Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rehospitalizations among patients in the Medicare fee-for-service program.

Results Almost one fifth (19.6%) of the 11,855,702 Medicare beneficiaries who had been discharged from a hospital were rehospitalized within 30 days, and 34.0% were rehospitalized within 90 days; 67.1% of patients who had been discharged with medical conditions and 51.5% of those who had been discharged after surgical procedures were rehospitalized or died within the first year after discharge. In the case of 50.2% of the patients who were rehospitalized within 30 days after a medical discharge to the community, there was no bill for a visit to a physician’s office between the time of discharge and rehospitalization. Among patients who were rehospitalized within 30 days after a surgical discharge, 70.5% were rehospitalized for a medical condition. We estimate that about 10% of rehospitalizations were likely to have been planned. The average stay of rehospitalized patients was 0.6 day longer than that of patients in the same diagnosis-related group whose most recent hospitalization had been at least 6 months previously. We estimate that the cost to Medicare of unplanned rehospitalizations in 2004 was $17.4 billion.
Revisiting Deep Disagreement

Argument-giving reasons for a view-is our model of rational dispute resolution. Fogelin (1985) suggests that certain "deep" disagreements cannot be resolved in this way because features of their context "undercut the conditions essential to arguing" (p. 5). In this paper we add some detail to Fogelin's treatment of intractable disagreements. In doing so we distinguish between his relatively modest claim that some disputes cannot be resolved through argument and his more radical claim that such disputes are beyond rational resolution. This distinction, along with some ofthe detail we add to Fogelin's treatment, sheds some useful light on the project of informal logic.
Subunit Interaction Determines IKs Participation in Cardiac Repolarization and Repolarization Reserve

Background—The role of IKs, the slow delayed rectifier K+ current, in cardiac ventricular repolarization has been a subject of debate. Methods and Results—We develop a detailed Markov model of IKs and its α-subunit KCNQ1 and examine their kinetic properties during the cardiac ventricular action potential at different rates. We observe that interaction between KCNQ1 and KCNE1 (the β-subunit) confers kinetic properties on IKs that make it suitable for participation in action potential repolarization and its adaptation to rate changes; in particular, the channel develops an available reserve of closed states near the open state that can open rapidly on demand. Conclusions—Because of its ability to form an available reserve, IKs can function as a repolarization reserve when IKr, the rapid delayed rectifier, is reduced by disease or drug and can prevent excessive action potential prolongation and development of arrhythmogenic early afterdepolarizations.
Listening Comprehension Strategiesの模索 : 発話特性の分析をとおして

最近の新しい傾向のーっとして、 listening comprehension (以下 LCと略す)の重要性が 再評価、というよりむしろ初めて評価されつつあるoいわゆる AudiolingualMethodは「聞く、 話す」能力に指導の重点を置いた教授法であるが、この教授法においてさえ十分な注意が LCに払 われておらず、多分に lingualな面に片寄っていると言える。 Belasco(}~)の指摘どおり、 LC は今日の外国語教育において "themost under-estimated and least understood asp巴ct" ( 1 : 491 )である。 LCの対象となる発語はあくまで "slurredconti山田"(12:39)であっ て、これをインプヲトとしてその中にあるメヲセージの意味を理解することは想像以上にむずかし い技能であり、その中には多くの要素が含まれているo LC は決して単なる受身的な技能でもなけ れば、スピーキングの指導の中で自然に官得されるものでもないo LCには多分に能動的な面もあ り(16: 125 )、その能動的、すなわち、聞き手の側の積極的な働きかけという点において、そこに 何か strategy的なものの存在が考え・られる。 ここでは、発話に含まれる種々の特性を LCの手が かりとしてとらえ、その分析と平行した形で LCstrategiesの模索を行って、 LC の実体を少し でも解明して行きたい。
PENGARUH PENERAPAN KURIKULUM BERBASIS KOMPETENSI (KBK) TERHADAP SOFT SKILLS MAHASISWA

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat pengaruh penerapan Kurikulum Berbasis Kompetensi (KBK) terhadap soft skills mahasiswa. Soft skills merupakan kemampuan nonteknis yang tidak terlihat wujudnya (intangible) namun sangat diperlukan, Patrick S. O'Brien (1997) dalam bukunya Making College Count, soft skill dapat dikategorikan ke dalam 7 area yang disebut Winning Characteristics, yaitu, communication skills, organizational skills, leadership, logic, effort, group skills, dan ethics. Dalam kaitannya dengan KBK, yang lebih menitikberatkan pada proses belajar yang student centered, pengembangan soft skills dapat dilakukan melalui implementasi kurikulum, dan menjadi hidden curriculum. Hidden curriculum disini bisa terlihat dari berbabagi metode belajar dalam penerapan KBK. Softkills yang terbentuk melalui pendidikan berbasis kompetensi diharapkan bisa membentuk karakter mahasiswa untuk siap menghadapi kehidupan setelah perkualiahan. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian ini dilakukan di Universitas Sumatera Utara dengan membandingkan soft skills mahasiswa pada fakultas yang menerapkan KBK dengan fakultas yang belum menerapkan KBK. Soft skills mahasiswa diukur dengan Skala Soft skills yang disusun peneliti berdasarkan 7 area winning caharacteristic yang diajukan O’Brien (1997). Dari hasil penelitian ini diketahui bahwa tidak ada pengaruh yang signifikan dari penerapan KBK terhadap soft skills mahasiswa (F=2.578, p=0.109 (p>0.05)). Namun jika dilihat perdimensi pada tujuh area, terdapat perbedaan yang signifikan antara fakultas yang menerapkan KBK dengan yang belum menerapkan KBK. Perbedaan tersebut terlihat pada kemampuan komunikasi, berpikir logis, daya juang (effort) , dimana mahasiswa yang fakultasnya menerapkan KBK soft skillsnya lebih tinggi pada ketiga area tersebut.
Relationship, task and process conflicts on team performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine which communication contexts – virtual or traditional interactions – is more disruptive or beneficial to the effects of intragroup conflicts on team performance.Design/methodology/approach – A laboratory experiment was conducted comparing 22 face‐to‐face (FTF) teams, 22 videoconference (VC) teams and 22 computer‐mediated communication (CMC) teams over a month.Findings – Results showed that VC teams are the highest performing teams and CMC teams the lowest. However, when task conflict increases VC team performance diminishes at the first stage of the teamwork. FTF team performance is also improved by task conflict, but also by process conflict. After a period where team members develop teamwork experience, relationship conflict and process conflict damage more seriously team performance in CMC teams than in FTF teams. In conclusion, traditional teams and virtual teams behave in different ways, but also there are differences between VC and CMC teams.Research.
Access-Time Aware Cache Algorithms

Most of the caching algorithms are oblivious to requests' timescale, but caching systems are capacity constrained and, in practical cases, the hit rate may be limited by the cache's impossibility to serve requests fast enough. In particular, the hard-disk access time can be the key factor capping cache performances. In this paper, we present a new cache replacement policy that takes advantage of a hierarchical caching architecture, and in particular of access-time difference between memory and disk. Our policy is optimal when requests follow the independent reference model, and significantly reduces the hard-disk load, as shown also by our realistic, trace-driven evaluation.
Evidence for the presence of high-mannose/hybrid oligosaccharide chain(s) on the mouse ZP2 and ZP3.

Previous studies from this laboratory have identified a novel alpha-D-mannosidase on plasma membranes of rat, mouse, hamster, and human spermatozoa [Tulsiani et al. J Cell Biol 1989; 109:1257; Biol Reprod 1990; 42:843]. Inhibition of the mouse sperm surface alpha-D-mannosidase inhibits sperm-egg binding in vitro, suggesting that the sperm enzyme may have a receptor-like role in binding to the complementary molecules (presumably mannose-containing oligosaccharide [OS] chains) on the mouse zona pellucida (ZP) glycoconjugates [Cornwall et al. Biol Reprod 1991; 44:913]. In the studies reported here, we demonstrate the presence of high-mannose/hybrid-type OS on mouse zona components. Zona-intact eggs, prepared from superovulated mice, were radioiodinated, and the individual zona components (ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3) were isolated by electrophoresis followed by electroelution. The purified ZP components, when resolved by immobilized concanavalin A column chromatography, showed the following results: 1) Nearly all of the ZP1 applied to the immobilized lectin eluted in the column flow-through (effluent) fractions, and no radioactivity eluted with alpha-methyl mannoside, suggesting that ZP1 may not contain high-mannose/hybrid OS. 2) A significant amount of both ZP2 and ZP3 bound to the immobilized lectin, and nearly 16% and 8% of the two components, respectively, were repeatedly eluted with alpha-methyl mannoside. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Bidimensionality, Map Graphs, and Grid Minors

In this paper we extend the theory of bidimensionality to two families of graphs that do not exclude fixed minors: map graphs and power graphs. In both cases we prove a polynomial relation between the treewidth of a graph in the family and the size of the largest grid minor. These bounds improve the running times of a broad class of fixed-parameter algorithms. Our novel technique of using approximate max-min relations between treewidth and size of grid minors is powerful, and we show how it can also be used, e.g., to prove a linear relation between the treewidth of a bounded-genus graph and the treewidth of its dual.
Cortex‐ and striatum‐ derived neural stem cells produce distinct progeny in the olfactory bulb and striatum

Neural stem cells can be isolated from the mouse embryonic cortex but do not persist in the adult cortex. In contrast, neural stem cells from the striatal embryonic germinal zone persist in the adult subependyma. Emx1‐lineage analysis revealed that cortex‐derived neural stem cells survive and migrate ventrally into the subependyma where they intermix with the host striatal neural stem cells [S. Willaime‐Morawek et al. (2006)J. Cell Biol. 175, 159–168]. Cortex‐derived cells proliferate faster in the subependyma and reach the olfactory bulb earlier than striatum‐derived cells. In the olfactory bulb, cortex‐derived cells produce more cells and more dopaminergic neurons in the glomerular layer than striatum‐derived cells. Cortex‐derived cells also give rise to more astrocytes and less neurons in the striatum than striatum‐derived cells. Thus, history matters; cortex‐derived neural stem cells in the subependyma give rise to progeny in the olfactory bulb and striatum but in different proportions than striatum‐derived neural stem cells.
Interleukin‐10 promoter variants predict HPV‐positive tumors and survival of squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx

Interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) plays an important role in a host's defense against human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. IL‐10 promoter variants may affect its expression level or functional efficiency and, subsequently, susceptibility to and survival of HPV16‐associated squamous cell carcinoma of oropharynx (SCCOP). We determined tumor HPV16 DNA and genotyped three IL‐10 promoter polymorphisms in 309 incident patients with SCCOP. Compared with the patients with corresponding common homozygous genotypes, patients carrying variant genotypes of IL‐10 rs1800871 and rs1800872 were ~2.5 times more likely to have HPV16+ tumors among patients with SCCOP. Among HPV16+ patients with SCCOP only, compared to those with the corresponding variant genotypes, the patients with IL‐10 rs1800871 and rs1800872 CC genotypes had significantly better survival and ~70–80% reduced risk of death/recurrence after multivariable adjustment. Additionally, functional relevance of these variants was characterized to explore the genotype‐phenotype correlation. Our findings indicate that IL‐10 genetic variants may be associated with tumor HPV16+ SCCOP and predict survival of HPV16+ patients with SCCOP. Larger studies are needed to validate our findings. —Jin, L. , Sturgis, E. M. , Cao, X. , Song, X. , Salahuddin, T. , Wei, Q. , Li, G. Interleukin‐10 promoter variants predict HPV‐positive tumors and survival of squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx. FASEB J. 27, 2496–2503 (2013). www.fasebj. org
Single dose pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of nevirapine in healthy volunteers

The results of two randomized, single‐dose, crossover bioavailability studies are presented which describe the pharmacokinetics and oral bioavailability of nevirapine, a novel nonnucleoside antiretroviral drug. In the first study 12 healthy male volunteers received nevirapine 15 mg via short‐term i.v. infusion or orally as a 50 mg tablet or reference solution (50 mg/200 mL). Following the i.v. dose, nevirapine had a low systemic clearance (Mean±S.D., Cl=1.4±0.3 L/h) and a prolonged elimination phase (t1/2β=52.8±14.8 h; MRT=81.4±22.4 h). Nevirapine absolute bioavailability was 93±9% and 91±8% for the tablet and oral solution, respectively. In the second study, 24 healthy male volunteers were administered nevirapine as a 200 mg production‐line tablet or oral reference solution (200 mg/200 mL). There was no significant difference in bioavailability between the tablet and reference solution. Overall, comparison of the pharmacokinetic parameters between the 50 and 200 mg doses indicates that nevirapine is well absorbed at clinically relevant doses. The absorption profiles using deconvolution revealed no evidence of differential enzyme induction between the two doses or routes of administration following a single dose. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stroke-Induced Immunodepression: Experimental Evidence and Clinical Relevance

Stroke affects the normally well-balanced interplay of the 2 supersystems: the nervous and the immune system. Recent research elucidated some of the involved signals and mechanisms and, importantly, was able to demonstrate that brain-immune interactions are highly relevant for functional outcome after stroke. Immunodepression after stroke increases the susceptibility to infection, the most relevant complication in stroke patients. However, immunodepression after stroke may also have beneficial effects, for example, by suppressing autoaggressive responses during lesion-induced exposure of central nervous system-specific antigens to the immune system. Thus, before immunomodulatory therapy can be applied to stroke patients, we need to understand better the interaction of brain and immune system after focal cerebral ischemia. Until then, anticipating an important consequence of stroke-induced immunodepression, bacterial infection, preventive antibiotic strategies have been proposed. In mouse experiments, preventive antibiotic treatment dramatically improves mortality and outcome. Results of clinical studies on this issue are contradictory at present, and larger trials are needed to settle the question whether (and which) stroke patients should be preventively treated. Nevertheless, clinical evidence is emerging demonstrating that stroke-induced immunodepression in humans not only exists, but has very similar features to those characterized in rodent experiments.
Retrospective comparison of clinical variables between compliant and non-compliant patients.

BACKGROUND The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate if patients with moderate to advanced periodontitis had comparable periodontal conditions at baseline and during supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) whether they were compliant or not. METHOD Patient-related variables were compared: age, tooth mobility, furcation involvement, number of teeth, pocket probing depth, plaque index. Compliant patients (n = 142) received complete periodontal treatment and were followed over at least 10 years (group A). Non-compliant patients either discontinued supportive periodontal therapy (n = 42, group B) or dropped out before or during periodontal surgery (n = 44, group C). RESULTS At baseline, there were no significant differences between the 3 groups except for mobility. During SPT, mean pocket probing depth and plaque index differed significantly. CONCLUSION These results indicate that non-compliant patients compared to compliant patients had similar periodontal conditions at baseline, but responded less favourably to periodontal surgery and maintenance.
Student factors: understanding individual variation in college drinking.

OBJECTIVE Research on individual differences in drinking rates and associated problems among college students is reviewed. METHOD Studies are included if completed within U.S. college and university samples and found in published scientific literature as identified by several searches of national databases. RESULTS The resulting review suggests first that the extant literature is large and varied in quality, as most studies use questionnaire responses from samples of convenience in cross-sectional designs. Evidence from studies of college samples does consistently suggest that alcohol is consumed for several different purposes for different psychological effects in different contexts. A pattern of impulsivity/sensation seeking is strongly related to increased drinking among students. This pattern is supported by research into personality, drinking motives, alcohol expectancies and drinking contexts. A second pattern of drinking associated with negative emotional states is also documented. Some long-term consequences of this second pattern have been described. Social processes appear especially important for drinking in many college venues and may contribute to individual differences in drinking more than enduring personality differences. CONCLUSIONS Future research efforts should test interactive and mediating models of multiple risk factors and address developmental processes.
Response-to-Intervention: Separating the Rhetoric of Self-Congratulation from the Reality of Specific Learning Disability Identification

The policies underlying the specific learning disability (SLD) regulations in the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are analyzed. The analysis focuses on the Response-to-Intervention (RTI) provision (“if the child responds to scientific, research-based intervention”) as a diagnostic model, revealing that it is conceptually flawed, practically inadequate, and politically rather than scientifically motivated. It is argued that RTI is best described as a model for providing remedial reading (prereferral) services for students experiencing early reading failure. To achieve a reliable and valid diagnosis of SLD under IDEA, it is argued that a comprehensive psychometric assessment is required. With a model that combines RTI and cognitive assessments, it is possible to provide an identification process that closely aligns with the best current conceptualizations of SLD.
Heterologous Expression and Functional Characterization of a Mouse Renal Organic Anion Transporter in Mammalian Cells*

Organic anion transporters play an essential role in eliminating a wide range of organic anions including endogenous compounds, xenobiotics, and their metabolites from kidney, thereby preventing their potentially toxic effects within the body. The goal of this study was to extend our previous study on the functional characterization and post-translational modification of a mouse kidney organic anion transporter (mOAT), in a mammalian cell system, COS-7 cells. The transporter-mediated p-aminohippurate (PAH) uptake was saturable, probenecid-sensitive, and inhibited by a wide range of organic anions including vitamins, anti-hypertensive drugs, anti-tumor drugs, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Tunicamycin, an inhibitor of asparagine-linked glycosylation, significantly inhibited the transport activity. Immunofluorescence provided evidence that most of the protein remained in the intracellular compartment in tunicamycin-treated cells. Diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEPC), a histidine residue-specific reagent, completely blocked PAH transport. The inhibitory effect by DEPC was significantly protected (90%) by pretreating the cells with excess unlabeled PAH, suggesting that the histidine residues may be close to the PAH binding sites. Finally,in situ mRNA localization was studied in postnatal mouse kidney. The expression was observed in proximal tubules throughout development. We conclude that COS-7 cells may be useful in pharmacological and molecular biological studies of this carrier. The carbohydrate moieties are necessary for the proper trafficking of mOAT to the plasma membrane, and histidine residues appear to be important for the transport function.
Ambra1 knockdown in zebrafish leads to incomplete development due to severe defects in organogenesis

AMBRA1 is a positive regulator of the BECN1-dependent program of autophagy recently identified in mouse. In this study, we cloned the full-length cDNAs of ambra1a and ambra1b zebrafish paralogous genes. As in mouse, both Ambra1 proteins contain the characteristic WD40 repeat region. The transcripts of both genes are present as maternal RNAs in the eggs and display a gradual decline until 8 hpf, being replaced by zygotic mRNAs from 12 hpf onwards. After 24 hpf, the transcripts are mainly localized in the head, suggesting a possible role in brain development. To check their developmental roles, we adopted morpholino knockdown to block either translation (ATGMOs) or splicing (SPLICMOs). Treatment with ATGMOs causes severe embryonic malformations, as prelarvae could survive for only 3 and 4 days in ambra1a and b morphants, respectively. Treatment with SPLICMOs led to developmental defects only at a late stage, indicating the importance of maternally supplied ambra1 transcripts. Analysis of the levels of Lc3-II, an autophagosome-specific marker, in the presence of lysosome inhibitors evidenced a reduction in the rate of autophagosome formation in both MOs-injected embryos at 48 hpf, more pronounced in the case of ambra1a gene. Although some defects, such as body growth delay, curved shape and hemorrhagic pericardial cavity were present in both morphants, the occurrence of specific phenotypes, such as major abnormalities of brain development in ambra1a morphants, suggests the possible acquisition of specific functions by the two paralogous genes that are both required during development and do not compensate each other following knockdown.
Working Papers Patrick Minford and David Peel On the equality of Real Interest Rates across borders in Integrated Capital Markets E 2005 / 3 CARDIFF BUSINESS SCHOOL WORKING PAPER

The purpose in this letter is first to review briefly the empirical results on the relationship between real interest rates and real exchange rates; this empirical literature provides little support for the hypothesis of Roll that expected real interest rates are equal in general. Our second aim is to discuss the theoretical conditions that have to be met for his hypothesis to hold.