Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does nonpayment for hospital-acquired catheter-associated urinary tract infections lead to overtesting and increased antimicrobial prescribing?

BACKGROUND On 1 October 2008, in an effort to stimulate efforts to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented a policy of not reimbursing hospitals for hospital-acquired CAUTI. Since any urinary tract infection present on admission would not fall under this initiative, concerns have been raised that the policy may encourage more testing for and treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria. METHODS We conducted a retrospective multicenter cohort study with time series analysis of all adults admitted to the hospital 16 months before and 16 months after policy implementation among participating Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America Research Network hospitals. Our outcomes were frequency of urine culture on admission and antimicrobial use. RESULTS A total of 39 hospitals from 22 states submitted data on 2 362 742 admissions. In 35 hospitals affected by the CMS policy, the median frequency of urine culture performance did not change after CMS policy implementation (19.2% during the prepolicy period vs 19.3% during the postpolicy period). The rate of change in urine culture performance increased minimally during the prepolicy period (0.5% per month) and decreased slightly during the postpolicy period (-0.25% per month; P < .001). In the subset of 10 hospitals providing antimicrobial use data, the median frequency of fluoroquinolone antimicrobial use did not change substantially (14.6% during the prepolicy period vs 14.0% during the postpolicy period). The rate of change in fluoroquinolone use increased during the prepolicy period (1.26% per month) and decreased during the postpolicy period (-0.60% per month; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS We found no evidence that CMS nonpayment policy resulted in overtesting to screen for and document a diagnosis of urinary tract infection as present on admission.
Constitutively Active MuSK Is Clustered in the Absence of Agrin and Induces Ectopic Postsynaptic-Like Membranes in Skeletal Muscle Fibers

In skeletal muscle fibers, neural agrin can direct the accumulation of acetylcholine receptors (AChR) and transcription of AChR subunit genes from the subsynaptic nuclei. Although the receptor tyrosine kinase MuSK is required for AChR clustering, it is less clear whether MuSK regulates gene transcription. To elucidate the role of MuSK in these processes, we constructed a constitutively active MuSK receptor, MuSKneuTMuSK, taking advantage of the spontaneous homodimerization of the transmembrane domain of neuT, an oncogenic variant of the neu/erbB2 receptor. In the extrasynaptic region of innervated muscle fibers, MuSKneuTMuSK formed highly concentrated aggregates that colocalized with AChR clusters. Associated with MuSK-induced AChR clusters was a normal complement of synaptic proteins. Moreover, transcription of the AChR-ε subunit gene was increased, albeit via an indirect mechanism by MuSK-induced aggregation of erbB receptors and neuregulin. Although neural agrin was not required, the activity of MuSKneuTMuSK was nevertheless potentiated by ectopic expression of a muscle agrin isoform inactive in AChR clustering. To define the role of the kinase domain in the formation of a postsynaptic-like membrane, a second fusion receptor, neuneuTMuSK, which included the MuSK kinase but not the MuSK extracellular domain, was expressed. Significantly, neuneuTMuSK induced AChR clusters that colocalized with aggregates of endogenous MuSK. Taken together, it was concluded that the MuSK kinase domain is sufficient to initiate the recruitment of additional MuSK receptors, which then develop into highly concentrated aggregates by means of a positive feedback loop to induce a postsynaptic membrane in the absence of neural agrin.
Chaotic synchronization of respiration and center of gravity sway

Thus far, attention has been paid to phenomena wherein respiratory movement and physical movement systems have worked in coordination with one another, which has been studied. On the other hand, the earlier studies have hinted at the importance of considering mental and physical health from a holistic perspective, while taking into consideration the principles that prescribe the chaotic behavior of living organisms. In other words, this raises the issue: The validity of hypothesizing chaos dynamics as a universal principle for living systems that prescribes the chaotic nature of center of gravity sway and respiration. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to focus on center of gravity sway and respiration in order to examine the relationship in the chaotic nature between the two. Consequently, the issue presented above was supported. What this implies is that quantitatively assessing synchronous phenomena for the LLE for center of gravity sway and respiration used in this study is a more highly valid approach for determining people's mental and physical conditions in the field of clinical medicine, and therefore it could potentially be applied as a means of substantially supporting the promotion of health.
Household Economic Well-being: Response to Micro-Credit Access in Cameroon

type="main" xml:lang="en"> This paper evaluates the determinants of borrowing, effects of borrowing on economic well-being, and potential disparity in responses by sources of well-being, location and gender, while controlling for other correlates. The 2001 Cameroon household consumption survey and a range of survey-based econometric methods that purge parameter estimates of potential intra-cluster correlation, endogeneity and sample selection biases were used. Access to credit/borrowing is strongly associated with household economic well-being irrespective of source of well-being. Rural well-being is significally more contingent on credit access than urban well-being. Male-headed households rely more significantly on credit access to enhance well-being than their female counterparts. Higher levels of education associate more significantly with well-being enhancement than lower levels, more so for female-headed households than their male counterparts. To sustain the impact of credit on well-being, accompanying measures — availability of sufficient funds, quality services by lenders, physical infrastructures, healthcare and training — are required. These findings are useful in the context of economic recovery and poverty reduction under the current situation in Cameroon, where financial intermediation is limited and penetration is shallow. To better serve the needs of the economically active poor, a microfinance delivery model is proposed.
OBSERVATIONAL AND THEORETICAL CONSTRAINTS ON SINGULAR DARK MATTER HALOS

The distribution of dark matter around galactic or cluster halos has usually been assumed to be approximately isothermal with a non-zero core radius, which is expected to be of the order of the size of the visible matter distribution. Recently, the possibility has been raised that dark matter halos might be singular in the sense that the dark matter density $\rho$ could increase monotonically with radius $r$ down to a very small distance from the center of galaxies or clusters. Such central cusps in the dark matter density could lead to a high flux of gamma rays from WIMP dark matter annihilation. Here we analyze two possibilities that have been discussed in the literature, $\rho \propto r^{-n}$ with $n \approx 1\ {\rm or}\ 2$, and point out that such density profiles are excluded by gravitional lensing analyses on cluster scales and by the rotation curves of gas-rich, halo-dominated dwarf spirals on small scales. We also point out that if spiral galaxies form by gas infall inside dark matter halos, as they are expected to do in any hierarchical clustering model, such profiles almost always lead to falling rotation curves after infall, contrary to observations.
Takaful insurance efficiency in the GCC countries

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the performance of the Takaful insurance firms in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and do a relative analysis for its different units. Design/methodology/approach - – This paper analyzes the technical, pure technical, cost and allocative efficiency of Takaful firms in the GCC countries using data envelopment analysis (DEA) methodology. Findings - – The Takaful insurance industry in GCC is highly technical and pure technical efficient. However, it is moderately cost efficient, and there is a large opportunity for improvement. UAE and Qatar score the highest technical efficiency, while Saudi Arabia and UAE are the most cost efficient among the GCC countries. Originality/value - – The primary contribution of this paper is to provide the first DEA analysis of the Takaful industry in the GCC countries. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study on the Takaful insurance industry that uses different types of efficiency measures, namely technical, pure technical, allocative and cost efficiency, in the GCC countries. This paper also contributes in the literature of the inputs and outputs selection for the Takaful insurance efficiency calculation.
Application of the H-Mode, A Design and Interaction Concept for Highly Automated Vehicles, to Aircraft

Driven by increased safety, efficiency, and airspace capacity, automation is playing an increasing role in aircraft operations. As aircraft become increasingly able to autonomously respond to a range of situations with performance surpassing human operators, we are compelled to look for new methods that help us understand their use and guide their design using new forms of automation and interaction. We propose a novel design metaphor to aid the conceptualization, design, and operation of highly-automated aircraft. Design metaphors transfer meaning from common experiences to less familiar applications or functions. A notable example is the "desktop metaphor" for manipulating files on a computer. This paper describes a metaphor for highly automated vehicles known as the H-metaphor and a specific embodiment of the metaphor known as the H-mode as applied to aircraft. The fundamentals of the H-metaphor are reviewed followed by an overview of an exploratory usability study investigating human-automation interaction issues for a simple H-mode implementation. The envisioned application of the H-mode concept to aircraft is then described as are two planned evaluations
Quick scan of post 9/11 national counter-terrorism policymaking and implementation in selected European countries : research project for the Netherlands Ministry of Justice

Acknowledgements We would like to thank the Dutch Ministry of Justice for the opportunity to perform this quick scan. Also, we would like to thank government officials in The Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom for taking the time to talk to us and to provide us with documentation where appropriate. We also thank Ian Lesser and David Gompert of RAND and RAND Europe for the valuable advise they gave us concerning the methodology and the content of the quick scan. Finally, Michael Wermuth of RAND is acknowledged for his quality assessment of the report. the United Kingdom was performed with respect to their counter-terrorism policymaking and implementation following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the New York World Trade Centre and the Pentagon and the crash of the hijacked airplane in Pennsylvania. The goal of the comparative analysis was to make a contribution to improving coordination of counter-terrorism among European Union Member States. At the request of the client, the Dutch Ministry of Justice, the analysis was done in a short timeframe and with limited resources; hence the phrase ë quick scaní in the title of the report. The quick scan covers a qualitative description of the initial reaction of the selected countries to the 9/11 events, characteristics of their national institutional framework regarding the fight against terrorism, and selected elements of their specific counter-terrorism policies and policy implementations. These descriptions are based on desk research and brief interviews with government officials. An analytic framework was designed to guide the approach and the analysis as well as to put the results in perspective. The quick scan should be regarded as ë proof of conceptí. For definitive analysis and comprehensive filling-out of the analytic framework, additional research is needed. Summary The initial post 9/11 reactions of the selected countries show no significant differences among the countries analysed. Top ministerial steering committees and task forces were quickly put together in all countries to provide leadership and a focal point in the confusion that followed the attacks. In particular the security and surveillance of commercial aviation, designated objects and components of critical infrastructures, dignitaries and, to a lesser extent, country borders were immediately strengthened. Intelligence gathering and intelligence sharing were increased, both domestically and internationally. All countries engaged in and adhered to international negotiations, most notably within the EU, but also with the UN, the USA and …
Expression of prostaglandin PGE2 receptors under conditions of aging and stress and the protective effect of the EP2 agonist butaprost on retinal ischemia.

PURPOSE To localize different prostaglandin E(2) receptors in rat retinas of varying age, deduce how they are affected by acute stress insult, and determine whether the negative effect of ischemia/reperfusion is attenuated by the EP2 agonist butaprost. METHODS Ischemia was induced by the elevation of intraocular pressure. Butaprost was injected intravitreally immediately after ischemia. Standard methods were used for recording of electroretinograms (ERGs) and processing of immunohistochemistry. Extracts of whole retinas were analyzed for specific proteins by Western blotting or by RT-PCR for defined mRNAs. RESULTS The localization of different EP receptor types is similar in retinas of all aged rats. However, differences exist in the monomer/dimer ratios in retinas of different age. Acute stress insult (48 hours after ischemia) affects the ratio of monomer/dimer of all EP receptor types and increases EP2 and EP3 immunoreactivities in Müller cells of the adult retina. Ischemia and 5 to 7 days of reperfusion to the retina caused the normal ERG and the localization of nNOS and ChAT immunoreactivities to be affected. Certain proteins and mRNAs were lowered in content, whereas other proteins and mRNAs were upregulated. In addition, specific optic nerve proteins were drastically reduced. Most of these changes induced by ischemia/reperfusion were significantly blunted by butaprost. CONCLUSIONS All subtypes of EP receptors exist primarily in the inner retina at different ages, but their monomer/dimer ratios vary. Stress affects the monomer/dimer ratio and EP2 and EP3 immunoreactivities in Müller cells. Butaprost injected intravitreally significantly blunts the detrimental influence of ischemia/reperfusion to the retina.
Optimization of Shield Thickness of Finite-Length Solid Rotors for Eddy-Current Loss Minimization

A high-conductivity shield is often used for coating the rotor of solid-rotor synchronous machines for reducing the surface eddy-current losses due to armature-reaction space/time harmonics and/or tooth ripple. Since the design process for determining the optimal shield thickness can be complicated and time consuming, a simple analytical model based on Maxwell's equations was developed and presented in a previous paper to simplify the process. It has been shown that such an analytical tool can be used as a quick and effective ldquoscreening toolrdquo for determining the range of the optimal shield thickness for minimizing rotor surface losses; however, the influence of finite rotor axial length including the end-face losses was not taken into account. In this paper, an additional step is introduced in the shield design process where a special finite-element (FE) method that accounts for the impact of finite rotor axial length is employed for refining the design obtained from the analytical solution. Comparisons are made for a number of shield thicknesses and rotor lengths for significant space and time harmonic combinations to verify the validity of the proposed two-step design process (analytical and FE) and to evaluate the impact of the finite length of solid rotors.
The SAURON project — II. Sample and early results

Early results are reported from the SAURON survey of the kinematics and stellar populations of a representative sample of nearby E, S0 and Sa galaxies. The survey is aimed at determining the intrinsic shape of the galaxies, their orbital structure, the mass-to-light ratio as a function of radius, the age and metallicity of the stellar populations, and the frequency of kinematically decoupled cores and nuclear black holes. The construction of the representative sample is described, and its properties are illustrated. A comparison with long-slit spectroscopic data establishes that the SAURON measurements are comparable to, or better than, the highest-quality determinations. Comparisons are presented for NGC 3384 and 4365, where stellar velocities and velocity dispersions are determined to a precision of 6 km s - 1 , and the h 3 and h 4 parameters of the line-of-sight velocity distribution to a precision of better than 0.02. Extraction of accurate gas emission-line intensities, velocities and linewidths from the data cubes is illustrated for NGC 5813. Comparisons with published line strengths for NGC 3384 and 5813 reveal uncertainties of 0.1 A on the measurements of the Hβ, Mg b and Fe5270 indices. Integral-field mapping uniquely connects measurements of the kinematics and stellar populations to the galaxy morphology. The maps presented here illustrate the rich stellar kinematics, gaseous kinematics, and line-strength distributions of early-type galaxies. The results include the discovery of a thin, edge-on, disc in NGC 3623, confirm the axisymmetric shape of the central region of M32, illustrate the LINER nucleus and surrounding counter-rotating star-forming ring in NGC 7742, and suggest a uniform stellar population in the decoupled core galaxy NGC 5813.
Silencing of microRNA-155 in mice during acute inflammatory response leads to derepression of c/ebp Beta and down-regulation of G-CSF

microRNA-155 (miR-155) has been implicated as a central regulator of the immune system, but its function during acute inflammatory responses is still poorly understood. Here we show that exposure of cultured macrophages and mice to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) leads to up-regulation of miR-155 and that the transcription factor c/ebp Beta is a direct target of miR-155. Interestingly, expression profiling of LPS-stimulated macrophages combined with overexpression and silencing of miR-155 in murine macrophages and human monocytic cells uncovered marked changes in the expression of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), a central regulator of granulopoiesis during inflammatory responses. Consistent with these data, we show that silencing of miR-155 in LPS-treated mice by systemically administered LNA-antimiR results in derepression of the c/ebp Beta isoforms and down-regulation of G-CSF expression in mouse splenocytes. Finally, we report for the first time on miR-155 silencing in vivo in a mouse inflammation model, which underscores the potential of miR-155 antagonists in the development of novel therapeutics for treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases.
Facilitators and Inhibitors of Collective Action: A Case Study of a US‐Owned Manufacturing Plant

This article develops a theoretical model of collective action at work using the key concepts of mobilization triggers, facilitating factors, and inhibiting factors. It then illustrates the value of this model for understanding why a low‐pay, low‐skill, blue‐collar manufacturing facility remained non‐union, drawing primarily on the accounts of a limited sample of redundant workers. These accounts are used to demonstrate the importance of social contexts where inhibiting conditions dominate and where management practices succeed in gaining worker consent and forestalling a collective response from workers.
Estimating Incumbency Advantage : Evidence from Multiple Natural Experiments *

Do incumbent legislators have a relative advantage in getting votes as compared to challengers? In estimating this so-called 'incumbency advantage', researchers have attempted to use various natural experiment techniques. Yet such papers typically use only one approach and, accordingly, estimate one local average treatment effect (LATE) at a time, making it difficult to interpret the average treatment effect (ATE) in a given electoral setting. To address this, we present results from four natural experiments in the same elections: specifically, we focus on repeat-contests, vote-share discontinuity, boundary discontinuity, and random ballot ordering in Australian Lower House elections. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, and how the LATEs might compare to the ATE for all incumbents. The results indicate that estimates of incumbency advantage are sensitive to the chosen identification strategy. They also suggest, that incumbency advantage in Australia is smaller than previous estimates using data from the United States.
A deflationary account of metaphors

Introduction Are metaphors departures from a norm of literalness? According to classical rhetoric and most later theories, including Gricean pragmatics, they are. No, metaphors are wholly normal, say the Romantic critics of classical rhetoric and a variety of modern scholars ranging from hard-nosed cognitive scientists to postmodern critical theorists. On the metaphor-as-normal side, there is a broad contrast between those, like the cognitive linguists Lakoff, Talmy or Fauconnier, who see metaphor as pervasive in language because it is constitutive of human thought, and those, like the psycholinguists Glucksberg or Kintsch, or relevance theorists, who describe metaphor as emerging in the process of verbal communication. While metaphor cannot be both wholly normal and a departure from normal language use, there might be distinct, though related, metaphorical phenomena at the level of thought, on the one hand, and verbal communication, on the other. This possibility is being explored (for instance) in the work of Raymond Gibbs. In this chapter, we focus on the relevance-theoretic approach to linguistic metaphors. Relevance theory’s approach to metaphor is deflationary. Most rhetorical, literary and philosophical traditions emphasise both the importance and the distinctiveness of metaphor. We acknowledge its importance but dispute its distinctiveness. Metaphors are indeed ubiquitous in language use and contribute to what Barthes called ‘le plaisir du texte’. Specific uses of metaphors by individual authors or in given literary genres are certainly worthy of study, and so is the very idea of metaphor as a culturally salient notion with a long and very rich history. Still, we see metaphors as simply a range of cases at one end of a continuum that includes literal, loose and hyperbolic interpretations. In our view, metaphorical interpretations are arrived at in exactly the same way as these other interpretations. There is no mechanism specific to metaphors, no interesting generalisation that applies only to them. In other terms, linguistic metaphors are not a natural kind, and ‘metaphor’ is not a theoretically important notion in the study of verbal communication. Relevance theory’s account of metaphor is on the lean side, and is bound to disappoint those who feel that verbal metaphor deserves a full-fledged theory of its own, or should be at the centre of a wider theory of language, or even of thought.