Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Place Called LIFE: Exploring the Advance Care Planning of African-American PACE Enrollees

ABSTRACT The goals of this exploratory study were (a) to describe, among African-American PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) enrollees, verbalized preferences for end-of-life care as compared to preferences for care as documented in their medical record and (b) to explore the personal values that inform end-of-life decision making among these frail elders. Medical record review and semi-structured interviews generated descriptive and qualitative data for 18 African-American enrollees in a PACE program located in a large eastern city of the United States. Review of verbalized and documented preferences for end-of-life care among participants indicated that most preferred life-sustaining treatments. In addition, findings suggest that these PACE enrollees had limited information or understanding of the interventions and terminology associated with advance directives. Content analysis of interviews indicated that end-of-life decision making was influenced by the desire to maintain usual activities of daily living; to avoid burdening caregivers; and to remain in control of personal health care. Furthermore, these African-American elders relied on faith in God as central to medical decision making, believing ultimately that God controls the end of life. This research may enhance the ability of social workers, in collaboration with other members of PACE or similar interdisciplinary teams, to understand the values and attitudes associated with the preferences of older African Americans for care at the end of life. These findings suggest future research is needed to ensure advance care planning acknowledges and responds to the values and preferences of African-American PACE enrollees for the end of life.
Long-term disability after trauma in children.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to assess long-term disability after pediatric trauma and identify predicting factors. METHODS A phone survey was conducted of all pediatric trauma patients with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) > or = 4 seen over 6 years at a regional trauma center. The questionnaire was a modification of the Rand Health Insurance Study scales. RESULTS Of 218 eligible trauma registry patients, 19 were deceased, 64 unreachable, 19 declined, and 116 interviewed. There were no demographic differences between respondents and nonrespondents. Sixty-three percent of the respondents were boys, mean age at injury was 13, ISS 16.7, and mean interval since injury was 4.4 (range, 1 to 7) years. Sixty-three children (54%) had no limitations on follow-up; the remainder had either limitations in physical or role activities (28%), mobility (16%), or self-care ability (2%). Significant correlations were found between the presence of disability and trauma scores and number of body regions injured. Stepwise logistic regression identified number of regions injured, mechanism of injury, and ISS as the main determinants for presence of long-term disability. CONCLUSIONS Half of injured children do have long-term sequelae. Their occurrence can be predicted from trauma scores, mechanism of injury, and number of regions injured.
Cluster emergence: combining pre-existing conditions and triggering factors

Abstract This article argues that the emergence of regional clusters relies on both necessary pre-existing conditions for cluster appearance in general and triggering factors that cause clusters to emerge in particular places. This approach is used to analyse two ‘critical cases’; the emergence of the synthetic-knowledge boat building industry in the Arendal area in Norway from the mid-1950s and the analytical-knowledge cancer medicine industry in Oslo around the year 2000. Although the industries and the contexts are otherwise very different, the framework turns out to be useful in interpreting the emergence of the two clusters. However, the specific pre-existing conditions and the triggering factors differ between the two cases. The Arendal boat building industry emerged through the combination of traditional boat building skills and exogenous knowledge of the use of new plastic material, while the Oslo cancer medicine industry built on indigenously-developed scientific knowledge. The framework is useful in putting anecdotal evidence of cluster emergence due to the efforts of entrepreneurs into a wider analytical framework of the preconditions necessary for entrepreneurs to succeed.
State and Perspective of Development of Semi-Subsistence Farms in Bulgaria

Agricultural sector in Bulgaria is a traditional one for the national economy. After 2007 it runs in a definitely new economic and political environment. As a member of EU the Bulgarian agricultural producers are obligated to adopt the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The agricultural sector has a dualistic structure - in one hand there are large number of small farms, part of them subsistence or semi-subsistence and in the other hand there are only a few number of market oriented units. If the big producers are easier to adherence the legislations of the agricultural sector then it will be very difficult for the small scale farms. Indisputably interest represents the semi- subsistence farms which have a potential to develop to market oriented ones. According to this the Rural development program includes a special measure for semi-subsistence farms to support their development.The main aim in the paper is to reveal the opportunities for development of semi-subsistence farms as a market oriented ones. Based on analysis of their characteristics the conclusions are that positive effects of their development are influenced by better economic environment and improved infrastructure and information services. According to these conditions one third of them have a potential to grow to the market oriented structures.
The definition and assessment of analytic process: can analysts agree?

Although analytic process (AP) is a core concept in psychoanalytic theory and practice and has emerged as an important variable in outcome studies, there is no consensus regarding its definition and operationalisation. This paper describes the development and validation of the Columbia Analytic Process Scale (CAPS), a rating scale developed to evaluate the presence or absence of AP in a single psychoanalytic session transcript for purposes of an outcome study. Definitions of interrater reliability and construct validity are reviewed and two studies designed to evaluate these important aspects of the CAPS are presented. The results demonstrate that the CAPS has adequate interrater reliability (kappa = .5). To establish construct validity the plan was to compare the CAPS rating of AP to clinical consensus. However, when a group of ten senior training and supervising analysts at Columbia were asked to rate five psychoanalytic session transcripts, no clinical consensus could be established. Statistical analysis of the pattern of the analysts' clinical ratings showed that the largest portion of the variance was accounted for by the error term of a two-way ANOVA. The implication of this finding is that the construct of AP itself is ill-defined. The results of this study suggest that the commonly used term AP has less consensually held meanings than analysts tend to believe; the impact of lack of definition of key terms on clinical and research pursuits within psychoanalysis is discussed.
Chemical composition and insecticidal activities of essential oils against diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae)

Abstract Five Himalayan plants namely, Acorus calamus, Cedrus deodara, Aegle marmelos, Tagetes minuta and Murraya koenigii were used for the extraction of essential oils through hydrodistillation and the major volatile constituents as identified by GC and GC–MS techniques were β-asarone (91.1%), β-himachalene (45.8%), limonene (59.5%), Z-ocimene (37.9%) and α-pinene (54.2%), respectively. Essential oils were tested for their insecticidal properties against larvae of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae). Results showed that A. calamus was most toxic (LC50 = 0.29 mg mL−1) to P. xylostella followed by C. deodara (LC50 = 1.08 mg mL−1) and M. koenigii (LC50 = 1.93 mg mL−1) via residual toxicity bioassay. Per cent feeding deterrence index and growth inhibition was significantly higher in A. calamus (42.20 and 68.55, respectively) followed by C. deodara (35.41 and 52.47). In repellent activity studies, C. deodara showed high repellence (64.76%) followed by A. calamus (55.05%). Graphical abstract
Cognitive-behavioral treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) for older adults

Background: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the most prevalent anxiety disorders among the elderly. Estimates of prevalence vary from around 3% to 12%, depending on the minimum age considered and the assessment instruments. The present study tests a GAD-specific treatment recently validated among adults (Ladouceur et al., 2000) and adapted for older adults. Method: Eight older adults (aged from 60 to 71) were included in a single-case experimental multiple-baseline design across subjects. Assessments were conducted at pre-test, post-test and at 6- and 12-months follow-ups. The treatment consisted of awareness training, worry interventions and relapse prevention. The worry interventions targeted intolerance of uncertainty, beliefs about worry, problem-solving and cognitive avoidance. Results: According to daily self-monitoring of worry, ADIS-IV ratings and self-reported questionnaire scores, seven out of eight participants showed clinically significant improvement at post-test. These therapeutic gains were maintained at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. Conclusions: This study shows that a cognitive-behavioral treatment that targets intolerance of uncertainty, erroneous beliefs about worry, poor problem orientation and cognitive avoidance is effective for treating GAD among elderly people.
Monetary Policy Transmission and Trade-Offs in the United States: Old and New

This study shows that, in the United States, the effects of monetary policy on credit and housing markets have become considerably stronger relative to the impact on GDP since the mid-1980s, while the effects on inflation have become weaker. Macroeconomic stabilization through monetary policy may therefore have become associated with greater fluctuations in credit and housing markets, whereas stabilizing credit and house prices may have become less costly in terms of macroeconomic volatility. These changes in the aggregate impact of monetary policy can be explained by several important changes in the monetary transmission mechanism and in the composition of macroeconomic and credit aggregates. In particular, the stronger impact of monetary policy on credit is driven by a much higher responsiveness of mortgage credit and a larger share of mortgages in total credit since the 1980s.
Determinants of stock market development: a review of the literature

Purpose - This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the literature on the determinants of stock market development. Design/methodology/approach - The paper divides the existing studies into the theoretical and empirical literature. Then, it analyses these studies in turn. Findings - Based on the theoretical literature, the determinants of stock market development can be broadly classified into two groups: macroeconomic factors and institutional factors. The theory and the empirics predict different ways in which macroeconomic factors affect stock market development. The real income and its growth rate foster stock market development, while the banking sector, interest rate and private capital flows can foster or inhibit it. Inflation and exchange rates have adverse effects on stock market development. In terms of the institutional factors, the literature indicates that different legal origins and stock market integration can have a positive or negative impact on stock market development. In addition, factors such as legal protection of investors, corporate governance, financial liberalisation and trade openness contribute positively to the development of the stock market. Research limitations/implications - From the survey, it is imperative that policies which aim at enhancing institutional quality, financial integration, real income growth, macroeconomic stability and capital inflows, among others, will certainly promote stock market development within and across countries. Although the empirical studies have incorporated a large set of variables in their models, the theoretical studies do not contain rich models of stock market development. It is understandable that a theoretical model which contains a large set of the determinants of stock market development may be difficult to solve. However, such a model seems very appealing and will provide a unification of the existing literature. Originality/value - The originality of the paper lies in the fact that it is the first to undertake a survey of the determinants of stock market development in the literature. It is hoped that this paper will spur further theoretical and empirical research on the determinants of stock market development.
The Democracy Aid Calculus: Regimes, Political Opponents, and the Allocation of US Democracy Assistance, 1981–2009

ABSTRACT To encourage the spread of democracy throughout the developing world, the United States provides targeted aid to governments, political parties, and other non-governmental groups and organizations. This study examines the calculations behind the allocation of democracy assistance, with special attention to the role of regime conditions and policy compatibility in the provision of aid. We argue that both concerns—the opportunity for successful democratization and critical goals related to containing and countering political opponents—are central to democracy aid allocations. We theorize how these two concerns determine the amount of aid allocated, operationalizing these concepts using measures of the original democracy level, change in the democracy level, and policy compatibility. We find support for our argument in tests of US democracy aid allocations by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) from 1981–2009.
N-Glycosylation Regulates ADAM8 Processing and Activation*

Background: The transmembrane metalloproteinase ADAM8 promotes tumor growth and metastasis in Triple-Negative breast cancer. Results: Three sites of N-glycosylation controlled ADAM8 processing, localization, stability, and activity. Conclusion: N-Glycans play important roles in ADAM8 structure and function. Significance: New insights into mechanisms regulating ADAM8 processing and activity may be exploited in future therapeutic strategies for Triple-Negative breast cancer. The transmembrane ADAM8 (A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase 8) protein is abundantly expressed in human breast tumors and derived metastases compared with normal breast tissue, and plays critical roles in aggressive Triple-Negative breast cancers (TNBCs). During ADAM8 maturation, the inactive proform dimerizes or multimerizes and autocatalytically removes the prodomain leading to the formation of the active, processed form. ADAM8 is a glycoprotein; however, little was known about the structure or functional role of these sugar moieties. Here, we report that in estrogen receptor (ER)α-negative, but not -positive, breast cancer cells ADAM8 contains N-glycosylation, which is required for its correct processing and activation. Consistently ADAM8 dimers were detected on the surface of ERα-negative breast cancer cells but not on ERα-positive ones. Site-directed mutagenesis confirmed four N-glycosylazhytion sites (Asn-67, Asn-91, Asn-436, and Asn-612) in human ADAM8. The Asn-67 and Asn-91 prodomain sites contained high mannose, whereas complex type N-glycosylation was observed on Asn-436 and Asn-612 in the active and remnant forms. The Asn-91 and Asn-612 sites were essential for its correct processing and cell surface localization, in particular its exit from the Golgi and endoplasmic reticulum, respectively. The N436Q mutation led to decreased ADAM8 stability due to enhanced lysosomal degradation. In contrast, mutation of the Asn-67 site had only modest effects on enzyme stability and processing. Thus, N-glycosylation is essential for processing, localization, stability, and activity of ADAM8.
Randomized, placebo-controlled trial of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa blockade with primary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction. ReoPro and Primary PTCA Organization and Randomized Trial (RAPPORT) Investigators.

BACKGROUND The benefit of catheter-based reperfusion for acute myocardial infarction (MI) is limited by a 5% to 15% incidence of in-hospital major ischemic events, usually caused by infarct artery reocclusion, and a 20% to 40% need for repeat percutaneous or surgical revascularization. Platelets play a key role in the process of early infarct artery reocclusion, but inhibition of aggregation via the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor has not been prospectively evaluated in the setting of acute MI. METHODS AND RESULTS Patients with acute MI of <12 hours' duration were randomized, on a double-blind basis, to placebo or abciximab if they were deemed candidates for primary PTCA. The primary efficacy end point was death, reinfarction, or any (urgent or elective) target vessel revascularization (TVR) at 6 months by intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis. Other key prespecified end points were early (7 and 30 days) death, reinfarction, or urgent TVR. The baseline clinical and angiographic variables of the 483 (242 placebo and 241 abciximab) patients were balanced. There was no difference in the incidence of the primary 6-month end point (ITT analysis) in the 2 groups (28.1% and 28.2%, P=0.97, of the placebo and abciximab patients, respectively). However, abciximab significantly reduced the incidence of death, reinfarction, or urgent TVR at all time points assessed (9.9% versus 3.3%, P=0.003, at 7 days; 11.2% versus 5.8%, P=0.03, at 30 days; and 17.8% versus 11.6%, P=0.05, at 6 months). Analysis by actual treatment with PTCA and study drug demonstrated a considerable effect of abciximab with respect to death or reinfarction: 4.7% versus 1.4%, P=0.047, at 7 days; 5.8% versus 3.2%, P=0.20, at 30 days; and 12.0% versus 6.9%, P=0.07, at 6 months. The need for unplanned, "bail-out" stenting was reduced by 42% in the abciximab group (20.4% versus 11.9%, P=0.008). Major bleeding occurred significantly more frequently in the abciximab group (16.6% versus 9.5%, P=0.02), mostly at the arterial access site. There was no intracranial hemorrhage in either group. CONCLUSIONS Aggressive platelet inhibition with abciximab during primary PTCA for acute MI yielded a substantial reduction in the acute (30-day) phase for death, reinfarction, and urgent target vessel revascularization. However, the bleeding rates were excessive, and the 6-month primary end point, which included elective revascularization, was not favorably affected.
How do Australians rate as environmental citizens? An international comparative analysis of environmental concern and action

ABSTRACT Whilst robust indicators of environmental protection and impact (e.g. carbon emissions) are available that allow analysis of Australia’s performance compared to other countries, very little is known regarding the views and actions of the Australian community compared to our counterparts in other countries. The current study addressed this gap by analysing data from the International Social Survey Program. On an international scale Australians consistently report concern regarding environmental issues, and relatively strong personal efficacy and actions in addressing environmental issues. Yet this reported enthusiasm is in contrast with a relatively low international ranking on the Yale Environmental Protection Index, which assesses robust physical indicators of environmental impact. This study indicates a gap between the Australian community’s potential capacity and willingness to address environmental issues and the nation’s environmental performance. There is significant scope for further work to address this gap with more focused action to improve national performance on environmental protection.
Hypercortisolism associated with social subordinance or social isolation among wild baboons.

BACKGROUND The phenomena of basal hypercortisolism and of dexamethasone resistance have long intrigued biological psychiatrists, and much is still unknown as to the causes and consequences of such adrenocortical hyperactivity in various neuropsychiatric disorders. We have analyzed basal cortisol concentrations and adrenocortical responsiveness to dexamethasone in a population of wild baboons living in a national park in Kenya. We tested whether social subordinance in a primate is associated with dexamethasone resistance. Furthermore, we examined whether individual differences in adrenocortical measurements were predicted by the extent of social affiliation in these animals. METHODS Seventy yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus) were anesthetized and injected with 5 mg of dexamethasone; the cortisol response was monitored for 6 hours. The animals were of both sexes in a range of ages and had known ranks in the dominance hierarchies within their troops. Extensive behavioral data were available for a subset of 12 adult males who were anesthetized under circumstances that also allowed for the determination of basal cortisol concentrations. RESULTS The socially subordinate baboons were less responsive to dexamethasone than were the dominant ones; as one manifestation of this, postdexamethasone cortisol values were more than 3 times higher in the dozen lowest-ranking animals compared with the dozen highest. In addition, socially isolated males had elevated basal cortisol concentrations and showed a trend toward relative dexamethasone resistance. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that social status and degree of social affilitation can influence adrenocortical profiles; specifically, social subordinance or social isolation were associated in our study with hypercortisolism or feedback resistance.
The theory of endogenous money and the LM schedule: prelude to a reconstruction of ISLM

Money is at the center of macroeconomics, which makes understanding the money supply central for macroeconomic theory. This paper presents the Post Keynesian theory of endogenous money supply and shows how it is fundamentally different from the conventional money supply theory. The conventional approach relies on the money multiplier and bank lending is invisible. Post Keynesian theory discards the money multiplier and focuses on bank lending which drives money creation. The paper emphasizes the structuralist version of Post Keynesian theory which retains Keynes’ liquidity preference theory of long term interest rates and also recognizes banks are subject to financial constraints that limit their lending activities. The paper then shows how to derive the LM schedule in an endogenous money economy, which is a necessary prelude to reconstructing the ISLM model.