Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regional citrate versus heparin anticoagulation during venovenous hemofiltration in patients at low risk for bleeding: similar hemofilter survival but significantly less bleeding.

BACKGROUND Regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) may be a valuable alternative to systemic heparin anticoagulation during continuous venovenous hemodialysis (CVVH). RCA does not increase the risk of bleeding, but carries the risk of metabolic derangements. Clotting-free circuit survival may be increased with RCA. METHODS Critically ill patients at low risk for bleeding were randomized for CVVH with RCA or systemic heparin anticoagulation. A maximum of 4 consecutive CVVH circuits were analyzed for every patient. Clotting-free circuit survival, adverse metabolic events and bleeding complications were recorded. RESULTS Forty-eight patients were included in the study and randomized for RCA (n=21) or systemic heparin (n=27). A total of 142 CVVH circuits were analyzed with a median of 3 circuits per patient. Uncensored circuit survival and median clotting-free circuit survival were similar for both groups. No significant adverse metabolic events occurred in the RCA group. Major bleedings were not recorded in the RCA group, compared with 10 events in the heparin group (p<0.01). The number of red blood cell units given per day of CVVH was significantly higher in the heparin group (0.88 vs 0.43 units/day, p=0.01). Also, the mean decrease in hemoglobin concentration per day in the nontransfused stable patients, was significantly higher in the heparin group. CONCLUSION RCA during CVVH can be performed safely, with a circuit survival similar to systemic heparin anticoagulation, but significantly lower incidence of bleeding. Citrate anticoagulation should be advocated as first choice, also for critically ill patients considered to be at low risk for bleeding.
Hospital cost functions.

The hospital sector has been one of the most rapidly growing sectors in the American economy; expenditures on hospital services have been growing at an annual rate of 14% since 1965 (26). In 198 1 personal expenditures on hospital care were 1 18 billion dollars or 4% of the gross national product (26); an average day in a short-term hospital cost $284.33, while an average stay cost $2, 171.20 (2). The size and importance of the hospital sector has attracted much attention from health services researchers. Considerable resources have been directed to the estimation of hospital cost functions. Investigators have examined the factors that affect the level of hospital costs at a period of time and the factors that affect the increase in costs over time. The work has been given focus and some urgency by a series of policy issues involved in hospital management, third party reimbursement, and public health. At fIrst, analyses were most concerned with addressing planning issues. Is there a most effIcient size of hospital? This question concerns not only how hospital costs vary with hospital size but also how other costs such as travel costs of patients, friends, and health workers vary with hospital size. The answer would help in planning for the effIcient production and distribution of hospital services in a region. A natural extension of this set of issues is the relationship between hospital costs and hospital occupancy rates. If almost all costs were fIxed and unrelated to the number of patients served or beds fIlled, the total cost of care would be
Inhibition of tumor promoter-mediated processes in mouse skin and bovine lens by caffeic acid phenethyl ester.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) was isolated from propolis (a product of honeybee hives) that has been used in folk medicine as a potent antiinflammatory agent. CAPE is cytotoxic to tumor and virally transformed but not to normal cells. Our main goal was to establish whether CAPE inhibits the tumor promoter (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate)-induced processes associated with carcinogenesis. Topical treatment of SENCAR mice with very low doses (0.1-6.5 nmol/topical treatment) of CAPE strongly inhibits the following 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-mediated oxidative processes that are considered essential for tumor promotion: (a) polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration into mouse skin and ears, as quantified by myeloperoxidase activity; (b) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production; and (c) formation of oxidized bases in epidermal DNA, as measured by 5-hydroxymethyluracil and 8-hydroxylguanine. A 0.5-nmol dose of CAPE suppresses the oxidative burst of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes by 50%. At higher doses (1-10 mumol), CAPE inhibits edema and ornithine decarboxylase induction in CD-1 and SENCAR mice. Interestingly, we discovered that 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced H2O2 production in bovine lenses also is inhibited by CAPE. Cumulatively, these findings point to CAPE as being a potent chemopreventive agent, which may be useful in combating diseases with strong inflammatory and/or oxidative stress components, i.e., various types of cancer and possibly cataract development.
Picoplankton dynamics in a hypertrophic semiarid wetland

This study was carried out on a neglected component of wetlands: the picoplankton community. We analyzed the picoplanktonic community patterns and their related environmental factors in a hypertrophic semi-arid wetland located in Central Spain (Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park, TDNP). We determined the bacterial and autotrophic picoplankton (APP) abundance over a three-year period (1996: the end of a long drought period and 1997–1998: after flooding) in five sites of the wetland. The overall range of bacterial abundance was 0.2 × 106 to 10 × 106 cells/ml. The annual mean abundance increased in the wettest 1997. APP was composed mainly by coccoid phycocyanin-containing cyanobacteria, with the greatest abundance up to 25 × 105 cells/ml. The annual mean also increased considerably in wetter 1997–98. Despite the large APP biomass in some sites, its percentage of total phytoplankton biomass was low (the annual average did not exceed 1.5%). We observed spatial heterogeneity in the picoplankton fraction depending on the fluctuating hydrology: bacteria tends to spatial homogeneity after flooding while APP showed only similarity among the output sites. Among the considered predictive variables (temperature, phosphorus, nitrogen, zooplankton, phytoplankton) of the picoplanktonic dynamics, temperature was the most closely correlated to picoplankton, especially to bacterial abundance. Further, in two factorial, coupled-hierarchical laboratory experiments (constant temperature), we searched for control mechanisms of picoplankton. We tested (a) the trophic cascade hypothesis by analyzing the effect of presence/absence of mosquitofish (experiment 1) or directly modifying the zooplanktonic community (experiment 2) and (b) the bottom-up regulation by altering the nutrient conditions (presence/absence of sediment in experiment 1; reducing the nutrient content in experiment 2). Bacterioplankton failed to show any behavior related to trophic cascade direct effects, while nutrients increased its abundance. APP was affected positively by nutrients and negatively by zooplankton grazing.
Effect of Plant Extracts, Bio Agents and Fungicides against Sclerotium rolfsii Causing Collar Rot in Chickpea

Antifungal effects of methanol, acetone, dichloromethane and aqueous extracts of four flowers, marigold (Tagetes erecta), Gaillardia sp. (G. aristata), Chrysanthemum sp. (C. indicum) and Calotropis sp. (C. gigantea) were evaluated in vitro and in vivo against Sclerotium rolfsii, the causal agent of collar rot of chickpea alone and in combination with bio agents. Among all extracts tested, aqueous extract of marigold flower exhibited potential antifungal activity against S. rolfsii. Seed treatment with Pseudomonas fluorescens 10 g/kg+Trichoderma harzianum 4 g/kg+marigold aqueous extract 4% was proved to be effective in increasing seedling vigour index of chickpea (2716.91) in paper towel assay and also found effective to reduce collar rot disease incidence of chickpea (70.56%) under greenhouse conditions.
INSUFFICIENT PRODUCTION OF URINARY TRYPSIN INHIBITOR FOR NEUTROPHIL ELASTASE RELEASE AFTER CARDIAC ARREST

To investigate the relationship between the inflammatory responses and postresuscitation syndrome, we prospectively examined the serial changes of neutrophil elastase (NE), urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI), and TNF-α) in successfully resuscitated patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. This study included 36 patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrests who were admitted to our intensive care unit after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). The 11 patients who restored to spontaneous circulation within 30 min after cardiac arrest were defined as the short cardiac arrest group. The 25 patients who restored to spontaneous circulation more than 30 min after cardiac arrest were defined as the long cardiac arrest group. Eight healthy volunteers served as control group. Daily plasma levels of NE, UTI, and TNF-α were measured from days 1 to 5 after ROSC. The releases of NE from activated neutrophil just after ROSC in the patients with long cardiac arrest were statistically higher than those of the short cardiac arrest group. There was a significant correlation between the NE levels and the duration of cardiac arrest. A high but insufficient production of UTI for NE release was observed on day 1, especially in the patients with a long duration of cardiac arrest. The cerebral performance category of the short cardiac arrest group was better than that of the long cardiac arrest group. Although high levels of TNF-α were sustained in the postresuscitation period, the levels of TNF-α were unrelated to the duration of cardiac arrest. In conclusion, a massive release of NE in proportion to the duration of cardiac arrest and an insufficient production of UTI for the NE release may contribute to the pathogenesis of postresuscitation syndrome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Anti-Influenza Antibody Level in Mother-Infant Pairs Depending on Trimester ofVaccination of Pregnant Women Using Immunoadjuvant Vaccine

Introduction: Anti-influenza vaccination of pregnant women using a subunit vaccine is an effective method to prevent pregnancy complications and fetal disorders. The efficacy of immunoadjuvant vaccines, as well as the production of IgG antibodies depending on the vaccination trimester requires further investigation. Materials and Methods: 48 mothers were vaccinated against influenza in the II and III trimesters. Grippol plus vaccine was used. Each dose of the vaccine contains antigens of A and B strains and adjuvant Polyoxidonium 500 µg. Hemagluttinine-inhibiting antibodies level (HIAb) were evaluated in sera of mothers and babies at different time points after vaccination using a standard reaction of hemagglutination inhibition, in accordance with criteria developed by the committee for proprietary medicinal products (CPMP). Results: Within 1 month after vaccination, the seroprotection rate against all influenza strains was above the threshold level of 140 in more than 70% of pregnant women. After delivery, the seroprotection level in the group vaccinated in the III trimester was similar for A/California/7/2009/H1N1/v and Ð/H3N2 strains, and differed for B strain. The percentage of infants with seroprotection was 55.5%-59.3%, while in their mothers, the respective value was 74.1%-81.5% (p<0.05). Within 3 months, the number of infants with seroprotection against influenza strains in mother-infant pairs was decreased: A/California/7/2009/H1N1/v, Ð/H3N2, B. In infants and the seroprotection level disappeared completely by 6 months. The time of vaccination of pregnant women had no effect on these parameters. In mothers, the protective levels against vaccine strains were found in 46.2%-65.4% of cases after delivery. Conclusion: Vaccination of pregnant women in the II and III trimesters using Grippol plus results in production of antibodies at levels complying with CPMP criteria. No difference in production and transplacental transfer of IgG antibodies against influenza was found in mother-infant pairs vaccinated in different trimesters of pregnancy.
Mechanisms of angiotensin-induced hypotension and bradycardia in the medial solitary tract nucleus.

The selective angiotensin (ANG) II antagonists losartan (AT1) and CGP-42112A (AT2) were used to determine the receptor subtype and neuronal pathways that mediate the hypotension and bradycardia produced by 200 fmol of ANG II microinjected into the dorsal medial nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) or dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (dmnX) in anesthetized rats. At dorsal medial NTS sites (0.3 mm below the surface) where L-glutamate microinjections produced maximal decreases in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR), ANG II (200 fmol, 50 nl, n = 16) elicited hypotension (-22 +/- 1 mmHg) and bradycardia (-26 +/- 2 beats/min). Although L-glutamate also suppressed respiration, ANG II injections in the medial NTS did not alter respiration. Losartan injected at the medial NTS site caused a dose-dependent reduction of ANG II-induced decreases in MAP and HR. At 2 pmol, the AT1 antagonist attenuated the response to ANG II, whereas 100 pmol abolished the effects of ANG II microinjections. In contrast, the AT2 antagonist CGP-42112A (100 pmol) had no effect on the responses to ANG II. Neither ANG II antagonist altered the cardiovascular effects of L-glutamate injections. Losartan injected into the dmnX blocked hypotension and bradycardia produced by ANG II at that site but did not prevent responses to subsequent ANG II injections in the medial NTS. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Relationship between serum osteocalcin levels and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease in Chinese men

The present study was designed to investigate the relationship between serum osteocalcin levels and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Chinese men. In all, 1558 men (21–78 years old) were recruited to the study. Serum osteocalcin, glucose and lipid profiles were determined. Demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. All participants underwent hepatic ultrasonographic examination. Serum osteocalcin levels were significantly lower in subjects with NAFLD than those without (P < 0.01). All study subjects were divided into four subgroups according to quartiles of serum osteocalcin levels. The frequency of NAFLD increased progressively with declining serum osteocalcin levels (Ptrend < 0.01). Serum osteocalcin levels were inversely correlated with NAFLD (P < 0.01). However, the significant association between serum osteocalcin levels and NAFLD disappeared in logistic regression analyses. Furthermore, multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that serum osteocalcin levels were independently associated with serum alanine aminotransferase levels in Chinese men (P < 0.01). The findings of the present study suggest that serum osteocalcin levels are not directly correlated with NAFLD.
CHANGES OF SOME HAEMATOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN DAIRY COWS DURING LATE GESTATION, POST PARTUM, LACTATION AND DRY PERIODS

The period of transition between late pregnancy and early lactation presents an important metabolic challenge to the high-yielding dairy cows. They need, especially for the high milk yield, more nutrients and energy supply than other animals. The aim of this study was to attempt at providing a complete picture of dynamics of selected biochemical blood parameters in dairy cows from late pregnancy to dry period, giving new and useful information about the guidelines for the management strategies during different physiological phases. The study was carried out on five clinically healthy dairy cows, breed Holstein Friesian, in good nutritional condition. All the experimental subjects were selected on the basis of their pregnancy and lactation status, so blood samples were collected two days before the expected parturition (Late gestation), during the post partum, in early lactation, during the 2 nd , 5 th and 15 th weeks after parturition, at the end of lactation and at the dry period. On each serum sample urea, creatinine, total proteins, albumin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, NEFA, β-hydroxybutyrate, total and indirect bilirubins, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium were determined. On all data, normally distributed (P<0.05, Kolmogorov-Smirnov's Test), one-way Repeated Measure Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was applied to evaluate the influence of the reproduction status on the considered parameters. A significant effect of the physiological phase was observed on urea, creatinine, total proteins, total cholesterol, triglycerides, NEFA, β-hydroxybutyrate, calcium and phosphorus. Our data confirm that the lactation period is the more sensible, by a metabolic point of view, for the high production dairy cow, so the information, provided in this paper, advance the continuous investigation in animal welfare and can be a useful tool in
A Unified Approach for Multi-step Temporal-Difference Learning with Eligibility Traces in Reinforcement Learning

Recently, a new multi-step temporal learning algorithm Q(σ) unifies n-step Tree-Backup (when σ = 0) and n-step Sarsa (when σ = 1) by introducing a sampling parameter σ. However, similar to other multi-step temporal-difference learning algorithms, Q(σ) needs much memory consumption and computation time. Eligibility trace is an important mechanism to transform the off-line updates into efficient on-line ones which consume less memory and computation time. In this paper, we combine the original Q(σ) with eligibility traces and propose a new algorithm, called Qπ(σ,λ), where λ is trace-decay parameter. This new algorithm unifies Sarsa(λ) (when σ = 1) and Qπ (λ) (when σ = 0). Furthermore, we give an upper error bound of Qπ(σ,λ) policy evaluation algorithm. We prove that Qπ (σ, λ) control algorithm converges to the optimal value function exponentially. We also empirically compare it with conventional temporal-difference learning methods. Results show that, with an intermediate value of σ, Qπ(σ,λ) creates a mixture of the existing algorithms which learn the optimal value significantly faster than the extreme end (σ = 0, or 1).
Management Risk and the Cost of Borrowing

Risk generated by uncertainty about future management policies appears to affect firms' cost of borrowing. In a sample of S&P 1500 firms between 1987 and 2012, CDS spreads, loan spreads and bond yield spreads all decline over the first three years of CEO tenure, holding other macroeconomic, firm, and security level factors constant. This decline occurs regardless of the reason for the prior CEO's departure. Similar but smaller declines occur following turnovers of CFOs. The spreads are more sensitive to CEO turnover and tenure when the prior uncertainty about the incoming CEO's ability is likely to be higher: when he is not an heir apparent, is an outsider, is younger, or when he does not have a prior relationship with the lender. The spread-tenure sensitivity is also higher when the firm has a higher default risk and when the debt claim is riskier. These patterns are consistent with the view that the decline in spreads in a manager's first three years of tenure reflects the resolution of uncertainty about management. Firms adjust their propensities to issue external debt, precautionary cash holding, and reliance on internal funds in response to these short-term increases in borrowing costs early in their CEOs' tenure.
Age at first sexual intercourse, genes, and social context: Evidence from twins and the dopamine D4 receptor gene

We carried out two distinct types of genetic analysis with data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The first was a non-DNA twin analysis using monozygotic (identical) and same-sex dizygotic (fraternal) twins. The second analysis investigates the association between age at first sexual intercourse and the 48-bp repeat polymorphism in the dopamine receptor D4 gene (DRD4). The twin analysis shows that MZ twins correlate their timing of first sex to a much greater extent than do the same-sex DZ twins. Our analysis of the polymorphisms in DRD4 indicates that those with an any-3R genotype experienced a risk of first sexual intercourse 23% (p=.016), 233% (p=.0001), 28% (p=.012), and 69% (p=.006) higher than those with an other/other (or any-4R) genotype in the all-ethnicities (n=2,552), Asian, white, and Hispanic samples, respectively. The risk of first sex does not differ between the two genotypes in the African American sample. These results were obtained after adjusting the standard socioeconomic covariates, including gender, parental education, family structure, and community poverty in the regression model. Evidence from both twin and genetic-variant analyses points to a role of genes in the timing of first sexual intercourse.
Theory of high-field electron transport and impact ionization in silicon dioxide.

A detailed theoretical study of impact-ionization-related transport phenomena in ${\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$ thin films is presented. The Boltzmann transport equation is integrated by the Monte Carlo method using acoustic-phonon-scattering rates derived from photoinduced electron transmission experiments. It is shown that these empirical scattering rates necessitate the inclusion of impact ionization at fields Fg${\mathit{F}}_{\mathrm{th}}^{\mathrm{ii}}$=7 MV/cm because phonon scattering alone can no longer stabilize the electron energy distribution below the ionization energy of 9 eV. However, even above ${\mathit{F}}_{\mathrm{th}}^{\mathrm{ii}}$, acoustic-phonon scattering is found to considerably delay the heating of electrons, leading to a wide dark space in which impact ionization cannot take place or is strongly reduced. Therefore, the electron multiplication factors m(F,${\mathit{t}}_{\mathrm{ox}}$) decrease rapidly with decreasing oxide thickness, ${\mathit{t}}_{\mathrm{ox}}$, for ${\mathit{t}}_{\mathrm{ox}}$30 nm. These predictions are shown to be consistent with results of several high-field transport experiments in silicon\char21{}silicon-dioxide device structures. The calculated electron energy distributions develop high-energy tails which extend beyond the band-gap energy at fields larger than ${\mathit{F}}_{\mathrm{th}}^{\mathrm{ii}}$, as observed by vacuum emission experiments. The calculated impact-ionization coefficients are found to be in good agreement with values derived from experiments.
Insider trading with different risk attitudes

This paper examines the impact of different risk attitudes on the financial decisions of two insiders trading in the stock market. We consider a static version of the Kyle (Econometrica 53:1315–1335, 1985) model with two insiders. Insider 1 is risk neutral while insider 2 is risk averse with negative exponential utility. First, we analytically prove the existence of a unique linear equilibrium. Second, we carry out a comparative static analysis with respect to the duopoly case of risk-neutral insiders (Tighe in Three essays on insider trading. Unpublished Ph.D dissertation, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, 1989) and with respect to the duopoly case of risk-averse insiders (Holden and Subrahmanyam in Econ Lett 44:181–190, 1994) models. Our findings reveal that the market depth and the information revelation are higher in Tighe (1989) than in our model. However, compared to Holden and Subrahmanyam (1994), we find that the market depth depends crucially on the degree of risk aversion. Finally, we show that regardless of the degree of risk aversion, the stock price reveals more information in our model than the stock price in Holden and Subrahmanyam (1994).