Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High serum lactate level may predict death within 24 hours

Abstract Background: Unexpected death within 24 hours of admission is a real challenge for the clinician in the emergency room. How to diagnose these patients and the right approach to prevent sudden death with 24 hours is still an enigma. The aims of our study were to find the independent factors that may affect the clinical outcome in the first 24 hours of admission to the hospital. Methods: We performed a retrospective study defining unexpected death within 24 hours of admission in our Department of Medicine in the last 6 years. We found 43 patients who died within 24 hours of admission, and compared their clinical and biochemical characteristics to 6055 consecutive patients who were admitted in that period of time and did not die within the first 24 hours of admission. The parameters that were used include gender, age, temperature, clinical and laboratory criteria for SIRS, arterial blood lactate, and arterial blood pH. Results: Most of the patients who died within 24 hours had sepsis with SIRS. These patients were older (78.6±14.7 vs. 65.2±20.2 years [p<.0001]), had higher lactate levels (8.0±4.8 vs. 2.1±1.8mmol/L[p<.0001]), and lower pH (7.2±0.2 vs. 7.4±0.1 [p<.0001]). Logistic regression analysis found that lactate was the strongest independent parameter to predict death within 24 hours of admission (OR1.366 [95% CI 1.235-1.512]), followed by old age (OR 1.048 [95% CI 1.048-1.075] and low arterial blood pH (OR 0.007 [CI <0.001-0.147]). When gender was analyzed, pH was not an independent variable in females (only in males). Conclusions: The significant independent variable that predicted death within 24 hours of admission was arterial blood lactate level on admission. Older age was also an independent variable; low pH affected only males, but was a less dominant variable. We suggest use of arterial blood lactate level on admission as a bio-marker in patients with suspected sepsis admitted to the hospital for risk assessment and prediction of death within 24 hours of admission.
Dual branes in topological sigma models over Lie groups. BF-theory and non-factorizable Lie bialgebras

We continue the study of the Poisson-Sigma model over Poisson-Lie groups. Firstly, we solve the models with targets G and G* (the dual group of the Poisson-Lie group G) corresponding to a triangular r-matrix and show that the model over G* is always equivalent to BF-theory. Then, given an arbitrary r-matrix, we address the problem of finding D-branes preserving the duality between the models. We identify a broad class of dual branes which are subgroups of G and G*, but not necessarily Poisson-Lie subgroups. In particular, they are not coisotropic submanifolds in the general case and what is more, we show that by means of duality transformations one can go from coisotropic to non-coisotropic branes. This fact makes clear that non-coisotropic branes are natural boundary conditions for the Poisson-Sigma model.
Screening of Antibacterial Producing Actinomycetes from Sediments of the Caspian Sea

Actinomycetes are interesting as a main producer of secondary metabolites and industrial antibiotics from marine environments. A total of 44 strains of actinomycetes were isolated from Caspian Sea sediments at a depth of 5-10 m. Preliminary screening was done using cross-streak method against 2 gram-positive and 4 gram-negative pathogen bacteria. The most potent strains MN2, MN3, MN38, MN39, MN40, MN41, and MN44 were used to extract the antibacterial substances. The antibacterial activities were performed using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Potent actinomycetes were screened for hydrolytic exoenzymatic activities (amylase and protease). All of the 24 isolates were active against at least to one of the test organisms. The MN38 strain showed activity against Staphylococcus aureus (20.0±0.5mm), Bacillus subtilis (27.0±0.2 mm), and Escherichia coli (20.0±0.3 mm). The MN39 strain was also active against E. coli (23.0±0.4mm), B. subtilis (23.0±0.2mm), Klebsiella pneumonia (24±0.1mm), whereas, the MN3 strain showed activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (20.0±0.2mm). The results of this investigation revealed that the marine actinomycetes of Caspian Sea sediments were potent source of novel antibiotics and bioactive compounds.
The Valuation Impact of SEC Enforcement Actions on Nontarget Foreign Firms

This study shows that the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) enforcement intensity toward the foreign firms under its jurisdiction has increased dramatically over the past two decades. Because enforcement events signify an increased threat of future enforcement, I examine the stock returns of foreign firms not targeted by the SEC during windows around enforcement actions that target foreign firms. This design captures the net effects of public enforcement and helps to rule out omitted variables as alternative explanations, because other factors would have to align with enforcement events that do not occur in an obvious pattern (and are therefore unlikely to map onto other news). Nontarget firms experience positive stock returns during the event windows, which is consistent with enforcement constraining the risks of expropriation. The cross-sectional pattern in returns reveals greater returns for firms from weak home legal environments. Finally, consistent with the market adjusting to a new enforcement regime, the magnitude of event returns declines over time. Overall, SEC enforcement is associated with increases in the value of foreign firms, supporting the premise of the legal bonding hypothesis.
Differences of migratory behavior between direct progeny of apical progenitors and basal progenitors in the developing cerebral cortex.

Cerebral cortical neurons are known to be produced from both apical progenitors in the ventricular zone (VZ) and basal (intermediate) progenitors in the subventricular zone (SVZ). On the other hand, we have shown that many SVZ cells assume multipolar morphology and show a characteristic movement termed "multipolar migration. " The relationship between multipolar cells and basal progenitors in the SVZ has yet to be investigated. Herein, we followed postmitotic cells generated in the VZ and found that they stayed for more than 10 h in the VZ after becoming postmitotic and then accumulated in the lower part of the SVZ (multipolar cell accumulation zone: MAZ) as multipolar cells (slowly exiting population: SEP), whereas basal progenitors rapidly migrated into the SVZ or intermediate zone (IZ) (rapidly exiting population: REP) with somal translocation morphology. Although REP reached the SVZ/IZ earlier than the SEP, REP stayed within in the SVZ/IZ, whereas SEP moved steadily and entered the CP prior to the REP. We also observed SEP to eventually differentiate into pyramidal neurons in layers II/III. This study provides in vivo evidence of differences in migration modes between postmitotic cells generated from apical progenitors and basal progenitors.
The hierarchical factor structure of the Spanish Version of Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale -21

La Depresion Ansiedad y el Estres Escala-21 (DASS-21) es uno de los auto-informes mas utilizados para la medicion de los sintomas emocionales. Sin embargo, cierta controversia permanece en relacion con su estructura factorial. Ademas, se necesitan mas datos de las propiedades psicometricas de la version espanola de la declaracion de garantia-21. El objetivo de este estudio fue explorar la estructura jerarquica del factor de la declaracion de garantia-21 y para analizar mas a fondo sus propiedades psicometricas en Espana y Colombia. Cuatro muestras con un total de 2980 participantes completaron la version espanola de la declaracion de garantia-21. Dos de las muestras estaban compuestas por estudiantes de cada pais y las otras dos muestras fueron reclutados en linea. Los resultados apoyan fuertemente un factor de estructura jerarquica de la declaracion de garantia-21 que consta de tres factores de primer orden (depresion, ansiedad y estres) y un factor de segundo orden (sintomas emocionales). Se encontro evidencia inicial de la invariancia de medicion para el pais (Espana vs Colombia) y la muestra (estudiantes universitarios vs. linea). La declaracion de garantia-21 mostro buenas propiedades psicometricas en todas las muestras. La declaracion de garantia-21 parece ser una buena opcion para medir los sintomas emocionales en Espana y Colombia, y su estructura factorial jerarquico indica que ofrece medidas generales y especificas de los sintomas emocionales que son teoricamente significativo.
EVALUATION OF SOMACLONAL VARIATION DURING REPETITIOUS SUBCULTURES OF TOBACCO (NICOTIANA TABACUM L.) CALLUS

In this study for the purpose of evaluating the somaclonal variation during repetitious subcultures of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. chopogh), we cultured the leaf and stem explants of tobacco plants in a medium containing 4 mg/l 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 0.5 mg/l kinetin. After the growth of calluses, they were sub‐cultured in the same medium. After the fourth subculture, calluses were transferred to regeneration MS medium containing hormone concentrations 4mg/l kinetin, 1 mg/l zeatine. After regeneration of seedlings, total genomic DNA was extracted from the primary and regenerated plant. Somaclonal variation of the samples was analyzed using 20 Random RAPD Primer. The electrophoresis pattern of 3 Random Primers including OPC‐09, OPR‐12, OPA‐10 indicated the polymorphism in amplified DNA band. This polymorphism resulted from production of somaclonal variation during subcultures of tobacco callus.
Is There an American Way of Aging? Income Dynamics of the Elderly in the U.S. And Germany

This study examines income dynamics during individuals' first 12 years of retirement. Two questions are asked: (1) Are the economic experiences of the elderly in the United States unique, or are they similar to those of the elderly in Germany? and (2) What is the role of Social Security in shaping these economic experiences? The results show major differences in the experiences of retired individuals as they age in the respective countries. Retired Germans generally maintain their accustomed living standards, whereas retired Americans experience a declining standard of living.
Maintenance, Generalization, and Treatment Relapse: A Behavioral Momentum Analysis

Abstract:Maintenance and generalization have been inconsistently defined in the behavior analytic literature. The term treatment relapse is used commonly in the medical and mental health literature to refer to the return of a condition that was previously considered successfully treated. Basic behavioral researchers have studied relapse related to behavioral momentum theory (BMT). The present authors discuss the differences in terminology and propose the field adopt the term treatment relapse when treatments are no longer effective or when their effects are not present in settings in which the treatment was not originally implemented. The implications BMT has for designing behavioral interventions to minimize or avoid treatment relapse are discussed along with a brief review of applied studies that demonstrate BMT may be useful for practitioners and applied researchers.
Specific and Combined Subjective Responses to Noise and Their Association with Cardiovascular Diseases

Introduction: Noise is one of the most extensive environmental factors affecting the general population. The present study is focused on the association between discomfort caused by noise and the incidence of certain diseases (ischaemic heart disease, stroke and hypertension). Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire study, conducted in 10 cities in the Czech Republic, comprises two stages with 3592 obtained questionnaires in the first phase and 762 in the second phase. Twelve variables describe subjective responses to noise from different sources at different times of day. The intensity of the associations between variables was measured by correlation coefficient. Logistic regression was used for fitting models of morbidity, and confounders such as age and socio-economic status were included. The hypotheses from the first phase were independently validated using data from the second phase. Results: The general rates of noise annoyance/sleep disturbance had greater correlation with traffic noise variables than with neighbourhood noise variables. Factors significantly associated with diseases are: for hypertension − annoyance by traffic noise (the elderly, odds ratio (OR) 1.4) and sleep disturbance by traffic and neighbourhood noise (the elderly, OR 1.6); for ischaemic heart disease − the general rate of noise annoyance (all respondents, OR 1.5 and the adults 30–60 years, OR 1.8) and the general rate of annoyance and sleep disturbance (all respondents, OR 1.3); for stroke − annoyance and sleep disturbance by traffic and neighbourhood noise (all respondents, OR 1.8). Conclusion: Factors that include multiple sources of noise or non-specific noise are associated with the studied diseases more frequently than the source-specific factors.
The effect of regular Taekwondo exercise on Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and Stroop test in undergraduate student

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Taekwondo exercise on Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and the Stroop test in undergraduate students. [Methods] Fourteen male subjects participated in this study. They were separated into a Control group (N = 7) and an Exercise group (N = 7). Subjects participated in Taekwondo exercise training for 8 weeks. They underwent to Taekwondo exercise training for 85 minutes per day, 5 times a week at RPE of 11~15. The taekwondo exercise training comprised an aerobic exercise (20min) mode and a dynamic exercise (65min) mode. All data were analyzed by repeated measures two-way ANOVA. [Results] There were no significant differences in the physical characteristics of the subjects. Although weight and BMI showed a tendency to decreased in the exercise group (EG). Also, neurotrophic factors (BDNF, NGF, IGF-1) were not significantly different after 8 weeks in the two groups. However, BDNF and IGF-1 showed a tendency to increase in the exercise group (EG). Finally, the Stroop test (word, color) results were significantly different(p < .05) in the exercise group (EG). [Conclusion] These finding suggest that 8 weeks of regular Taekwondo exercise training may increase cognitive functions (Stroop test). However the training did not statistically affect neurotrophic factors (BDNF, NGF, IGF-1) in undergraduate students.
Early development of abstract language knowledge: evidence from perception–production transfer of birth-language memory

Children adopted early in life into another linguistic community typically forget their birth language but retain, unaware, relevant linguistic knowledge that may facilitate (re)learning of birth-language patterns. Understanding the nature of this knowledge can shed light on how language is acquired. Here, international adoptees from Korea with Dutch as their current language, and matched Dutch-native controls, provided speech production data on a Korean consonantal distinction unlike any Dutch distinctions, at the outset and end of an intensive perceptual training. The productions, elicited in a repetition task, were identified and rated by Korean listeners. Adoptees' production scores improved significantly more across the training period than control participants' scores, and, for adoptees only, relative production success correlated significantly with the rate of learning in perception (which had, as predicted, also surpassed that of the controls). Of the adoptee group, half had been adopted at 17 months or older (when talking would have begun), while half had been prelinguistic (under six months). The former group, with production experience, showed no advantage over the group without. Thus the adoptees' retained knowledge of Korean transferred from perception to production and appears to be abstract in nature rather than dependent on the amount of experience.
The Variation of a Teacher's Classroom Observation Ratings across Multiple Classrooms

Classroom observations have been increasingly used for teacher evaluations, and thus it is important to examine the measurement quality and the use of observation ratings. When a teacher is observed in multiple classrooms, his or her observation ratings may vary across classrooms. In that case, using ratings from one classroom per teacher may not be adequate to represent a teacher’s quality of instruction. However, the fact that classrooms are nested within teachers is usually not considered while classroom observation data is analyzed. Drawing on the Measures of Effective Teaching dataset, this dissertation examined the variation of a teacher’s classroom observation ratings across his or her multiple classrooms. In order to account for the teacher-level, school-level, and rater-level variation, a cross-classified random effects model was used for the analysis. Two research questions were addressed: (1) What is the variation of a teacher’s classroom observation ratings across multiple classrooms? (2) To what extent is the classroom-level variation within teachers explained by observable classroom characteristics? The results suggested that the math classrooms shared 4.9% to 14.7% of the variance in the classroom observation ratings and English Language and Arts classrooms shared 6.7% to 15.5% of the variance in the ratings. The results also showed that the classroom characteristics (i.e., class size, percent of minority students, percent of male students, percent of English language learners, percent of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and percent of students with disabilities) had limited contributions to explaining the classroom-level variation in the ratings. The results of this dissertation indicate that teachers’ multiple classrooms should be taken into consideration when classroom observation ratings are used to evaluate teachers in high-stakes settings. In addition, other classroom-level factors that could contribute to explaining the classroom-level variation in classroom observation ratings should be investigated in future research. INDEX WORDS: Classroom observation ratings, Classroom-level variation, Cross-classified random effects modeling THE VARIATION OF A TEACHER’S CLASSROOM OBSERVATION RATINGS ACROSS MULTIPLE CLASSROOMS
Researching interactional forms and participant structures inpublic and social media

Adopting the perspective of pragmatics of interaction, this chapter considers how existing models of participation fit new modes of communication, looking at the interface between participation frameworks and various interactional practices not only in public media discourses but also in some of the new social media that appeared with the advent of technology-mediated communication (TMC). It provides the theoretical points of departure for further analysis, as grounded in Erving Goffman's theory.
Stabilizing bit-rate of disturbed event triggered control systems

Abstract Event triggering is a sampling method where sampling occurs only if data 'novelty' exceeds a threshold. Prior work has demonstrated that event triggered systems have longer average sampling periods than periodic sampled systems with comparable system performance. Based on this fact, it is claimed that event triggered systems make more efficient use of communication resources than periodic sampled systems. If, however, we account for the number of bits in each sample and the maximum acceptable delay of this sample, it is possible that the bit-rates generated by event triggered systems are greater than that of periodic sampled systems. Our prior work in Li et al. [2012] has established, in noise-free cases, the condition under which the stabilizing bit-rates for quantized event-triggered systems converge asymptotically to a finite rate as the system approaches its equilibrium point. In some cases, this limiting bit-rate was shown to be 0. This paper extends that earlier work to quantized event-triggered systems with essentially bounded disturbances. Conditions on triggering event, quantization error and maximum delay are established to assure the input-to-state stability (ISS). The stabilizing bit-rate is, then, shown to be always bounded by a continuous, positive definite, increasing function with respect to the norm of the state. Since the system is ISS, the stabilizing bit-rate can be bounded from above by a function of time. This result provides a guide on how to assign communication resource to the control system. If we set external disturbance to be 0, the results in Li et al. [2012] are recovered.
Knowledge Management to Support Situation-aware Risk Management in Autonomous, Self-managing Agents

We present a novel approach to enable decision-making in a highly distributed multiagent environment where individual agents need to act in an autonomous fashion. Our architecture framework integrates risk management, knowledge management, and agent deliberation to enable sophisticated, autonomous decision-making. Instead of a centralized knowledge repository, our approach supports a highly distributed knowledge base in which each agent manages a fraction of the knowledge needed by the entire system. Our approach also addresses the fact that the desired knowledge is often highly dynamic, context-sensitive, incomplete, or uncertain. Thus risk management becomes an integral component which enables context-based, situation-aware decision making, which in turn supports autonomous, self-managing behavior of the agents. A prototype system demonstrating the feasibility of our approach is being developed as part of an ongoing funded research project.
Non-Profits are Seen as Warm and For-Profits as Competent: Firm Stereotypes Matter

Consumers use warmth and competence, two fundamental dimensions that govern social judgments of people, to form perceptions of firms. Three experiments showed that consumers perceive nonprofits as being warmer than for-profits but as less competent. Further, consumers are less willing to buy a product made by a nonprofit than a for-profit because of their perception that the firm lacks competence. Consequently, when perceived competence of a nonprofit is boosted through subtle cues that connote credibility, discrepancies in willingness to buy disappear. In fact, when consumers perceive high levels of competence and warmth, they feel admiration for the firm-which translates to consumers' increased desire to buy. This work highlights the importance of consumer stereotypes about nonprofit and for-profit companies that, at baseline, come with opposing advantages and disadvantages but that can be altered. (c) 2010 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc.
Identification of parallel Wiener-Hammerstein systems with a decoupled static nonlinearity

Abstract Block-oriented models are often used to model a nonlinear system. This paper presents an identification method for parallel Wiener-Hammerstein systems, where the obtained model has a decoupled static nonlinear block. This decoupled nature makes the interpretation of the obtained model more easy. First a coupled parallel Wiener-Hammerstein model is estimated. Next, the static nonlinearity is decoupled using a tensor decomposition approach. Finally, the method is validated on real-world measurements using a custom built parallel Wiener-Hammerstein test system.