Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Small acute increases in serum creatinine are associated with decreased long-term survival in the critically ill.

RATIONALE Long-term outcomes after acute kidney injury (AKI) are poorly described. OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that one single episode of minimal (stage 1) AKI is associated with reduced long-term survival compared with no AKI after recovery from critical illness. METHODS A prospective cohort of 2,010 intensive care unit (ICU) patients admitted to the ICU between years 2000 and 2009 at a provincial tertiary care hospital. Development of AKI was determined according to the KDIGO classification and mortality up to 10 years after ICU admission was recorded. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Of the 1,844 eligible patients, 18.4% had AKI stage 1, 12.1% had stage 2, 26.5% had stage 3, and 43.0% had no AKI. The 28-day, 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year survival rates were 67.1%, 51.8%, 44.1%, and 36.3% in patients with mild AKI, which was significantly worse compared with the critically ill patients with no AKI at any time (P < 0.01). The unadjusted 10-year mortality hazard ratio was 1.53 (95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.0) for 28-day survivors with stage 1 AKI compared with critically ill patients with no AKI. Adjusted 10-year mortality risk was 1.26 (1.0-1.6). After propensity matching stage 1 AKI with no AKI patients, mild AKI was still significantly associated with decreased 10-year survival (P = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS Patients with one episode of mild AKI have significantly lower long-term survival rates than critically ill patients with no AKI. Close medical follow-up of these patients may be warranted and mechanistic research is required to understand how AKI influences long-term events.
Mobilization of Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate) inRalstonia eutropha

ABSTRACT Ralstonia eutropha H16 degraded (mobilized) previously accumulated poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) in the absence of an exogenous carbon source and used the degradation products for growth and survival. Isolated native PHB granules of mobilized R. eutropha cells released 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) at a threefold higher rate than did control granules of nonmobilized bacteria. No 3HB was released by native PHB granules of recombinant Escherichia coli expressing the PHB biosynthetic genes. Native PHB granules isolated from chromosomal knockout mutants of an intracellular PHB (i-PHB) depolymerase gene of R. eutropha H16 and HF210 showed a reduced but not completely eliminated activity of 3HB release and indicated the presence of i-PHB depolymerase isoenzymes.
The national biomarker development alliance: confronting the poor productivity of biomarker research and development

Making precision (personalized) medicine a routine clinical reality will require a comprehensive inventory of validated biomarkers and molecular diagnostic tests to stratify disease subtypes and improve accuracy in diagnosis and treatment selection. Realization of this promise has been hindered by the poor productivity of biomarker identification and validation. This situation reflects deficiencies that are pervasive across the entire spectrum of biomarker R&D, from discovery to clinical validation and in the failure of regulatory and reimbursement policies to accommodate new classes of biomarkers. The launch of the National Biomarker Development Alliance is the culmination of a 2-year review and consultation process involving diverse stakeholders to advance standards, best practices and guidelines to enhance biomarker discovery and validation by adoption of systems-based approaches and trans-sector collaboration between academia, clinical medicine and relevant private and public sector stakeholders.
Learning Quality Through Prices and Word‐Of‐Mouth Communication

This paper studies the effect of wordâ€ ofâ€ mouth communication on the optimal pricing strategy for new experience goods. I consider a dynamic monopoly model with asymmetric information about product quality, in which consumers learn in equilibrium from both prices and other consumers. The main result is that wordâ€ ofâ€ mouth communication is essential for the existence of separating equilibria, wherein the highâ€ quality monopolist signals high quality through a low introductory price (lower than the monopoly price), and the lowâ€ quality one charges the monopoly price. The intuition is simple: low prices are costly, and will only be used by firms confident enough that increased experimentation (and therefore communication among consumers) will yield good news about quality and increased future profits. Additional results are the following: for the highâ€ quality seller, the expected price (quantity) is increasing (decreasing) over time; whereas for the lowâ€ quality one, the opposite is true. Moreover, signaling becomes more difficult when consumers pay less attention to their peers' reports and more attention to past prices. Finally, wordâ€ ofâ€ mouth communication improves consumer welfare.
Exploring the effects of school context on Chinese students’ use of language learning strategies in English learning

Abstract The research reported here investigated the effects of contextual factors on Chinese students’ use of language learning strategies in English learning. The study differed from most of the previous studies on learning strategies in that the data were examined within Biggs (1993. What do inventories of students’ learning processes really measure? A theoretical review and clarification. British Journal of Educational Psychology 63. 3–19.) 3P (Presage, Process and Product) model of learning. Using a Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (Oxford, R. L. 1990. Language learning strategies: What every teacher should know. New York: Newbury House Publishers.) and interview, the researchers discovered the disparities in the use of learning strategies in English learning between the students from urban schools and those from rural schools. The former made a more frequent use of the strategies leading to the improvement of communicative competence and active involvement in classroom activities, whereas the latter showed a strong preference for the strategies relevant to the analysis of grammatical rules and linguistic details. An in-depth analysis of the data revealed that the differences in strategy use between the two groups might stem from some social and economic factors and could be linked to three elements in Biggs’ 3P model: value and expectation, teacher competence and teaching facilities. The article concludes by discussing some implications for English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching in Chinese schools and other similar education settings worldwide.
Germination of Heat- and Alkali-Altered Spores of Clostridium perfringens Type A by Lysozyme and an Initiation Protein

The normal system functioning in the utilization of metabolizable germinants by both heat-sensitive and heat-resistant spores of Clostridium perfringens was inactivated by heat or by treatment of the spores with alkali to remove a soluble coat protein layer. Altered spores were incapable of germination (less than 1%) and outgrowth (less than 0.0005%) in complex media without the addition of either lysozyme or an initiation protein produced by C. perfringens. The addition of either of these agents permitted, in the case of alkali-treated spores, both 90 to 95% germination and outgrowth, as measured by colony formation. In the case of heat-damaged spores, only 50% germination and 2% outgrowth resulted from addition of the initiation protein, whereas lysozyme permitted 85% germination and 8% outgrowth. Alteration of the spores by heat or alkali apparently inactivated the normal lytic system responsible for cortical degradation during germination. Kinetics of production of the initiation protein and conditions affecting both its activity and that of lysozyme on altered spores are described.
The Impact of the Number of Sellers on Quantal Response Equilibrium Predictions in Bertrand Oligopolies

This paper studies how increasing the number of sellers in a Bertrand oligopoly with homogenous goods affects the equilibrium price level predicted by logistic quantal response equilibrium (LQRE) and power&#8208;function QRE (PQRE). We show that increasing the number of sellers reduces the average posted price in a PQRE, but can increase the average posted price in an LQRE. Our results indicate that the comparative&#8208;static predictions of QRE (McKelvey &amp; Palfrey, 1995, Games Econ Behav, 10,&#160;6&#8211;38) are not necessarily robust to changes of the quantal response function.
The kinetic enhancement of hydrogen cycling in NaAlH4 by melt infusion into nanoporous carbon aerogel

Enhanced kinetic performance and reversibility have been achieved with uncatalyzed NaAlH4 by incorporation into nanoporous carbon aerogel. Aerogel with a pore size distribution peaked at 13 nm and a pore volume of 0.8 cm3 g−1 was filled with NaAlH4 to 94% capacity by melt infusion at 189 °C under 183 bar H2 gas overpressure. Dehydrogenation to NaH + Al with reasonable kinetics was accomplished at 150 °C, well below the NaAlH4 melting temperature (183 °C), compared to hydrogen release above 230 °C for bulk uncatalyzed NaAlH4. Uncatalyzed bulk samples did not rehydrogenate under laboratory conditions, whereas NaAlH4 in a carbon aerogel host was readily rehydrogenated at ∼160 °C and 100 bar H2 to ∼85% of its initial capacity. Ball-milled NaAlH4 catalyzed with 4 mol% TiCl3 showed somewhat better kinetics compared to the infused aerogel; nevertheless, the large kinetic enhancement obtained by incorporation into carbon aerogel, even in the absence of a catalyst, demonstrates the substantial benefit of confining the NaAlH4 to nanoscale dimensions.
Predictors of response to pharmacotherapy in social anxiety disorder: an analysis of 3 placebo-controlled paroxetine trials.

BACKGROUND There is increasing evidence that patients with social anxiety disorder (social phobia) respond to treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Response rates to SSRIs in social anxiety disorder have ranged from at least 50% in controlled trials to up to 80% in open trials. To date, however, there has been little information available about predictors of response to treatment in this disorder. METHOD Data from 3 placebo-controlled multicenter trials of paroxetine in DSM-IV social anxiety disorder (N = 829) were analyzed using logistic regression to determine predictors of response. Demographic (age, sex), physiologic (baseline heart rate, baseline mean arterial pressure), clinical (baseline social anxiety symptom severity, baseline disability, duration of illness), and trial variables (paroxetine dose, treatment duration) were included. RESULTS Only duration of treatment was a statistically significant predictor of treatment response. Further analysis demonstrated that, in paroxetine-treated patients in particular, many nonresponders at week 8 (46/166; 27.7%) were responders at week 12. CONCLUSION These data demonstrate that paroxetine is a reasonable choice of treatment in a broad spectrum of patients with social anxiety disorder. An optimal trial of medication should continue beyond 8 weeks.
Sex differences in the anticoagulant effects of warfarin.

Sex differences in the anticoagulant effects of warfarin were studied in rats. Warfarin was administered to rats from 7 days of gestation until 14 weeks of age. In male rats, the normal prothrombin level in the plasma was reduced, and the blood coagulation time was prolonged by treatment with warfarin at 4, 9 and 14 weeks of age. However, in female rats, the effects of warfarin on the prothrombin level and blood coagulation time were observed at 4 weeks to the same degree as in male rats, but these effects were reduced with aging, and at 14 weeks, no effect of warfarin was observed. Rats ovariectomized at 12 weeks of age and subsequently treated with warfarin for 2 weeks showed prolongation of blood coagulation time to the same level as in warfarin-treated male rats, which was inhibited by administration of 17 beta-estradiol (100 micrograms/kg/day for 4 days, i.m.). In male rats, treatment with 17 beta-estradiol also inhibited the anticoagulant effects of warfarin without changing the warfarin level in plasma. These results suggest that there is a sex difference in the anticoagulant effects of warfarin, and that this difference may be related to the estradiol level in plasma.
Temporally defined neocortical translation and polysome assembly are determined by the RNA-binding protein Hu antigen R

Significance The neocortex is an intricate and diverse cellular network in the brain, generating complex thought and voluntary motor behavior. Although recent attention has focused on the genome and transcriptome, our goal is to study the role of posttranscriptional processing and mRNA translation in neocortical development. In this work, we show that the protein components of actively translating ribosomes and their mRNA cargo in the developing neocortex depend on the temporally specific action of an RNA-binding protein, Hu antigen R (HuR). We further show that HuR is required for the development of neocortical neurons and structure. This study contributes to our overall understanding of how the regulation of functional gene expression influences neocortical development. Precise spatiotemporal control of mRNA translation machinery is essential to the development of highly complex systems like the neocortex. However, spatiotemporal regulation of translation machinery in the developing neocortex remains poorly understood. Here, we show that an RNA-binding protein, Hu antigen R (HuR), regulates both neocorticogenesis and specificity of neocortical translation machinery in a developmental stage-dependent manner in mice. Neocortical absence of HuR alters the phosphorylation states of initiation and elongation factors in the core translation machinery. In addition, HuR regulates the temporally specific positioning of functionally related mRNAs into the active translation sites, the polysomes. HuR also determines the specificity of neocortical polysomes by defining their combinatorial composition of ribosomal proteins and initiation and elongation factors. For some HuR-dependent proteins, the association with polysomes likewise depends on the eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha kinase 4, which associates with HuR in prenatal developing neocortices. Finally, we found that deletion of HuR before embryonic day 10 disrupts both neocortical lamination and formation of the main neocortical commissure, the corpus callosum. Our study identifies a crucial role for HuR in neocortical development as a translational gatekeeper for functionally related mRNA subgroups and polysomal protein specificity.
Melt granulation in fluidized bed: a comparative study of spray-on versus in situ procedure

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of process parameters, binder content and binder addition method on characteristics of the granules obtained by melt granulation (MG) in fluidized bed. Methods: Spray-on experiments were performed according to 23 full factorial design. The effect of binder content, molten binder feed rate, and spray air pressure on granule size and size distribution, granule shape, ﬂowability and drug release rate was investigated. In the in situ experiments, the influence of binder particle size and binder content was evaluated. Solid-state characterization was performed by means of differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Results: Size of the granules obtained by spray-on procedure was significantly influenced by binder content and spray air pressure, while the width of particle size distribution was mainly affected by binder feed rate. Spray air pressure showed the most significant influence on granule shape. It was shown that smooth and spherical particles with good flow properties may be obtained by both procedures, spray-on and in situ MG. The results obtained indicated the influence of agglomeration mechanism on granule sphericity, with higher degree of granule sphericity observed when immersion and layering was the dominant mechanism. Paracetamol release from granulates was very rapid, but after compression of the granules into tablets, drug release was considerably slower. Solid-state analysis confirmed that the physical form of the granulate components remained unaffected after the MG process. Conclusion: The results presented indicate that MG in fluidized bed could be a good alternative to conventional granulation techniques.
CT pulmonary angiography versus ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy in pregnancy: implications from a UK survey of doctors' knowledge of radiation exposure.

PURPOSE To prospectively investigate the fetal dosimetry knowledge of health care professionals involved in the management of pulmonary embolism. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred sixty-one health care professionals consented to participate in this study, which had ethical board approval. The individuals surveyed were from 14 hospitals (seven university and seven community hospitals) in the United Kingdom, and 68 trainees were included. These health care professionals included 102 radiologists, 13 nuclear physicians, seven dual-accredited radiologist-nuclear medicine physicians, 16 medical physicists, and 23 pulmonologists. The interview included eight questions. Two questions asked which examination-computed tomographic (CT) pulmonary angiography or ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scintigraphy-gave (a) the larger radiation exposure (effective dose) to an adult and (b) the larger fetal dose. Two questions assessed the magnitude of the dose differences between these two tests. Four questions asked for an estimate of the dose to both adult and fetus from CT pulmonary angiography and scintigraphy. Subgroup analysis was performed by using the Fisher exact test. RESULTS Of the 161 professionals surveyed, 93 (58%) appreciated correctly that V/Q scintigraphy delivers a higher fetal dose than does CT pulmonary angiography. Three of 161 professionals were able to answer all eight questions correctly. In terms of the knowledge that V/Q scintigraphy has a higher fetal dose than does CT, there was no statistically significant difference in correct answers between specialties (P > .05), between university and community hospitals (P = .13), or between attending physicians and residents (P = .52). CONCLUSION This survey reveals that there is a lack of knowledge of fetal dosimetry in the imaging of pregnant women suspected of having pulmonary embolism.
Mice lacking ganglioside GM3 synthase exhibit complete hearing loss due to selective degeneration of the organ of Corti

The ganglioside GM3 synthase (SAT-I), encoded by a single-copy gene, is a primary glycosyltransferase for the synthesis of complex gangliosides. In SAT-I null mice, hearing ability, assessed by brainstem auditory-evoked potentials (BAEP), was impaired at the onset of hearing and had been completely lost by 17 days after birth (P17), showing a deformity in hair cells in the organ of Corti. By 2 months of age, the organ of Corti had selectively and completely disappeared without effect on balance or motor function or in the histology of vestibule. Interestingly, spatiotemporal changes in localization of individual gangliosides, including GM3 and GT1b, were observed during the postnatal development and maturation of the normal inner ear. GM3 expressed in almost all regions of cochlea at P3, but at the onset of hearing it distinctly localized in stria vascularis, spiral ganglion, and the organ of Corti. In addition, SAT-I null mice maintain the function of stria vascularis, because normal potassium concentration and endocochlear potential of endolymph were observed even when they lost the BAEP completely. Thus, the defect of hearing ability of SAT-I null mice could be attributed to the functional disorganization of the organ of Corti, and the expression of gangliosides, especially GM3, during the early part of the functional maturation of the cochlea could be essential for the acquisition and maintenance of hearing function.
Displaced articular calcaneus fractures: classification and fracture scores: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVE To review and group configurations of displaced articular calcaneal fracture advantaged for classification and radiographic fracture scores. MATERIAL AND METHOD Between 2002 and 2011, medical records and radiographs of patients who sustained acute displaced articular calcaneal fractures were reviewed. The calcanealfracture configurations were grouped as avulsion, bending, burst, or combination. Radiographic displaced articular calcaneal fracture score was designed to include Bohler and Gissane angles, degrees of posterior subtalar joint line parallel, degrees of varus, and burst. The calcaneal fracture score was modified as power of the fracture response to treatment (PFRT). Prevalence of the fracture types, pre- and post-reduction fracture scores including PFRT were studied and statistically analyzed. RESULTS Sixty-four patients had 77 acute displaced articular calcaneal fractures. The classification consisted of type I avulsion, type II compression bending, type III compression burst, type IV avulsion burst, and type V bending burst. Type IV is the most common. The radiographic calcaneal fracture scores were 10 points. Pre-, post-reduction calcaneal fracture scores and PFRTof type I, II, III, IV, and V were 4.17 (0.41), 0 and 1 (0), 4.63 (2.13), 0.50 (0.93) and 0.84 (0.35), 6.94 (2.05), 3.18 (1.38) and 0.50 (0.27), 8.03 (1.12), 3.03 (2.42) and 0.62 (0.30), and 7.22 (2.11), 3.00 (2.50) and 0.59 (0.29) respectively. Statistical analysis showed significant difference (p < 0.05). PFRT for screw and pin fixation of type I plus II, IV and V were 1.00 (0) and 1.00 (0), 0.64 (0.27) and 0.60 (0.36), and 0.54 (0.28) and 0.51 (0.45) respectively. PFRT for plate of type III was 0.54 (0.16). PFRT for casting of type I plus II, III, and IV were 0.50 (0.71), 0.27 (0.46), and 0.35 (0.33) respectively. CONCLUSION The classification consisted of five types, which were based on injury mechanisms as avulsion, bending, and burst. The radiographic calcaneal fracture scores contained 10 points and were used for determining complexity of the fractures. PFRT was used for evaluating efficacy of fracture treatment.
Consequences of chronic ketamine self-administration upon neurocognitive function and psychological wellbeing: a 1-year longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND 'Recreational' use of ketamine is spreading rapidly among young people. In healthy individuals an acute dose of the N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist ketamine induces marked psychosis-like effects and cognitive impairments, but little is known about the long-term effects of the drug. AIMS To evaluate the long-term neuropsychiatric or cognitive consequences. METHODS A total of 150 individuals were assessed, 30 in each of five groups: frequent ketamine users, infrequent ketamine users, abstinent users, polydrug controls and non-users of illicit drugs. Twelve months later, 80% of these individuals were re-tested. RESULTS Cognitive deficits were mainly observed only in frequent users. In this group, increasing ketamine use over the year was correlated with decreasing performance on spatial working memory and pattern recognition memory tasks. Assessments of psychological wellbeing showed greater dissociative symptoms in frequent users and a dose-response effect on delusional symptoms, with frequent users scoring higher than infrequent, abstinent users and non-users, respectively. Both frequent and abstinent using groups showed increased depression scores over the 12 months. CONCLUSIONS These findings imply that heavy use of ketamine is harmful to aspects of both cognitive function and psychological wellbeing. Health education campaigns need to raise awareness among young people and clinicians about these negative consequences of ketamine use.