Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparing Homeless and Domiciled Patients’ Utilization of the Harris County, Texas Public Hospital System

Homeless individuals have mortality rates three to six times higher than their housed counterparts and have elevated rates of mental illness, substance abuse, and co-morbidities that increase their need for health services. Data on the utilization of Harris County, Texas’ public hospital system by 331 homeless individuals and a random sample of 17,824 domiciled patients were obtained from June 2008 to July 2009. Homeless individuals had increased readmission rates, especially within 30 days of discharge, resulting in significantly higher total annual length of stay. Homeless patients also more frequently utilize public hospitals for mental illness and HIV. Lack of community health services contributes to an increased dependence and preventable over-utilization of public hospital systems. Case management interventions integrating primary and behavioral care into health homes, medical respite programs, and training for health care professionals who provide indigent care will improve health outcomes of this population and reduce costs.
Cytokine Secretion by CD4+ T Cells at the Immunological Synapse Requires Cdc42-Dependent Local Actin Remodeling but Not Microtubule Organizing Center Polarity

Cytokine secretion by T lymphocytes plays a central role in mounting adaptive immune responses. However, little is known about how newly synthesized cytokines, once produced, are routed within T cells and about the mechanisms involved in regulating their secretions. In this study, we investigated the role of cytoskeleton remodeling at the immunological synapse (IS) in cytokine secretion. We show that a key regulator of cytoskeleton remodeling, the Rho GTPase Cdc42, controls IFN-γ secretion by primary human CD4+ T lymphocytes. Surprisingly, microtubule organizing center polarity at the IS, which does not depend on Cdc42, is not required for cytokine secretion by T lymphocytes, whereas microtubule polymerization is required. In contrast, actin remodeling at the IS, which depends on Cdc42, controls the formation of the polymerized actin ring at the IS, the dynamic concentration of IFN-γ–containing vesicles inside this ring, and the secretion of these vesicles. These results reveal a previously unidentified role of Cdc42-dependent actin remodeling in cytokine exocytosis at the IS.
Receptors for Arg8-vasopressin, angiotensin II, and atrial natriuretic peptide in the mesenteric vasculature of pregnant rats.

Blood pressure and sensitivity of blood vessels to vasoconstrictors are decreased in term-pregnant rats (20-21 days). To determine if changes in receptors for vasoactive peptides could account for these observations, receptor kinetics were measured for Arg8-vasopressin (AVP), angiotensin II (Ang II), and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in the mesenteric vascular bed of the rat throughout pregnancy. Receptors for AVP were statistically similar in the five groups of animals (nonpregnant; pregnant 9, 15, and 21 days; and postpartum). The dissociation constant (KD) for [3H]AVP varied from 0.41 to 0.52 nmol/L (NS), while receptor density (Bmax) varied from 310 +/- 110 to 455 +/- 135 fmol/mg protein for six experimental measurements. Similar observations were made for Ang II receptors where KD of 125I-labelled Sar1, Ile8-Ang II was between 0.60 and 0.97 nmol/L and Bmax between 215 +/- 30 and 250 +/- 40 fmol/mg protein in the different groups. 125I-labelled ANP (101-126) receptors were markedly modified in terms of number of sites. Bmax was significantly increased during pregnancy (9 days, 429 +/- 86; 15 days, 541 +/- 54; 20 days, 438 +/- 72) and decreased in the postpartum period (133 +/- 21) by comparison with the nonpregnant group (245 +/- 35 fmol/mg protein), while KD was similar in the different experimental groups (57 to 82 pmol/L). Despite these increases in receptor density, the vasorelaxant effects of ANP was only increased at 9 days of pregnancy. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Adaptation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, myogenin, and MRF4 gene expression to long-term muscle denervation

Muscle activity alters the expression of functionally distinct nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) via regulation of subunit gene expression. Denervation increases the expression of all subunit genes and promotes the expression of embryonic-type (alpha 2 beta delta gamma) nAChRs, while electrical stimulation of denervated muscle prevents this induction. We have discovered that the denervation- induced increases in alpha, beta, gamma, and delta subunit gene expression do not persist in muscles that have been denervated for periods extending beyond a couple of months. However, expression of RNA encoding the epsilon-subunit remains elevated suggesting a return to expression of predominantly adult-type (alpha 2 beta delta epsilon) nAChR in long-term denervated muscles; a finding confirmed by single channel patch-clamp analysis. Since the nAChR subunit genes are regulated by the MyoD family of muscle regulatory factors, and the genes encoding these factors are also induced following short-term muscle denervation, we determined their level of expression in long- term denervated muscle. Although MyoD and myf-5 RNA levels remained elevated, myogenin and MRF4 RNAs were induced only transiently by muscle denervation. Surprisingly, Id-1, a negative regulator of transcription, was gradually induced in denervated muscle with RNA levels peaking about two months after denervation. It is likely that this maintained level of increased Id expression, in conjunction with the returning levels of myogenin and MRF4 expression, account for the reduced level of embryonic receptors in long-term denervated muscle. These changing patterns of gene expression may have important consequences for the ability of muscle to recover function after denervation.
Impact of Online Reviews on Mobile App Sales: Open Versus Closed Platform Comparison

A rapid growth of the mobile app market has been identified as a key driver of the successful proliferation of the mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet devices. In this paper, we identify the success factors that contribute to the sales of mobile apps, grounded on the word-of-mouth literature. While open innovation is generally accepted as an effective solution for traditional goods development, the optimal platform choice for app development is not yet justified. Given this controversy, we examine the optimal platform choice for app development from a consumer’s perspective. Our findings indicate that closed platform outperforms open platform in the mobile app market. Interestingly, the interaction effect turns to be significant, meaning that the impact of online rating on app sales is greater under open environment than under closed environment. This implies that consumers depend on ratings more heavily when search cost is higher in the open environment under which apps are published without going through screening.
Kinked Demand Curves, the Natural Rate Hypothesis, and Macroeconomic Stability

In the presence of staggered price setting, high trend inflation induces a large deviation of steady-state output from its natural rate and indeterminacy of equilibrium under the Taylor rule. This paper examines the implications of a ''smoothed-off'' kink in demand curves for the natural rate hypothesis and macroeconomic stability using a canonical model with staggered price setting, and sheds light on the relationship between the hypothesis and the Taylor principle. An empirically plausible calibration of the model shows that the kink in demand curves mitigates the influence of price dispersion on aggregate output, thereby ensuring that the violation of the natural rate hypothesis is minor and preventing fluctuations driven by self-fulfilling expectations under the Taylor rule.
Sea urchin spermatozoa generate at least two reactive oxygen species; the type of reactive oxygen species changes under different conditions

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) cause oxidative stress and act as signal transduction molecules in many cells. Spermatozoa from several mammals generate ROS, which are involved in male infertility and signaling during capacitation. In the present study, we investigated ROS generation by sea urchin spermatozoa at the initiation of motility, during dilution with seawater, and following egg jelly treatment. In seawater containing an ROS indicator, 5‐(and 6‐)chloromethyl‐2′,7′‐dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (CM‐H2DCFDA), fluorescence increased after the addition of spermatozoa. The ROS generation rate was dependent upon the dilution ratio and respiratory rate of the spermatozoa. Spermatozoa in sodium‐free seawater did not increase fluorescence, but fluorescence did increase with the addition of NaCl. Sodium chloride also led to the initiation of sperm motility and respiration. Using the indicator MitoSOX Red, ROS generation was detected from spermatozoa exposed to egg jelly dissolved in seawater, but not in normal seawater. Moreover, the respiratory inhibitor antimycin A prevented CM‐H2DCFDA‐detectable ROS and increased MitoSox‐detectable ROS at a higher concentration. These findings revealed that the ROS generated were of different species, possibly hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide anion (${\rm O}_{{\rm 2}}^{- } $), and their detected levels were altered by egg jelly. We concluded that sea urchin spermatozoa generate at least two species of ROS depending on the physiological conditions to which they are exposed. It is possible that the major ROS from sea urchin spermatozoa changes during the course of fertilization. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 79: 283–295, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Role of Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-3α and Its Ligand CCR6 in Rheumatoid Arthritis

We examined the expression and participation of CCR6 and its ligand MIP-3α in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by ELISA, RT-PCR, real-time PCR (TaqMan) analysis, monocyte chemotaxis, and two- and four-color flow cytometry. We found that RA synovial fluid (SF) contained significantly more MIP-3α than osteoarthritis (OA), indicating a potential role for MIP-3α in RA. IL-1β, IL-18, and TNF-α stimulated RA fibroblast MIP-3α production at 48 hours of incubation in vitro. By TaqMan analysis, there were more CCR6 mRNA transcripts in RA synovial tissue (ST) than in OA or normal (NL) ST, and elevated MIP-3α mRNA expression in RA compared with NL ST. By FACS analysis, there were significantly elevated percentages of CD3+/CD4+/CD45RO+/CCR6+ memory lymphocytes found in RA peripheral blood (PB) compared with NL PB or RA SF. We also found that MIP-3α induced monocyte chemotactic activity at 1.25 pm, consistent with concentrations of MIP-3α found in RA SF. Furthermore, MIP-3α accounted for 40% of RA SF chemotactic activity for monocytes in modified Boyden chamber assays. We confirmed that MIP-3α may be binding a G-coupled protein receptor because in vitro monocyte chemotaxis was inhibited by preincubation of monocytes with pertussis toxin. RA patient clinical data revealed that CD3+ lymphocyte/CCR6 expression inversely correlated with the age of the patient, indicating that CCR6 expression may be important in the development of RA at a younger age. Overall, these studies indicate that MIP-3α and CCR6 may function to recruit monocytes and memory lymphocytes from the RA PB to the RA joint. These results further indicate that expression of CCR6, the receptor for MIP-3α, can be correlated with RA development.
Heat‐acclimatization and pre‐cooling: a further boost for endurance performance?

To determine if pre‐cooling (PC) following heat‐acclimatization (HA) can further improve self‐paced endurance performance in the heat, 13 male triathletes performed two 20‐km cycling time‐trials (TT) at 35 °C, 50% relative humidity, before and after an 8‐day training camp, each time with (PC) or without (control) ice vest PC. Pacing strategies, physiological and perceptual responses were assessed during each TT. PC and HA induced moderate (+10 ± 18 W; effect size [ES] 4.4 ± 4.6%) and very large (+28 ± 19 W; ES 11.7 ± 4.1%) increases in power output (PO), respectively. The overall PC effect became unclear after HA (+4 ± 14 W; ES 1.4 ± 3.0%). However, pacing analysis revealed that PC remained transiently beneficial post‐HA, i.e., during the first half of the TT. Both HA and PC pre‐HA were characterized by an enhanced PO without increased cardio‐thermoregulatory or perceptual disturbances, while post‐HA PC only improved thermal comfort. PC improved 20‐km TT performance in unacclimatized athletes, but an 8‐day HA period attenuated the magnitude of this effect. The respective converging physiological responses to HA and PC may explain the blunting of PC effectiveness. However, perceptual benefits from PC can still account for the small alterations to pacing noted post‐HA.
The role of self-efficacy, motivation and professional factors in the development of positive and negative stress in primary teachers and secondary school teachers of mathematics and English

This study explored factors associated with the development of negative stress (distress) in teachers and examined the possibility of positive stress. Quantitative analysis was used to explore the relationship between stress and self-reported measures of job motivation, self-efficacy and teachers’ perceptions of their professional lives from 1,187 primary and secondary teachers from schools in England. Bivariate and multivariate analysis indicated that teachers with high levels of stress also had high levels of self-efficacy and job motivation. There were statistically-significant differences between the analyses of the two different measurements of stress (one measuring the total amount of stress and the other measuring negative stress or distress); distress was associated with lower self-reports when compared to those associated with the total amount of stress.
The Effects of Parental Psychological Control, Dysfunctional Perfectionism, and Self-Conscious Emotions on Depression in Adolescents

This study examined the effects of parental psychological control, dysfunctional perfectionism, and self-conscious emotions on depression in adolescents. The sample consisted of 471 adolescents (212 boys, 259 girls) attending high schools in Seoul. The results from Structural Equation Modeling indicated that dysfunctional perfectionism and self-conscious emotions mediated the impact of parental psychological control on depression only in the mother-daughter relationship, such that with mothers` greater psychological control, girls experienced higher levels of dysfunctional perfectionism and self-conscious emotions, and reported higher depression scores. Similarly, dysfunctional perfectionism functioned as a mediator in the association between parental psychological control and adolescent depression. This tends to support findings from previous studies emphasizing the importance of same sex parent-adolescent relationships. Dysfunctional perfectionism also had the largest direct effect of all variables analyzed on depression. Parental psychological control did not show statistically significant effects on self-conscious emotions for either boys or girls. These findings suggest that interventions designed to promote adolescents` mental well-being should focus on parenting of the same sex parent as well as adolescent cognitive characteristics.
Optimization of culture conditions for an efficient xeno‐feeder free limbal cell culture system towards ocular surface regeneration

Ex vivo expansion of limbal stem cells from a small biopsy and its subsequent transplantation is the golden choice of treatment for limbal stem cell deficiency. Use of murine 3T3 feeder layer is a prerequisite for this ex vivo expansion. There is an ever‐increasing demand for feeder free cultures to avoid xenotoxicity and transmission of xeno‐diseases to human system. This study was aimed to establish an efficient xeno‐feeder free limbal culture system towards ocular surface regeneration. To study the effect of initial dispase treatment and culture system used, migratory distance of cells from explants was analyzed from phase contrast images using “interactive measurements” of Qwin software (Leica). Expression of p63 in different culture systems was studied by immunofluorescent staining, followed by quantitative confocal microscopy (Carl Zeiss). Results showed dispase treatment was not necessary for establishing limbal explant culture. A combination of Iscove's modified Dulbecco's medium and Panserin 801 resulted in formation of autofeeder layer with maintenance of progenitor characteristics, thus mimicking natural tissue architecture. Further analysis of this culture system showed that cells could be cultured till confluency. Immunofluorescent staining of ABCG2 revealed presence of stem cell marker in the confluent cell layer. Scanning Electron Micrographs demonstrated homogenous population of tightly packed cells in this culture system. Replacement of bovine serum with autologous serum did not affect morphology or growth of cells in this culture system. This study will be a major step in the development of xeno‐feeder free epithelial equivalents towards ocular surface reconstruction. Microsc. Res. Tech. 73:1045–1052, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Implementing inquiry kit curriculum: Obstacles, adaptations, and practical knowledge development in two middle school science teachers

Two elementary certified middle school science teachers are studied for changes in practical knowledge supporting the implementation of kit-based inquiry as part of a schoolwide reform effort. Emphasis is placed on studying how these two pilot teachers enact guided inquiry within their unique pedagogical and curricular interests, and what adaptations they make in their use of Science and Technology for Children™ and Science and Technology Concepts for Middle School™ curriculum. Case study results support the notion that reform is complex and personal, and teachers as professionals need collective and individual support in the classroom as they make incremental changes in practice toward becoming inquiry-oriented teachers. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed91:492–513, 2007
Effects of Shared Responsibility and Goal Interdependence on Controversy and Decisionmaking Between Departments

Abstract The conditions under which departmental representatives constructively discuss their opposing positions was investigated. College students (N = 60) took the role of a department representative. Participants in the shared responsibility, compared to sole responsibility, condition indicated more openness by asking more questions and feeling more pressed to understand the other participants' arguments. Cooperative, compared to competitive, context induced participants to be more open-minded and more knowledgeable about opposing positions to develop favorable interpersonal relationships. Cooperative goal interdependence helped departmental representatives make effective use of opportunities to influence organizational decisionmaking.
The Role of Sex and Self-Monitoring in Unstructured Dyadic Interactions

This study was conducted to determine how individual differences in sex and in level of self-monitori ng were related to subjects' behavior during an initial interaction in same-sex dyads. Subjects who had been previously tested with Snyder's Self-Monitoring Scale were covertly videotaped during an unstructured 5-minute interaction with a same-sex stranger. They were then asked to give impressions of their own and the other person's behavior during the interaction period. The videotapes of these interactions were subsequently coded for a variety of behavioral measures. With respect to variations in sex, the data provided considerable evidence of greater involvement and affiliation in the female dyads than in the male dyads. The data also suggested that the self-monitoring of certain expressive behaviors may be mediated by perceptions of their sexrole appropriateness. With respect to variations in self-monitori ng, the data indicated that (a) the higher self-monitoring (SM) subject within each dyad was more likely to initiate conversation, (b) dyads in which a high-SM subject and a low-SM subject were paired appeared to experience particular interaction difficulty, and (c) within dyads, the higher (versus the lower) SM subjects' perceptions of their own and their partners' behavior were generally consistent with Snyder's conception of self-monitori ng.
Confined phase in the real time formalism and the fate of the world behind the horizon

In the real time formulation of finite temperature field theories, one introduces an additional set of fields (type-2 fields) associated to each field in the original theory (type-1 field). In [J. M. Maldacena, J. High Energy Phys. 04 (2003) 021. ], in the context of the anti-de Sitter (AdS)-conformal field theories (CFT) correspondence, Maldacena interpreted type-2 fields as living on a boundary behind the black hole horizon. However, below the Hawking-Page transition temperature, the thermodynamically preferred configuration is the thermal AdS without a black hole, and hence there are no horizon and boundary behind it. This means that when the dual gauge theory is in confined phase, the type-2 fields cannot be associated with the degrees of freedom behind the black hole horizon. I argue that in this case the role of the type-2 fields is to make up bulk type-2 fields of classical closed string field theory on AdS at finite temperature in the real time formalism.
Hyperspectral Image Classification Based on Structured Sparse Logistic Regression and Three-Dimensional Wavelet Texture Features

Hyperspectral remote sensing imagery contains rich information on spectral and spatial distributions of distinct surface materials. Owing to its numerous and continuous spectral bands, hyperspectral data enable more accurate and reliable material classification than using panchromatic or multispectral imagery. However, high-dimensional spectral features and limited number of available training samples have caused some difficulties in the classification, such as overfitting in learning, noise sensitiveness, overloaded computation, and lack of meaningful physical interpretability. In this paper, we propose a hyperspectral feature extraction and pixel classification method based on structured sparse logistic regression and 3-D discrete wavelet transform (3D-DWT) texture features. The 3D-DWT decomposes a hyperspectral data cube at different scales, frequencies, and orientations, during which the hyperspectral data cube is considered as a whole tensor instead of adapting the data to a vector or matrix. This allows the capture of geometrical and statistical spectral-spatial structures. After the feature extraction step, sparse representation/modeling is applied for data analysis and processing via sparse regularized optimization, which selects a small subset of the original feature variables to model the data for regression and classification purpose. A linear structured sparse logistic regression model is proposed to simultaneously select the discriminant features from the pool of 3D-DWT texture features and learn the coefficients of the linear classifier, in which the prior knowledge about feature structure can be mapped into the various sparsity-inducing norms such as lasso, group, and sparse group lasso. Furthermore, to overcome the limitation of linear models, we extended the linear sparse model to nonlinear classification by partitioning the feature space into subspaces of linearly separable samples. The advantages of our methods are validated on the real hyperspectral remote sensing data sets.