hospitalization, and medical attention required due to injury(s). DATA Waves 1 and 2 (11,253 males and 13,059 females) from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). STUDY DESIGN We derive benchmark estimates by employing standard cross-sectional data models to pooled waves of NESARC data. To control for potential bias due to time-invariant unobserved individual heterogeneity, we reestimate the relationships with fixed-effects models. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The cross-sectional data models suggest that illicit drug use is positively and significantly related to health services utilization in almost all specifications. Conversely, the only significant (p<.05) relationships in the fixed-effects models are the odds of receiving medical attention for an injury and the number of injuries requiring medical attention for men, and the number of times hospitalized for men and women. CONCLUSIONS Failing to control for time-invariant individual heterogeneity could lead to biased coefficients when estimating the effects of illicit drug use on health services utilization. Moreover, it is important to distinguish between types of drug user (casual versus heavy) and estimate gender-specific models.
Characterization of blaTEM-52-Carrying Plasmids of Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase-Producing Salmonella enterica Isolates from Chicken Meat with a Common Supplier in Japan

ABSTRACT The acquisition of resistance to cephalosporins among Salmonella spp. is a major public health concern. This study identified clonal plasmids carrying blaTEM-52 from 10 Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis and Manhattan isolates from retail chicken meats that originated from a common supplier in Japan. Whole-genome analyses of the representative plasmids, including pYM4, revealed that they are 38 kb in size and that pYM4 is identical to pDKX1 from beef in Denmark, suggesting a global dissemination of resistance mediated by the plasmids.
Does Accessibility to Higher Education Matter? Choice Behaviour of High School Graduates in the Netherlands

Abstract This paper identifies pivotal factors behind individual decision making in the transition from high school to post-secondary education in the Netherlands. We apply a multinomial logit framework to individual data and accommodate two types of effects that have not received much attention in the literature. First, we analyse the impact of geographical accessibility of the higher education system. Second, we allow the individual observations to be correlated within schools, in effect accounting for localized social interactions. Our results confirm the paramount influence of the student's track record and talent. The results, however, also show that geographical proximity significantly increases the probability of high school leavers continuing their education at a university or professional college.
Cytochalasin inhibition of isolated rat gastric parietal cell function

Submicrogram concentrations (0.04‐‐0.29 μM) of the microfilament disrupting agents cytochalasins D, E, and B (CD, CE, CB) were shown to inhibit secretagogue‐stimulated 14C‐aminopyrine accumulation (AP) in isolated rat gastric mucosal parietal cells. The microtubule disrupting agent colchicine had little influence on AP accumulation. Histamine‐ and dibutyryl cyclic AMP (DbcAMP)‐stimulated AP accumulation was inhibited with an order of potency CD > CE ≈︁ CB. CB inhibition of these secretagogue actions was, however only approximately 65‐‐70% of the maximal stimulated response, whereas CD and CE caused 100% inhibition. On the other hand, carbamylcholine‐stimulated AP accumulation was inhibited 100% by all cytochalasins tested with an order of potency CD ≈︁ CE > CB. These data are discussed in relation to acid secretagogue‐induced morphological changes involving actin filament organization in parietal cells.
Inserting a vertex into a planar graph

We consider the problem of computing a crossing minimum drawing of a given planar graph G = (V, E) augmented by a star, i.e., an additional vertex v together with its incident edges Ev = {(v, u) | u ∈ V}, in which all crossings involve Ev. Alternatively, the problem can be stated as finding a planar embedding of G, in which the given star can be inserted requiring the minimum number of crossings. This is a generalization of the crossing minimum edge insertion problem [15], and can help to find improved approximations for the crossing minimization problem. Indeed, in practice, the algorithm for the crossing minimum edge insertion problem turned out to be the key for obtaining the currently strongest approximate solutions for the crossing number of general graphs. The generalization considered here can lead to even better solutions for the crossing minimization problem. Furthermore, it offers new insight into the crossing number problem for almost-planar and apex graphs. It has been an open problem whether the star insertion problem is polynomially solvable. We give an affirmative answer by describing the first efficient algorithm for this problem. This algorithm uses the SPQR-tree data structure to handle the exponential number of possible embeddings, in conjunction with dynamic programming schemes for which we introduce partitioning cost subproblems.
1 Architectural Analysis of OpenSSL Crypto Algorithms for Network Processor

The wide spread adoption of the internet as a trusted medium of communication and commerce has made cryptography an essential component of modern information systems. So the performance of cryptographic communication applications on network processor has become an important topic of network processor system design. In this paper I compare and analyze the architectural characteristics of some wide spread cryptographic algorithms and their implementations through simulation on Simple Scalar, a MIPS like architecture. I have compared the instruction mix of the OpenSSL crypto algorithms with that of the SPEC95, CommBench and Average kind of algorithms. Also I have given a clear comparison of the average computational complexity per byte between the OpenSSL crypto algorithms and the others. Then considering 7 of these crypto algorithms (1 stream cipher type,3 block cipher type and 2 hash type) i have analyzed the impact of various cache sizes, different kind of branch predictions, different number of ALUs, and different Instruction fetch queue sizes. I find that memory system has a significant effect on overall performance. An ILP of 8,128 KB Instruction cache size and 32 KB Data cache size and direct mapping give better cryptographic operation for OpenSSL crypto algorithms. Cache replacement strategy doesn’t have an importance in overall performance.
Expression of cytokines, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and matrix metalloproteinases in pouchitis: effects of probiotic treatment

OBJECTIVE:The efficacy of probiotic organisms in the treatment of pouchitis has been reported. In the present study, we evaluated the tissue levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, nitric oxide synthase, and matrix metalloproteinases in control and inflamed pouches before and after antibiotic and probiotic treatment of patients with acute pouchitis.METHODS:Pouch biopsy samples were obtained from seven patients with pouchitis before and after antibiotic and probiotic treatment. Tissue samples from five patients with normal pouches were used as controls. Cytokines were determined by ELISA, matrix metalloproteinase activity was evaluated by zymograms, and nitric oxide synthase activity was determined by measuring arginine to citrulline conversion.RESULTS:Tissue levels of tumor necrosis factor α increased (p 0.01) in pouchitis relative to uninflamed pouches and reduced after antibiotic and probiotic treatment. Also, interferon γ and interleukin 1α (IL-1α) augmented in pouchitis, but their increase did not reach statistical significance. The latter, however, were lower (p < 0.05) after treatment with the antibiotics and probiotics. Tissue levels of IL-4 and IL-10 were unchanged in inflamed pouches and unaffected by antibiotic treatment. However, IL-10 increased (p < 0.05) after probiotic treatment. Moreover, inflamed pouches had higher levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase and gelatinase activities, which decreased after treatment.CONCLUSIONS:The ability of antibiotic and probiotic treatments to increase tissue levels of IL-10, at a higher level than those observed in control pouches, and to decrease, to levels present in control pouches, proinflammatory cytokine, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and matrix metalloproteinase activity may suggest a mechanism of action to explain the efficacy of this therapeutic regime in pouchitis.
Survival prognostic factors for patients with synchronous brain oligometastatic non-small-cell lung carcinoma receiving local therapy

Introduction Clinical evidence for patients with synchronous brain oligometastatic non-small-cell lung carcinoma is limited. We aimed to summarize the clinical data of these patients to explore the survival prognostic factors for this population. Methods From September 1995 to July 2011, patients with 1–3 synchronous brain oligometastases, who were treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) or surgical resection as the primary treatment, were identified at Shanghai Chest Hospital. Results A total of 76 patients (22 patients underwent brain surgery as primary treatment and 54 patients received SRS) were available for survival analysis. The overall survival (OS) for patients treated with SRS and brain surgery as the primary treatment were 12.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 10.3–14.9) and 16.4 months (95% CI 8.8–24.1), respectively (adjusted hazard ratio =0.59, 95% CI 0.33–1.07, P=0.08). Among 76 patients treated with SRS or brain surgery, 21 patients who underwent primary tumor resection did not experience a significantly improved OS (16.4 months, 95% CI 9.6–23.2), compared with those who did not undergo resection (11.9 months, 95% CI 9.7–14.0; adjusted hazard ratio =0.81, 95% CI 0.46–1.44, P=0.46). Factors associated with survival benefits included stage I–II of primary lung tumor and solitary brain metastasis. Conclusion There was no significant difference in OS for patients with synchronous brain oligometastasis receiving SRS or surgical resection. Among this population, the number of brain metastases and stage of primary lung disease were the factors associated with a survival benefit.
Effects of fludrocortisone on sympathetic nerve activity in humans.

Fludrocortisone reduces plasma norepinephrine in healthy humans, but forearm vascular and pressor responses to norepinephrine are potentiated. The effects of fludrocortisone on sympathetic nerve activity in healthy humans are not known. To investigate these effects we evaluated muscle sympathetic nerve activity, heart rate, and arterial pressure in 11 healthy volunteers during three protocols: (1) before and on day 7 of fludrocortisone (0.4 mg/d) treatment with ad libitum diet (n = 6); (2) before and on day 7 of fludrocortisone (0.4 mg/d) or placebo with a 150 mmol/24 h (mEq/24 h) sodium diet (n = 7); and (3) before and on day 2 of fludrocortisone (0.4 mg/d) or placebo with a 150 mmol/24 h (mEq/24 h) sodium diet (n = 4). Placebo did not alter any parameter. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Structural characterization of single and interacting soft interfaces displaying brushes of synthetic or biomolecular polymers

The interaction between surfaces displaying end-grafted hydrophilic polymer brushes plays important roles in biology and in many wet-technological applications. In this context, the conformation of the brushes upon their mutual approach is crucial, because it affects interaction forces and the brushes' shear-tribological properties. While this aspect has been addressed by theory, experimental data on polymer conformations under confinement are difficult to obtain. Here, we study interacting planar brushes of hydrophilic polymers with defined length and grafting density. Via ellipsometry and neutron reflectometry we obtain pressure-distance curves and determine distance-dependent polymer conformations in terms of brush compression and reciprocative interpenetration. While the pressure-distance curves are satisfactorily described by the Alexander-de-Gennes model, the pronounced
Women on Top: Diversity in Gender and Education Profiles of Top Management and Board of Directors of Philippine Publicly Traded Firms

Women have been making headway when it comes to occupying corporate board and senior management positions in companies all over the world, particularly in the Philippines. Stylized facts released by international reports point to the surprising prevalence of women holding leadership positions among Philippine firms. Hence, this descriptive study bridges a gap in the Philippine corporate governance literature by using data on around 250 PSE-listed firms to examine gender diversity composition and trends among CEOs, boards, and top management teams in Philippine publicly traded firms on a five-year interval (i.e. 2003, 2008, 2013) and for the most recent year (i.e. 2014). Additionally, we provide information on the educational profile of CEOs of PSE-listed firms. Our study confirms the existence of a gender gap among governing and managing bodies of Philippine public firms, but observes a gradual improvement in the representation of women in key leadership positions. We also find that most CEOs of PSE-listed firms share a common educational background in terms of undergraduate and graduate degrees received and tertiary schools attended. JEL Classification: G30, G34, J16
A new look at an old drug: neuroprotective effects and therapeutic potentials of lithium salts

Increasing evidence highlights bipolar disorder as being associated with impaired neurogenesis, cellular plasticity, and resiliency, as well as with cell atrophy or loss in specific brain regions. This has led most recent research to focus on the possible neuroprotective effects of medications, and particularly interesting findings have emerged for lithium. A growing body of evidence from preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies has in fact documented its neuroprotective effects from different insults acting on cellular signaling pathways, both preventing apoptosis and increasing neurotrophins and cell-survival molecules. Furthermore, positive effects of lithium on neurogenesis, brain remodeling, angiogenesis, mesenchymal stem cells functioning, and inflammation have been revealed, with a key role played through the inhibition of the glycogen synthase kinase-3, a serine/threonine kinase implicated in the pathogenesis of many neuropsychiatric disorders. These recent evidences suggest the potential utility of lithium in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, neurodevelopmental disorders, and hypoxic–ischemic/traumatic brain injury, with positive results at even lower lithium doses than those traditionally considered to be antimanic. The aim of this review is to briefly summarize the potential benefits of lithium salts on neuroprotection and neuroregeneration, emphasizing preclinical and clinical evidence suggesting new therapeutic potentials of this drug beyond its mood stabilizing properties.
The Economic Costs of Conflict: A Case Study of the

This article investigates the economic eects of conict, using the terrorist conict in the Basque Country as a case study. Our analysis rests on two dierent strategies. First, we use a combination of other regions to construct a \synthetic" control region which resembles many relevant economic characteristics of the Basque Country before the outset of political terrorism in the 1970’s. The subsequent economic evolution of this \counterfactual" Basque Country without terrorism is compared to the actual experience of the Basque Country. We nd that, after the outbreak of terrorism, per capita GDP in the Basque Country declined about 10 percentage points relative to the synthetic control region. Moreover, this gap seemed to widen in response to spikes in terrorist activity. The second part of this study uses the truce declared in September 1998 as a natural experiment to estimate the eects of the conict. If the terrorist conict
Bias in Research Grant Evaluation Has Dire Consequences for Small Universities

Federal funding for basic scientific research is the cornerstone of societal progress, economy, health and well-being. There is a direct relationship between financial investment in science and a nation’s scientific discoveries, making it a priority for governments to distribute public funding appropriately in support of the best science. However, research grant proposal success rate and funding level can be skewed toward certain groups of applicants, and such skew may be driven by systemic bias arising during grant proposal evaluation and scoring. Policies to best redress this problem are not well established. Here, we show that funding success and grant amounts for applications to Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Discovery Grant program (2011–2014) are consistently lower for applicants from small institutions. This pattern persists across applicant experience levels, is consistent among three criteria used to score grant proposals, and therefore is interpreted as representing systemic bias targeting applicants from small institutions. When current funding success rates are projected forward, forecasts reveal that future science funding at small schools in Canada will decline precipitously in the next decade, if skews are left uncorrected. We show that a recently-adopted pilot program to bolster success by lowering standards for select applicants from small institutions will not erase funding skew, nor will several other post-evaluation corrective measures. Rather, to support objective and robust review of grant applications, it is necessary for research councils to address evaluation skew directly, by adopting procedures such as blind review of research proposals and bibliometric assessment of performance. Such measures will be important in restoring confidence in the objectivity and fairness of science funding decisions. Likewise, small institutions can improve their research success by more strongly supporting productive researchers and developing competitive graduate programming opportunities.
Immune-Activating Properties of Panton-Valentine Leukocidin Improve the Outcome in a Model of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pneumonia

ABSTRACT The Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) is a cytotoxin expressed by many methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains that cause community-acquired infections (CA-MRSA). Its role in virulence however, is controversial, with clinical data suggesting that PVL-producing strains may cause less severe disease in humans. PVL is capable of lysing human white blood cells, but at sublytic amounts, PVL can activate protective host immunity in the absence of cell damage. The concentration-dependent reactions it elicits from host cells could be the reason for seemingly contradictory results about PVL's role in virulence. We hypothesized that a key to understanding PVL's action on host cells and, possibly, outcomes from infection is the amount of toxin present, a hypothesis previously supported in studies using a low-inoculum skin infection model, where low levels of PVL augmented innate immune resistance to infection. Here, we present additional data supporting this hypothesis using a mouse model of MRSA pneumonia, wherein we found increased virulence of isogenic Δpvl strains and further confirmed PVL's capacity to activate proinflammatory responses from mouse and human neutrophils and pulmonary cells. Activation was measured as the production of phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-8 (IL-8) and KC (from human and mouse cells, respectively), as well as the release of antibacterial factors. Conversely, PVL lowered the levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) produced in active pulmonary infection, while low doses induced apoptosis, suggesting that PVL also has the capacity to regulate inflammation. Our data indicate that, independent of its cytotoxic effects, PVL also plays an important and positive immunomodulatory role during MRSA infections.
Platelet count estimation using the CellaVision DM96 system

Introduction: Rapid and accurate determination of platelet count is an important factor in diagnostic medicine. Traditional microscopic methods are labor intensive with variable results and are highly dependent on the individual training. Recent developments in automated peripheral blood differentials using a computerized system have shown many advantages as a viable alternative. The purpose of this paper was to determine the reliability and accuracy of the CellaVision DM 96 system with regards to platelet counts. Materials and Methods: One hundred twenty seven peripheral blood smears were analyzed for platelet count by manual microscopy, an automated hematology analyzer (Beckman Counter LH 780 or Unicel DXH 800 analyzers) and with the CellaVision DM96 system. Results were compared using the correlations and Bland-Altman plots. Results: Platelet counts from the DM96 system showed an R 2 of 0.94 when compared to manual platelet estimates and an R 2 of 0.92 when compared to the automated hematology analyzer results. Bland-Altman plots did not show any systematic bias.
Some Aspects Of Text Grammars

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Regulation of the mec‐3 gene by the C.elegans homeoproteins UNC‐86 and MEC‐3.

The mec‐3 gene encodes a homeodomain protein with LIM repeats that is required for the specification of touch cell fate in Caenorhabditis elegans. Previous experiments suggested that mec‐3 expression requires the product of the unc‐86 gene, a POU‐type homeoprotein, and mec‐3 itself. We have analyzed the control of mec‐3 expression by identifying potential cis regulatory elements in the mec‐3 gene (by conservation in a related nematode and by DNase I footprinting using unc‐86 and mec‐3 proteins) and testing their importance by transforming C.elegans with mec‐3lacZ fusions in which these sites have been mutagenized in vitro. Both unc‐86 and mec‐3 proteins bind specifically to the promoter of the mec‐3 gene, suggesting that both proteins may be directly involved in the regulation of the mec‐3 gene. In addition, the footprint pattern with mec‐3 protein is altered in the presence of unc‐86 protein. In vivo transformation experiments reveal that some of the binding regions of the two proteins are needed for general positive control and maintenance of mec‐3 expression while others have no detectable, unique function. Interestingly, the unc‐86 gene appears to be required not only to initiate mec‐3 expression but also to maintain it.