Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of a triage liaison physician on emergency department overcrowding and throughput: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Triage liaison physicians (TLPs) have been employed in overcrowded emergency departments (EDs); however, their effectiveness remains unclear. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the implementation of TLP shifts at an academic tertiary care adult ED using comprehensive outcome reporting. METHODS A six-week TLP clinical research project was conducted between December 9, 2005, and February 9, 2006. A TLP was deployed for nine hours (11 AM to 8 PM) daily to initiate patient management, assist triage nurses, answer all medical consult or transfer calls, and manage ED administrative matters. The study was divided into three two-week blocks; within each block, seven days were randomized to TLP shifts and the other seven to control shifts. Outcomes included patient length of stay, proportion of patients who left without complete assessment, staff satisfaction, and episodes of ambulance diversion. RESULTS TLPs assessed a median of 14 patients per shift (interquartile range, 13-17), received 15 telephone calls per shift (interquartile range, 14-20), and spent 17-81 minutes per shift consulting on the telephone. The number of patients and their age, gender, and triage score during the TLP and control shifts were similar. Overall, length of stay was decreased by 36 minutes compared with control days (4:21 vs. 4:57; p = 0.001). Left without complete assessment cases decreased from 6.6% to 5.4% (a 20% relative decrease) during the TLP coverage. The ambulance wait time and number of episodes of ambulance diversion were similar on TLP and control days. CONCLUSIONS A TLP improved important outcomes in an overcrowded ED and could improve delivery of emergency medical care in similar tertiary care EDs.
Financial Fragility and Growth Dynamics of Italian Business Firms

This work explores a number of properties investigated in the empirical literature on firm size and growth dynamics: (i) the distribution and the autoregressive structure of firm size; (ii) the existence of size-growth scaling relationships; (iii) the distribution and the autoregressive structure of scaling-free growth rates. The major novelty concerns our exploiting of a credit rating index to condition all the analyses upon firms' financial fragility and access to credit. We find that the distributions of both firm size and firm growth rates are fatter tailed among less solvable firms than in the rest of the sample, both at the bottom and at the top extreme of the distributions. As a result, we conclude that not only small and/or slowly growing firms might suffer from difficulties in raising external financing, but also big and fast growing ones might be exposed to financial constraints.
Extension of the mitochondria dysfunction hypothesis of metabolic syndrome to atherosclerosis with emphasis on the endocrine‐disrupting chemicals and biophysical laws

Metabolic syndrome and its component phenotypes, hyperglycemia, hypertension, (abdominal) obesity and hypertriglyceridemia, are major risk factors for atherosclerosis. Recently, associations between exposure to endocrine‐disrupting chemicals (EDCs), mitochondrial dysfunction, metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis have been established, suggesting a possible common mechanism underlying these phenomena. Extending a previously proposed mitochondria dysfunction theory of metabolic syndrome and using biophysical laws, such as metabolic scaling, Murray's law and fractal geometry of the vascular branching system, we propose that atherosclerosis could be explained as an ill‐adaptive change occurring in nutrient‐supplying arteries in response to the decreasing tissue energy demand caused by tissue mitochondrial dysfunction. Various aspects of this new hypothesis are discussed.
Preliminary Arabic speech emotion classification

In this paper, the acoustic features of pitch, intensity, formants, and speech rate are extracted and used to classify the following Arabic speech emotions: neutral, sad, happy, surprised, and angry. Three sentences spoken by four male and four female native Arabic speakers were selected from a newly developed Arabic speech corpus (KSUEmotions). Perception tests using human listeners yielded scores of 87% (male speakers), 84% (female speakers), and 85% (both male and female) accuracy. The best results for the emotion recognition performance were 83%, 56%, and 78% for male, female, and both together, respectively. Anger was the most readily recognized emotion, while happiness was the most challenging to identify. Pitch and intensity features are key in recognizing the Arabic speech emotion of anger.
Membrane-Tethered Monomeric Neurexin LNS-Domain Triggers Synapse Formation

Neurexins are presynaptic cell-adhesion molecules that bind to postsynaptic cell-adhesion molecules such as neuroligins and leucine-rich repeat transmembrane proteins (LRRTMs). When neuroligins or LRRTMs are expressed in a nonneuronal cell, cocultured neurons avidly form heterologous synapses onto that cell. Here we show that knockdown of all neurexins in cultured hippocampal mouse neurons did not impair synapse formation between neurons, but blocked heterologous synapse formation induced by neuroligin-1 or LRRTM2. Rescue experiments demonstrated that all neurexins tested restored heterologous synapse formation in neurexin-deficient neurons. Neurexin-deficient neurons exhibited a decrease in the levels of the PDZ-domain protein CASK (a calcium/calmodulin-activated serine/threonine kinase), which binds to neurexins, and mutation of the PDZ-domain binding sequence of neurexin-3β blocked its transport to the neuronal surface and impaired heterologous synapse formation. However, replacement of the C-terminal neurexin sequence with an unrelated PDZ-domain binding sequence that does not bind to CASK fully restored surface transport and heterologous synapse formation in neurexin-deficient neurons, suggesting that no particular PDZ-domain protein is essential for neurexin surface transport or heterologous synapse formation. Further mutagenesis revealed, moreover, that the entire neurexin cytoplasmic tail was dispensable for heterologous synapse formation in neurexin-deficient neurons, as long as the neurexin protein was transported to the neuronal cell surface. Furthermore, the single LNS-domain (for laminin/neurexin/sex hormone-binding globulin-domain) of neurexin-1β or neurexin-3β, when tethered to the presynaptic plasma membrane by a glycosylinositolphosphate anchor, was sufficient for rescuing heterologous synapse formation in neurexin-deficient neurons. Our data suggest that neurexins mediate heterologous synapse formation via an extracellular interaction with presynaptic and postsynaptic ligands without the need for signal transduction by the neurexin cytoplasmic tail.
AĐLE Đ LETMELER ĐNDE NEPOT ĐZM ALGISI VE Đ TATM ĐNĐ ĐLĐ KĐSĐ ÜZER ĐNE B ĐR ARATIRMA * AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NEPOTISM AND JOB SATISFACTION IN FAMILY BUSINESSES

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between nepotism and job satisfaction. To investigate the relationship between nepotism and job satisfaction, data were gathered from the family businesses within the marble industry. 123 workers who have been working two or more years in five marble establishments were surveyed. Nepotism was measured within the framework of hiring, processing and promotion proceedures. Job satisfaction was measured with the Job Descriptive Index. The results of correlation analysis revealed that there is a negative relationship between job satisfaction and nepotism in processing and promotion.
Why do Women Leave Science and Engineering?

The author uses the 2003 and 2010 National Survey of College Graduates to examine the higher exit rate of women compared to men from science and engineering relative to other fields. The author finds that the higher relative exit rate is driven by engineering rather than science, and that half the gap can be explained by the relatively greater exit rate from engineering of women dissatisfied with pay and promotion opportunities. Family-related constraints and dissatisfaction with working conditions are found to be only secondary factors. The relative exit rate by gender from engineering does not differ from that of other fields once women’s relatively high exit rates from male fields generally are taken into account.
Prospects for using transgenic resistance to insects in crop improvement

Integrated pest management has historically placed great hopes on host plant resistance. However, conventional host-plant resistance to insects involves quantitative traits at several loci. As a result, the progress has been slow and difficult to achieve. With the advent of genetic transformation techniques, it has become possible to clone and insert genes into the crop plants to confer resistance to insect pests. Resistance to insects has been demonstrated in transgenic plants expressing genes for δ δ-endotoxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), protease inhibitors, enzymes and plant lectins. Most of the plant derived genes produce chronic rather than toxic effects and some insect pests are not sensitive to some of these factors. The potential of plant derived genes can be realised by deploying them in combination with host plant resistance and exotic genes. Genes conferring resistance to insects have been inserted into crop plants such as maize, cotton, potato, tobacco, potatoes, rice, broccoli, lettuce, walnuts, apples, alfalfa and soybean. Genetically transformed crops with Bt genes have been deployed for cultivation in USA, China and Australia. However, very little has been done to use this technology for improving crop production in the harsh environments of the tropics, where the need for increasing food production is most urgent. International agricultural research centres, advanced research institutes and the seed sector should make an effort to use these new tools for increasing food
The role of silver on the stabilization of the incommensurately modulated structure in calaverite, AuTe2

Abstract Structural investigations of several minerals belonging to the calaverite group with composition Au1-xAgxTe2 (x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.05, 0.09, 0.19, and 0.33) indicate that Ag is randomly distributed on the Au sites. This suppresses the valence fluctuation of Au and, therefore, the structure modulations. The results are compared with the previously published incommensurately modulated structure of calaverite, Au0.9Ag0. 1Te2, which is characterized by valence fluctuations of Au reinforced by an ordered distribution of Ag. The (3+1)-dimensional calaverite structure type is able to reproduce both (3+1)D and 3D related structures with the general formula AB2(A = Au, Ag, Cu, Nb, Ta; B = Te).
Vascular Smooth Muscle Modulates Endothelial Control of Vasoreactivity via Reactive Oxygen Species Production through Myoendothelial Communications

Background Endothelial control of vascular smooth muscle plays a major role in the resulting vasoreactivity implicated in physiological or pathological circulatory processes. However, a comprehensive understanding of endothelial (EC)/smooth muscle cells (SMC) crosstalk is far from complete. Here, we have examined the role of gap junctions and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in this crosstalk and we demonstrate an active contribution of SMC to endothelial control of vasomotor tone. Methodology/Principal Findings In small intrapulmonary arteries, quantitative RT-PCR, Western Blot analyses and immunofluorescent labeling evidenced connexin (Cx) 37, 40 and 43 in EC and/or SMC. Functional experiments showed that the Cx-mimetic peptide targeted against Cx 37 and Cx 43 (37,43Gap27) (1) reduced contractile and calcium responses to serotonin (5-HT) simultaneously recorded in pulmonary arteries and (2) abolished the diffusion in SMC of carboxyfluorescein-AM loaded in EC. Similarly, contractile and calcium responses to 5-HT were decreased by superoxide dismutase and catalase which, catabolise superoxide anion and H2O2, respectively. Both Cx- and ROS-mediated effects on the responses to 5-HT were reversed by L-NAME, a NO synthase inhibitor or endothelium removal. Electronic paramagnetic resonance directly demonstrated that 5-HT-induced superoxide anion production originated from the SMC. Finally, whereas 5-HT increased NO production, it also decreased cyclic GMP content in isolated intact arteries. Conclusions/Significance These data demonstrate that agonist-induced ROS production in SMC targeting EC via myoendothelial gap junctions reduces endothelial NO-dependent control of pulmonary vasoreactivity. Such SMC modulation of endothelial control may represent a signaling pathway controlling vasoreactivity under not only physiological but also pathological conditions that often implicate excessive ROS production.
Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer Observations of Interstellar Gas toward the Large Magellanic Cloud Star Sk –67°05

We report on measurements of interstellar O VI, H2, P II, Si II, Ar I, and Fe II absorption along the line of sight to Sk -67°05, a B0 Ia star in a diffuse H II region in the western edge of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We find log N(O ) = 14.40 ± 0.04 in the Milky Way component and, using the C IV column density from previous IUE observations, N(C )/N(O ) = 1.00 ± 0.16, a value similar to other halo measurements made with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer. In the LMC component, log N(O ) = 13.89 ± 0.05 and N(C )/N(O ) < 0.4 (3 σ), since only an upper limit on N(C IV) is available. Along this sight line, the LMC is rich in molecular hydrogen [log N(H2) = 19.50 ± 0.08]; in the Milky Way, log N(H2) = 14.95 ± 0.08. A two-component fit for the excitation temperature of the molecular gas in the LMC gives T01 = 59 ± 5 K for J = 0, 1 and Tex = 800 ± 330 K for J = 3, 4, 5. For the Milky Way, T01 = 99 K; no excitation temperature could be determined for the higher rotational states. The Milky Way and LMC gas-phase [Fe/P] abundances are ~0.6 and ~0.7 dex lower, respectively, than solar system abundances. These values are similar to [Fe/Zn] measurements for the Milky Way and LMC toward SN 1987A.
Genre Analysis of Bookmarked Web Pages

– A total of 17 user‐compiled collections of webpages, comprising 833 bookmarked links in terms of genre, are studied. The purpose of this paper is to find out whether users tend to bookmark certain web genres more than others. Genre theory helps to make sense of the different pages included in these collections, and to classify them, according to their communicative purpose and salient non‐topical features, into blogs, search interfaces, articles, tutorials. , – A total of 17 participants took part in the research by providing their collections of bookmark links. They were also interviewed about the reasons for bookmarking and to comment on their collections. Relying on the interview results and on the previous literature, the bookmarks were classified into four super‐genres: main or access pages, transactional pages, navigational pages, and content pages. , – The results of the classification into web genres revealed a clear tendency to bookmark main pages, such as homepages, which accounted for 42 per cent of all bookmarked web links. Moreover, some aspects of relevance were highlighted such as the connections to use, time, and context, as well as to the main web activity (browsing or searching). , – Previously, bookmarks have mostly been studied as tools for information reuse, but very rarely as sources of implicit relevance feedback. In addition, from the point of view of genre theory, this research shows the importance of relating web genres to users' intentions behind queries.
Neuronatin: A New Inflammation Gene Expressed on the Aortic Endothelium of Diabetic Mice

OBJECTIVE—Identification of arterial genes and pathways altered in obesity and diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Aortic gene expression profiles of obese and diabetic db/db, high-fat diet–fed C57BL/6J, and control mice were obtained using mouse Affymetrix arrays. Neuronatin (Nnat) was selected for further analysis. To determine the function of Nnat, a recombinant adenovirus (Ad-Nnat) was used to overexpress the Nnat gene in primary endothelial cells and in the mouse aorta in vivo. RESULTS—Nnat, a gene of unknown vascular function, was upregulated in the aortas of db/db and high-fat diet–fed mice. Nnat gene expression was increased in db/db mouse aorta endothelial cells. Nnat protein was localized to aortic endothelium and was selectively increased in the endothelium of db/db mice. Infection of primary human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) with Ad-Nnat increased expression of a panel of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)-regulated genes, including inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and cell adhesion molecules. Infection of mouse carotid arteries in vivo with the Ad-Nnat increased expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 protein. Nnat activation of NF-κB and inflammatory gene expression in HAECs was mediated through pathways distinct from tumor necrosis factor-α. Nnat expression stimulated p38, Jun NH2-terminal kinase, extracellular signal–related kinase, and AKT kinase phosphorylation. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and p38 inhibitors prevented Nnat-mediated activation of NF-κB–induced gene expression. CONCLUSIONS—Nnat expression is increased in endothelial cells of obese and diabetic mouse blood vessels. The effects of Nnat on inflammatory pathways in vitro and in vivo suggest a pathophysiological role of this new gene in diabetic vascular diseases.
Synchronized nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (SNIPPV) decreases work of breathing (WOB) in premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) compared to nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP)

Synchronized nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (SNIPPV) is non‐invasive respiratory support that delivers ventilator breaths via the nasal prongs. We hypothesized that SNIPPV is more effective than nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) in premature neonates due to decreased work of breathing (WOB). Fifteen infants (BW: 1,367 ± 325 g, GA: 29.5 ± 2.4 weeks) were studied on (a) NCPAP at 5 cmH2O (NCPAP5) and (b) three increasing SNIPPV settings achieved by NCPAP5 with additional delivered peak inspiratory pressures (PIP) of 10, 12, and 14 cmH2O. Tidal volumes and transpulmonary pressures were estimated via calibrated respiratory inductance plethysmography (RIP) and esophageal pressures, respectively. Inspiratory (WOBinsp), resistive (RWOB), and elastic (WOBE) components of WOB were calculated using standard methods. Compared to NCPAP5, (a) WOBinsp and RWOB were significantly lower with SNIPPV12, and were similarly lower with SNIPPV14 and (b) WOBE was significantly lower only with SNIPPV14. WOB components did not differ significantly for the three SNIPPV settings. Tidal volume, respiratory rate (RR), minute ventilation, compliance, and phase angle were similar for all four measurements. In conclusion, compared to NCPAP, the addition of ventilator‐delivered PIP during SNIPPV decreases WOB in premature infants. Pediatr Pulmonol. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Compared with parenteral nutrition, enteral feeding attenuates the acute phase response and improves disease severity in acute pancreatitis

Background—In patients with major trauma and burns, total enteral nutrition (TEN) significantly decreases the acute phase response and incidence of septic complications when compared with total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Poor outcome in acute pancreatitis is associated with a high incidence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and sepsis. Aims—To determine whether TEN can attenuate the acute phase response and improve clinical disease severity in patients with acute pancreatitis. Methods—Glasgow score, Apache II, computed tomography (CT) scan score, C reactive protein (CRP), serum IgM antiendotoxin antibodies (EndoCAb), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were determined on admission in 34 patients with acute pancreatitis. Patients were stratified according to disease severity and randomised to receive either TPN or TEN for seven days and then re-evaluated. Results—SIRS, sepsis, organ failure, and ITU stay, were globally improved in the enterally fed patients. The acute phase response and disease severity scores were significantly improved following enteral nutrition (CRP: 156 (117–222) to 84 (50–141), p<0.005; APACHE II scores 8 (6–10) to 6 (4–8), p<0.0001) without change in the CT scan scores. In parenterally fed patients these parameters did not change but there was an increase in EndoCAb antibody levels and a fall in TAC. Enterally fed patients showed no change in the level of EndoCAb antibodies and an increase in TAC. Conclusion—TEN moderates the acute phase response, and improves disease severity and clinical outcome despite unchanged pancreatic injury on CT scan. Reduced systemic exposure to endotoxin and reduced oxidant stress also occurred in the TEN group. Enteral feeding modulates the inflammatory and sepsis response in acute pancreatitis and is clinically beneficial.
Emotional Expressions of Young Infants and Children: A Practitioner's Primer

Research on emotional development in infancy has benefited greatly from the use of videotape technology and coding systems that allow detailed coding of facial movements. Today we know that a core set of human facial expressions, composed of specific movements in the brow, eye/cheek, and mouth regions of the face, are probably innate. Theorists continue to debate the meaning of these expressions as well as how they are organized and become regulated over the first several years of life. Despite continuing debate and research on these issues, early facial expressions have practical, signal value for caregivers and practitioners alike. This article surveys what is known about the appearance and early normative, developmental course of emotional expressions, noting similarities and differences in special populations when available. Its goal is to provide practitioners with basic information to help them and the parents they serve become better able to recognize the expressive signals of the infants and young children in their care.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Line ratios for helium-like ions : Applications to collision-dominated plasmas

The line ratios R and G of the three main lines of He-like ions (triplet: resonance, intercombination, forbidden lines) are calculated for C v, N vi, O vii, Ne ix, Mg xi, and Si xiii. These ratios can be used to derive electron density ne and temperature Te of hot late-type stellar coronae and O, B stars from high-resolution spectra obtained with Chandra (LETGS, HETGS) and XMM-Newton (RGS). All excitation and radiative processes between the levels and the effect of upper-level cascades from collisional electronic excitation and from dielectronic and radiative recombination have been considered. When possible the best experimental values for radiative transition probabilities are used. For the higher-Z ions (i.e. Ne ix, Mg xi, Si xiii) possible contributions from blended dielectronic satellite lines to each line of the triplets were included in the calculations of the line ratios R and G for four specific spectral resolutions: RGS, LETGS, HETGS-MEG, HETGS-HEG. The influence of an external stellar radiation field on the coupling of the 2S (upper level of the forbidden line) and 2P levels (upper levels of the intercombination lines) is taken into account. This process is mainly important for the lower-Z ions (i.e. C v, N vi, O vii) at moderate radiation temperature (Trad). These improved calculations were done for plasmas in collisional ionization equilibrium, but will be later extended to photo-ionized plasmas and to transient ionization plasmas. The values for R and G are given in extensive tables, for a large range of parameters, which could be used directly to compare to the observations.