Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors in the selection of patients for conditional release from their first psychiatric hospitalization.

OBJECTIVE This study examined a sample of patients in Victoria, Australia, to identify factors in selection for conditional release from an initial hospitalization that occurred within 30 days of entry into the mental health system. METHODS Data were from the Victorian Psychiatric Case Register. All patients first hospitalized and conditionally released between 1990 and 2000 were identified (N=8,879), and three comparison groups were created. Two groups were hospitalized within 30 days of entering the system: those who were given conditional release and those who were not. A third group was conditionally released from a hospitalization that occurred after or extended beyond 30 days after system entry. Logistic regression identified characteristics that distinguished the first group. Ordinary least-squares regression was used to evaluate the contribution of conditional release early in treatment to reducing inpatient episodes, inpatient days, days per episode, and inpatient days per 30 days in the system. RESULTS Conditional release early in treatment was used for 11 percent of the sample, or more than a third of those who were eligible for this intervention. Factors significantly associated with selection for early conditional release were those related to a better prognosis (initial hospitalization at a later age and having greater than an 11th grade education), a lower likelihood of a diagnosis of dementia or schizophrenia, involuntary status at first inpatient admission, and greater community involvement (being employed and being married). When the analyses controlled for these factors, use of conditional release early in treatment was significantly associated with a reduction in use of subsequent inpatient care.
General Equilibrium Effects of Local Taxes

Abstract This paper analyzes the consequences of the property tax and a local sales tax in the context of a spatial, general equilibrium model of a closed city with a generalized utility function of the residents and production function of housing. The range of effects are different from those obtained earlier by other authors who have generally assumed particular functional forms. For example, it appears that under certain conditions, the property tax can even lead to an increase in metropolitan size. Alternatively, a local sales tax can lead either to an expansion or contraction in city size. Results obtained are used to analyze the consequences of different types of local tax reforms.
Factors influencing late presentation for breast cancer in the middle East: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND Breast cancer is the most common female type of cancer in the Middle East. A review of the evidence about the reasons people did not seek medical care has not been conducted for this region. METHODS A systematic review was undertaken to identify the explanatory factors and assess the strength of the evidence leading to late or delayed presentation for breast cancer in the Middle East. RESULTS Electronic databases and websites were searched from 1970 to March 2011 and yielded approximately 1801 studies and of which, only 10 were relevant. Of these, 6 studies met the inclusion criteria and they were either Egyptian or Iranian. All studies employed quantitative methods to investigate late and delayed presentation for breast cancer, and most defined the term delay in number of weeks or months. Older age and lower educational level were found to have strong effects in explaining late presentation. Having no family history of breast cancer was found to have moderately effect on breast cancer late presentation. CONCLUSION Our review revealed the need to conduct research in the Middle East and our findings indicated the importance of considering older age, low educational level and a family history of cancer when planning and developing health strategies to reduce the burden of late presentation.
Neuropharmacological and behavioural properties of remoxipride in the rat

Abstract Remoxipride blocks dopamine agonist‐induced effects in the rat, mediated by dopamine D2 receptors with an in‐vivo potency less than that of haloperidol but greater than that of chlorpromazine, thioridazine, and sulpiride. Unlike haloperidol and sulpiride, remoxipride has weaker antagonistic effects towards presynaptic dopamine activity compared to its effects on postsynaptically mediated activity. Remoxipride causes a preferential inhibition of dopamine agonist‐induced locomotion as compared to stereotyped behaviour, suggesting that it may exert a preferential blockade of mesolimbic dopamine neurotransmission. The low tendency of remoxipride to cause catalepsy in the rat is indicative of a weak effect on striatal dopamine neurotransmission and predicts a low liability to induce extrapyramidal side effects in man. Remoxipride causes a smaller elevation of prolactin than sulpiride at doses producing central dopamine receptor blockade. The results suggest that remoxipride, unlike haloperidol, can discriminate between different types of dopamine mediated functions probably by having a preferential action on subpopulations of functionally coupled dopamine D2 receptors.
The effects of binge drinking and social capital on violent victimisation: findings from Moscow

Background Rates of violence in Russia are among the highest in the world, and violent victimisation represents a major public health threat in the country. As yet, however, little research has been undertaken on what factors are associated with non-lethal violent victimisation in this setting. This study used data from the Moscow Health Survey 2004 to examine the effects of binge drinking and social capital on individuals' risk of non-fatal violent victimisation. Methods A stratified random sampling strategy was used across Moscow's 125 municipal districts to collect data from 1190 individuals aged 18+ years. Respondents reported if they had been a victim of physical violence in the previous 12 months. Data were also collected on binge drinking (defined for men as consuming ≥80 g of pure alcohol, and for women≥60 g of pure alcohol, at least once per month) and social capital (frequency of interaction with relatives, friends and acquaintances). Results Overall, 8.7% of the respondents had been a victim of violence in the past 12 months. Men who binge drink were more than twice as likely to have been a victim of non-lethal violence (OR 2.19, CI 1.23 to 3.92), while greater levels of social capital acted as a protective factor against male victimisation (OR 0.82, CI 0.69 to 0.97). Neither binge drinking nor social capital was associated with violent victimisation among women. Conclusion Urgent public health measures are now needed to reduce excessive alcohol consumption and detrimental drinking patterns to bring down the high levels of violent victimisation in Russia.
Boards of Directors and Entrepreneurial Posture in Medium-size Companies

Research suggests that a strong and vigilant board can have a significant influence on the value-creating potential of medium-size companies. Yet, how best to conceptualize this relationship remains controversial.The mainstream approach has been to argue for a direct relationship between board demography and company performance. In opposition stands a growing number of scholars who argue that boards' ability to perform board tasks effectively — their actual behaviour — should be taken into account. Empirical studies comparing the two approaches are however surprisingly scarce. Based on this observation, the aim of the study is to test the influence of boards of directors on CEOs' commitment to take an entrepreneurial posture. Both demographic and behavioural board measures are included in the model. Statistical analysis on a sample of 175 medium-size manufacturing companies gives ample support for the behavioural approach. The study ends with a discussion of the results and suggestions for further research.
ASSESSING THE RELATIVE PERFORMANCE OF UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER IN THE US AND UK: A STOCHASTIC DISTANCE FUNCTION APPROACH

University technology transfer offices (henceforth, TTOs) play a critical role in the diffusion of innovation and the development of new technology infrastructure. Studies of the relative efficiency of TTOs have been based on licensing output measures and data from a single country. In contrast, we present the first cross-country comparison of the relative performance of TTOs, based on stochastic multiple output distance functions. The additional dimension of output considered is the university's propensity to generate start-up companies, based on technologies developed at these institutions. We find that US universities are more efficient than UK universities and that the production process is characterized by either decreasing or constant returns to scale. Universities with a medical school and an incubator are closer to the frontier.
Production and Use of ICT: A Sectoral Perspective on Productivity Growth in the OECD Area

This paper examines the roles of the ICT-producing sector and of key ICT-using industries in overall productivity growth in OECD countries. The ICT manufacturing sector, in particular, has been characterised by very high rates of productivity growth in many countries and provides a large contribution to labour productivity growth in Finland, Ireland and Korea. In a few countries, notably the United States and Australia, certain ICT-using services have also experienced an above-average pick-up in productivity growth in the second half of the 1990s. Further structural reform may be needed before ICT use will also show up in the productivity statistics of other OECD countries. Differences in the measurement of productivity in ICT-producing and -using industries across countries complicate the cross-country analysis.
Bullying in the Indian workplace: A study of the ITES-BPO sector

This article reports on an empirical enquiry undertaken in India’s ITES-BPO (offshoring-outsourcing) sector to ascertain the presence of workplace bullying, the influence of sociocultural factors, the nature of bullying categories and the availability and use of extra-organizational redressal options. Survey data, gathered through structured interviews incorporating the Work Harassment Scale, conducted with 1036 respondents located in six cities, showed that 44.3% of the sample experienced bullying, with 19.7% reporting moderate and severe levels. In keeping with India’s hierarchical society, superiors emerged as the predominant source of bullying, displaying task-focused behaviours. Yet, the presence of ‘cross-level co-bullying’ where a personal focus was emphasized points to the role of identity-based affiliations intrinsic to India’s ethos. Key informant data, gathered through unstructured interviews with lawyers/legal activists, labour commissioners and trade unionists/labour activists and thematically analysed, underscored the influence of professional self-identity, career interests and a dysfunctional judicial system in targets’ choice of extra-organizational options.
Elevated levels of the mismatch repair protein PMS2 are associated with prostate cancer

Defects in mismatch repair (MMR) proteins have been identified in various types of cancer. However, an association with prostate cancer has been controversial. Defective MMR results in genome instability with detrimental consequences that significantly contribute to tumorigenesis. This study determined alterations in key MMR protein levels in prostate cancer with the goal to identify prognostic markers.
Otorhinolaryngological manifestations in head trauma: A prospective study of the epidemiology, clinical presentations, management, and outcomes

Background: Otorhinolaryngological injuries following head trauma may be missed, overlooked, or forgotten in the acute phase resulting in worsened management outcomes. This study aims to report the epidemiology, clinical presentations, management, and outcomes of otorhinolaryngological injuries in head trauma with a view to creating awareness for early recognition and prompt treatment. Patients and Methods: Head injured patients consecutively presenting over a 5-year period were prospectively studied for age, gender, otorhinolaryngological presentations, interventions, and outcome of interventions. Data obtained were statistically analyzed. Results: There were 91 (1.3%) otorhinolaryngological presentations among 7109 head injured patients. Mean age of 34 years, standard deviation = ±15.6 with a male:female ratio of 2.4:1. Severe head injury (Glasgow coma scale <9) occurred in 46 (50.5%) patients. Patients aged 30–39 years were mostly affected (n = 30; 32.9%). Most injuries were from motor vehicular accidents (n = 61; 67%) and assaults (n = 23; 25.3%). The most common otorhinolaryngological presentations were cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea (n = 26; 28.6%) and CSF otorrhea (n = 25; 27.5%). Conservative management was achieved in 59.3% of patients. Mean time of hospital presentation was 13.8 h. There was no statistical correlation between outcomes and each of etiology and time of presentation (P values 0.18 and 0.9, respectively). Seventy-five (82.4%) were discharged without neurological deficits. A case fatality rate of 6.6% was recorded. Conclusion: Frontal skull base and temporal bone fractures with CSF rhinorrhea and otorrhea are the most common injuries occurring mostly in young active males with favorable outcomes following conservative management.
Emerging Equity Market Volatility

Abstract This paper considers two emerging markets that are under-researched, Kenya and Nigeria. It offers a comprehensive view of four time properties that emerged from the empirical time series literature on asset returns: (1) the predictability of returns from past observations; (2) the auto-regressive behavior of conditional volatility; (3) the asymmetric response of conditional volatility to innovations; and (4) the conditional variance risk premium. Results of the exponential GARCH (EGARCH) model indicate that asymmetric volatility found in the U.S. and other developed markets also characterized the Nigerian stock exchange. In Kenya, however, the asymmetric volatility coefficient is significant and positive, suggesting that positive shocks increase volatility more than negative shocks of an equal magnitude. The Nairobi Stock Exchange (KSE) returns series report negative but insignificant risk-premium parameters. In Nigeria (NSE), return series exhibit a significant and positive time-varying risk premium. The results also show that expected returns are predictable, that the auto-regressive return parameters (ø 1 ) are significant in both Kenya and Nigeria. Finally, the GARCH parameter (b) is statistically significant, indicating that volatility persistence is present in the two emerging markets studied.
A novel image encryption technique using one dimensional chaotic map and circular shift technique

Image encryption using chaos theory is gaining attraction over standard data encryption technique due to its high security with the cost of less time complexity and sensitivity to initial condition. In this paper an image encryption technique is proposed using a new one dimensional chaotic map. NIST test suite approves the random behaviour of the sequence obtained from the chaotic map. Intensity value of the pixels is modified using a mask generated using circular shift. Simulation results and theoretical analysis indicates its immunity against different statistical and differential attacks.
Temporal changes of adiponectin plasma levels in patients with acute ischemic stroke

Abstract Adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived hormone, possesses anti-inflammatory properties. Its decreased levels were noted in patients with ischemic stroke (IS). Animal studies suggest that the decline of adiponectin levels in the acute IS phase is a dynamic process. The aim of the present study was to analyze the temporal expression of the adiponectin plasma levels in patients with acute IS. Thirty-one consecutive patients with first-ever IS (mean age±SD: 69·5±12·5 years; 12 women) and 26 control subjects (CS; 72·2±7·6 years; 18 women) were included into the study. Plasma adiponectin levels were measured at three time points: within first 24 hours, on Days 2–4, and on Days 5–10 days after the onset of IS. Adiponectin levels were significantly lower in IS patients on admission comparing with CS (medians: 6·0 μg/ml vs. 11·3 μg/ml, respectively; P < 0·05) and continued to decline at later time points (P < 0·001).
Runx2 controls a feed‐forward loop between androgen and prolactin‐induced protein (PIP) in stimulating T47D cell proliferation

Prolactin‐Induced Protein (PIP) is a small polypeptide expressed by breast and prostate cancer (BCa, PCa) cells. However, both the regulation of PIP expression and its function in cancer cells are poorly understood. Using BCa and PCa cells, we found that Runx2, a pro‐metastatic transcription factor, functionally interacts with the Androgen Receptor (AR) to regulate PIP expression. Runx2 expression in C4‐2B PCa cells synergized with AR to promote PIP expression, whereas its knockdown in T47D BCa cells abrogated basal as well as hormone stimulated PIP expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays showed that Runx2 and AR co‐occupied an enhancer element located ∼11 kb upstream of the PIP open reading frame, and that Runx2 facilitated AR recruitment to the enhancer. PIP knockdown in T47D cells compromised DHT‐stimulated expression of multiple AR target genes including PSA, FKBP5, FASN, and SGK1. The inhibition of AR activity due to loss of PIP was attributable at least in part to abrogation of its nuclear translocation. PIP knockdown also suppressed T47D cell proliferation driven by either serum growth factors or dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Our data suggest that Runx2 controls a positive feedback loop between androgen signaling and PIP, and pharmacological inhibition of PIP may be useful to treat PIP positive tumors. J. Cell. Physiol. 227: 2276–2282, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Trade in Ideas: Patenting and Productivity in the OECD

We develop and estimate a model of technological innovation and its contribution to growth at home and abroad. International patents indicate where innovations come from and where they are used. Countries grow at a common steady-state rate. A country's relative productivity depends upon its capacity to absorb technology. We estimate that, except for the United States, OECD countries derive almost all of their productivity growth from abroad.
Total Quality Management: A critical analysis from a complexity approach

This article examines the effects of the adoption and implementation of typical Total Quality Management in an airline as an adaptive complex system. Our results, as they emerged from an in-depth case study in VARIG Brazilian Airlines, suggest that the specific TQM methods and procedures seem to be too mechanistic for such a complex environment. Based on our findings we propose that an adaptation of the typical TQM concepts and tools considering the paradigm of complexity with an organic approach may be more effective and produce actual and lasting changes in this kind of organisation.
Improved Leader Follower Formation controller for multiple Quadrotors based AFSA

In this paper, formation tracking in plane with equal height for all quadrotors is discussed. Two controllers are necessary. First, PID controller is used to ensure the tracking of the desired trajectory by the first quadrotor named leader. The formation of the quadrotors in plane is achieved by using the directed lyapunov controller. In order to improve the controller performances, the artificial fish swarm algorithm is used to ensure the dynamic optimization of the parameter controllers. When the desired shape formation is achieved, PID controller is used again to ensure the keeping of this formation shape. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controllers compared to the ordinary controller and also compared to the static optimization by using the same algorithm.
Expression of slime interferes with in vitro detection of host protein receptors of Staphylococcus epidermidis

We hypothesized that slime may mask bacterial molecules important in the attachment of Staphylococcus epidermidis to inanimate surfaces. In support of this hypothesis, we found that slime-negative strains attached significantly better to fibrinogen or fibronectin than the parent strains and exhibited greater surface hydrophobicity. Comparable results were obtained with 53 clinical isolates.
Store-operated Ca2+ Entry Mediated by Orai1 and TRPC1 Participates to Insulin Secretion in Rat β-Cells*

Store-operated Ca2+ channels (SOCs) are voltage-independent Ca2+ channels activated upon depletion of the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ stores. Early studies suggest the contribution of such channels to Ca2+ homeostasis in insulin-secreting pancreatic β-cells. However, their composition and contribution to glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) remains unclear. In this study, endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ depletion triggered by acetylcholine (ACh) or thapsigargin stimulated the formation of a ternary complex composed of Orai1, TRPC1, and STIM1, the key proteins involved in the formation of SOCs. Ca2+ imaging further revealed that Orai1 and TRPC1 are required to form functional SOCs and that these channels are activated by STIM1 in response to thapsigargin or ACh. Pharmacological SOCs inhibition or dominant negative blockade of Orai1 or TRPC1 using the specific pore mutants Orai1-E106D and TRPC1-F562A impaired GSIS in rat β-cells and fully blocked the potentiating effect of ACh on secretion. In contrast, pharmacological or dominant negative blockade of TRPC3 had no effect on extracellular Ca2+ entry and GSIS. Finally, we observed that prolonged exposure to supraphysiological glucose concentration impaired SOCs function without altering the expression levels of STIM1, Orai1, and TRPC1. We conclude that Orai1 and TRPC1, which form SOCs regulated by STIM1, play a key role in the effect of ACh on GSIS, a process that may be impaired in type 2 diabetes.
Mismatch Repair, But Not Heteroduplex Rejection, Is Temporally Coupled to DNA Replication

Repair of base-pair mismatches is coordinated with DNA replication to ensure correction of the newly synthesized DNA strand. In eukaryotes, it is unknown whether mismatch repair (MMR) is temporally coupled to DNA replication and how strand-specific MMR is directed. We fused Saccharomyces cerevisiae MSH6 with cyclins to restrict the availability of the Msh2-Msh6 mismatch recognition complex to either S phase or G2/M phase of the cell cycle. The Msh6-S cyclin fusion was proficient for suppressing mutations at three loci that replicate at mid–S phase, whereas the Msh6-G2/M cyclin fusion was defective. However, the Msh6-G2/M cyclin fusion was functional for MMR at a very late-replicating region of the genome. In contrast, the heteroduplex rejection function of MMR during recombination was partially functional during both S phase and G2/M phase. These results indicate a temporal coupling of MMR, but not heteroduplex rejection, to DNA replication.