Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Before–after study of a standardized hospital order set for the management of septic shock*

Objective:To evaluate a standardized hospital order set for the management of septic shock in the emergency department. Design:Before–after study design with prospective consecutive data collection. Setting:Emergency department of a 1,200-bed academic medical center. Patients:A total of 120 patients with septic shock. Interventions:Implementation of a standardized hospital order set for the management of septic shock. Measurements and Main Results:A total of 120 consecutive patients with septic shock were identified. Sixty patients (50.0%) were managed before the implementation of the standardized order set, constituting the before group, and 60 (50.0%) were evaluated after the implementation of the standardized order set, making up the after group. Demographic variables and severity of illness measured by the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II were similar for both groups. Patients in the after group received statistically more intravenous fluids while in the emergency department (2825 ± 1624 mL vs. 3789 ± 1730 mL, p = .002), were more likely to receive intravenous fluids of >20 mL/kg body weight before vasopressor administration (58.3% vs. 88.3%, p < .001), and were more likely to be treated with an appropriate initial antimicrobial regimen (71.7% vs. 86.7%, p = .043) compared with patients in the before group. Patients in the after group were less likely to require vasopressor administration at the time of transfer to the intensive care unit (100.0% vs. 71.7%, p < .001), had a shorter hospital length of stay (12.1 ± 9.2 days vs. 8.9 ± 7.2 days, p = .038), and a lower risk for 28-day mortality (48.3% vs. 30.0%, p = .040). Conclusions:Our study found that the implementation of a standardized order set for the management of septic shock in the emergency department was associated with statistically more rigorous fluid resuscitation of patients, greater administration of appropriate initial antibiotic treatment, and a lower 28-day mortality. These data suggest that the use of standardized order sets for the management of septic shock should be routinely employed.
Complications of Skull Base Surgery: An Analysis of 30 Cases

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the risk factors for perioperative complications among patients undergoing craniofacial resection for the treatment of skull base tumors. DESIGN Retrospective analysis. PARTICIPANTS The study group comprised 29 patients with skull base tumors (22 malignant and 7 benign) who underwent 30 craniofacial resections at Hokkaido University Hospital between 1989 and 2006. Of these cases, 21 had undergone prior treatment by radiation (16 cases), surgery (7 cases), or chemotherapy (1 case). Moreover, 19 needed extended resection involving the dura (11 cases), brain (5 cases), orbit (12 cases), hard palate (5 cases), skin (3 cases), or cavernous sinus (2 cases). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Perioperative complications and risk factor associated with their incidence. RESULTS Perioperative complications occurred in 12 patients (40%; 13 cases). There was a significant difference between complication rates for cases with and without prior therapy (52.4% vs. 11.1%). The complication rate for dural resection cases was 81.8%. There was a significant difference between complication rates for cases with and without dura resection. No postoperative mortality was reported. CONCLUSIONS Craniofacial resection is a safe and effective treatment for skull base tumors. However, additional care is required in patients with extended resection (especially dural) and those who have undergone prior therapy.
Plasmin Induces In Vivo Monocyte Recruitment through Protease-Activated Receptor-1–, MEK/ERK-, and CCR2-Mediated Signaling

The plasminogen (Plg)/plasmin (Pla) system is associated with a variety of biological activities beyond the classical dissolution of fibrin clots, including cell migration, tissue repair, and inflammation. Although the capacity of Plg/Pla to induce cell migration is well defined, the mechanism underlying this process in vivo is elusive. In this study, we show that Pla induces in vitro migration of murine fibroblasts and macrophages (RAW 264.7) dependent on the MEK/ERK pathway and by requiring its proteolytic activity and lysine binding sites. Plasmin injection into the pleural cavity of BALB/c mice induced a time-dependent influx of mononuclear cells that was associated with augmented ERK1/2 and IκB-α phosphorylation and increased levels of CCL2 and IL-6 in pleural exudates. The inhibition of protease activity by using a serine protease inhibitor leupeptin or two structurally different protease-activated receptor-1 antagonists (SCH79797 and RWJ56110) abolished Pla-induced mononuclear recruitment and ERK1/2 and IκB-α phosphorylation. Interestingly, inhibition of the MEK/ERK pathway abolished Pla-induced CCL2 upregulation and mononuclear cell influx. In agreement with a requirement for the CCL2/CCR2 axis to Pla-induced cell migration, the use of a CCR2 antagonist (RS504393) prevented the Plg/Pla-induced recruitment of mononuclear cells to the pleural cavity and migration of macrophages at transwell plates. Therefore, Pla-induced mononuclear cell recruitment in vivo was dependent on protease-activated receptor-1 activation of the MEK/ERK/NF-κB pathway, which led to the release of CCL2 and activation of CCR2.
Novel Compounds Targeting the Mitochondrial Protein VDAC1 Inhibit Apoptosis and Protect against Mitochondrial Dysfunction*

Apoptosis is thought to play a critical role in several pathological processes, such as neurodegenerative diseases (i.e. Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases) and various cardiovascular diseases. Despite the fact that apoptotic mechanisms are well defined, there is still no substantial therapeutic strategy to stop or even slow this process. Thus, there is an unmet need for therapeutic agents that are able to block or slow apoptosis in neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. The outer mitochondrial membrane protein voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1) is a convergence point for a variety of cell survival and death signals, including apoptosis. Recently, we demonstrated that VDAC1 oligomerization is involved in mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis. Thus, VDAC1 oligomerization represents a prime target for agents designed to modulate apoptosis. Here, high-throughput compound screening and medicinal chemistry were employed to develop compounds that directly interact with VDAC1 and prevent VDAC1 oligomerization, concomitant with an inhibition of apoptosis as induced by various means and in various cell lines. The compounds protected against apoptosis-associated mitochondrial dysfunction, restoring dissipated mitochondrial membrane potential, and thus cell energy and metabolism, decreasing reactive oxidative species production, and preventing detachment of hexokinase bound to mitochondria and disruption of intracellular Ca2+ levels. Thus, this study describes novel drug candidates with a defined mechanism of action that involves inhibition of VDAC1 oligomerization, apoptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction. The compounds VBIT-3 and VBIT-4 offer a therapeutic strategy for treating different diseases associated with enhanced apoptosis and point to VDAC1 as a promising target for therapeutic intervention.
Kinetics of mercury in blood and urine after brief occupational exposure.

The decrease in mercury (Hg) levels in whole blood (B), plasma (P), erythrocytes (Ery), and urine (U) was investigated in nine men after 3 d of intense (greater than 100 micrograms/m3) exposure to metallic Hg vapor. In a model in which common half-times for all subjects were used, the best fit for B-Hg was obtained with half-times of 3.1 d for a fast phase and 18 d for a slow phase. P-Hg seemed to decay more rapidly than Ery-Hg. Peak U-Hg (morning, creatinine-corrected samples) was not observed until 2-3 wk after exposure. Thereafter, the median half-time was 40 d (assuming individual one-compartment models). In a model for which common half-times were used, the point estimates were 59 d for a one-compartment model and 28 and 141 d for a two-compartment model. The fractions of the fast phases (i.e., two-compartment models with common half-times) were 80% for B-Hg and 84% for U-Hg.
Giving selenium supplements to dairy cows strengthens the inflammatory response to intramammary infection and induces a growth-suppressing effect on mastitis pathogens in whey.

Supplementing the feed of selenium-deficient diary cows with selenium (Se)-yeast or selenite at a level of 0.2 p.p.m. induced self-cure of subclinical mastitis; the prevalence of quarters harbouring subclinical mastitis (bacteriological criteria) decreased to about one half during the 8 week supplementation period. Three phenomena became apparent to explain the beneficial effect of selenium on mastitis: 1. The recruitment of phagocytes to the infected milk compartment of the udder was improved due to Se-supplementation; the correlation between infection and the respective inflammatory response, as indicated by the somatic cell count (SCC) and the N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase activity (NAGase) of milk, was poor in selenium-deficient cows. Selenium supplementation significantly improved the correlation; 2. Selenium supplementation induced an unspecified antibacterial activity in milk lactoserum (whey), restricting in vitro growth of the mastitis pathogens Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae and Streptococcus uberis, bacterial growth rates in whey samples became inversely correlated with the respective blood glutathione peroxidase activities (GSH-Px); and 3. Selenium supplementation had an effect on redox activities and sulfhydryl activities in whey. These changes were correlated with in vitro bacterial growth rates.
Fictitious domain method to model a movable rigid body in a sound wave

Abstract Motivated by experiments on the acoustics of submerged granular media, we have developed a new fictitious domain method that combines the acoustic wave equation with the equations of motion of a rigid body. The coupling is realized through the natural boundary conditions of the wave equation on the surface of the body and enforced with boundary Lagrange multipliers. The method is validated using analytic solutions for a movable rigid sphere in a sound wave. Results show that the method is promising because numerical results and analytic solutions are close for long wavelengths, although some deviations occur when the wavelength is smaller to the sphere radius. This method permits us to use a discrete element method for particle motion and interaction, and finite elements for wave propagation in the fluid.
Does Higher Anchor Density Result in Increased Curve Correction and Improved Clinical Outcomes in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis?

Study Design. Retrospective review of prospectively collected data. Objective. To determine whether anchor density is associated with curve correction and patient-reported outcomes. Summary of Background Data. There is limited information as to whether anchor density affects the results of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis surgery. Methods. A total of 952 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis met inclusion criteria (Lenke 1, 2, and 5 curves) with predominantly screw constructs (no. of screws/no. of total anchors >75%). Anchor density was defined as the number of screws, hooks, and wires per level fused, with less than 1.54 considered low density. Analysis of covariance was undertaken to determine association of anchor density with percent curve correction, Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), and Spinal Appearance Questionnaire (SAQ) scores, controlling for flexibility, fusion length, demographics, and surgeon. Results. High- compared with low-anchor density was associated with increased percent curve correction in Lenke 1 curves at 1 year (69% vs. 66% correction, P = 0.0022), controlling for percent preoperative curve flexibility, length of fusion, and sex (model, P < 0.0001). Similar associations held at 2-year follow-up and for Lenke 2 curves. Decreased thoracic kyphosis was found with increased anchor density for Lenke 1 and 2 curve patterns. There were no associations found between anchor density and Lenke 5 curves. For Lenke 1 curve patterns at 2 years postoperatively, in the high- versus low-anchor density cohorts, there were statistically higher SRS Activity (4.3 vs. 4.2, P = 0.019), Appearance (4.3 vs. 4.1, P = 0.0005), Satisfaction (4.5 vs. 4.3, P = 0.028), and Total scores (4.3 vs. 4.2; P = 0.024). Similarly, the SAQ Appearance score at 1 year similarly was improved in the high-anchor density group (high: 14.1 vs. low: 15.0, P = 0.03) for Lenke 1 curve patterns only. Conclusion. For Lenke 1 and 2 curve patterns, improved percent correction of major coronal curve was noted in the high-screw density cohort. Although statistical significance was reached, it is unclear whether screw density resulted in clinically significant differences in patient-reported outcomes. Level of Evidence: 3
Optimization of Two-Dimensional Signal Constellations in the Presence of Gaussian Noise

A considerable amount of literature exists on the problem of selecting an efficient set of N digital signals with in-phase and quadrature components for use in a suppressed carrier data transmission system. However, the signal constellation which minimizes the probability of error in Gaussian noise, under an average power constraint, has not been determined when the number of signals is greater than two. In this paper an asymptotic (large signal-to-noise ratio) expression, of the minimum distance type, is derived for the error rate. Using this expression, a gradient-search procedure, which is initiated from several randomly chosen N -point arrays, converges in each case to a locally optimum constellation. The algorithm incorporates a radial contraction technique to meet the average signal power constraint. The best solutions are described for several values of N and compared with well-known signal formats. As an example, the best locally optimum 16-point constellation shows an advantage of about 0.5 dB in signal-signal-to-noise ratio over quadrature amplitude modulation. The locally optimum constellations are the vertices of a trellis of (almost) equilateral triangles. As N \rightarrow \infty , it is rigorously proved in the Appendix that the optimum constellations tend toward an equilateral structure, and become uniformly distributed in a circle.
Outbreaks of gastroenteritis due to infections with Norovirus in Switzerland, 2001–2003

Viral infections, especially those with noroviruses are the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in Europe. To obtain information about the epidemic situation of noroviruses in Switzerland, an initial study was launched in the German-speaking part of the country to systematically compile Norovirus outbreak information between 2001 and 2003. In total, 73 outbreaks were registered. Most affected were closed settings, e.g. nursing homes (34%) and hospitals (25%). Transmission pathways were identified in 74% of Norovirus outbreaks. In 81% of these cases person-to-person transmission was the primary route of infection and on seven occasions (13%), a foodborne transmission was the possible cause. Furthermore, Norovirus outbreak characteristics of epidemiological importance are highlighted with a discussion of four selected events.
Top Management Compensation and Performance in Russian Companies

Konstantin V. Bogatyrev - Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University. E-mail: konstantin.bogatyrev@yahoo.com The top management remuneration policy of public companies counts among the key decisions that shape the financial architecture and the incentive structure for hired executives in such companies. The factors determining the pay of top managers have been a debated topic both for academia and for the public at large for decades. For Russian companies, however, this question has remained largely unstudied.This paper is intended to rectify this deficiency and contributes to the research on top management remuneration policy and the way in which it relates to performance in Russian corporations. Following an overview of the evidence presented in previous studies focusing on other markets, the paper presents a new empirical study of pay and performance using self-collected data on 93 Russian public companies for the five-year period between 2009 and 2013. The data on key management personnel compensation has been collected from the companies' official reports, including annual or financial reports and other stock exchange reports. The data on other financial indicators has been procured from the Bloomberg Professional® database.Using fixed effect models for econometric analysis, we find evidence of a positive relationship between compensation and business performance in Russia, although this is not evident for every performance indicator. Indeed, both short-term and long-term forms of compensation as well as their sum show a positive relationship to return on assets (ROA), and the respective sensitivities of pay to performance are not negligible. However, institutional or state ownership can weaken this sensitivity. The relationship is only evident in companies with no state participation. Whereas 33 state-owned companies in the sample exhibit no significant relationship of top management compensation to corporate performance, the accounting profits and ROA of the remaining 60 (private) companies serve as significant determinants of remuneration levels.
Total Body Fat Content and Fat Topography Are Associated Differently With In Vivo Glucose Metabolism in Nonobese and Obese Nondiabetic Women

In this study, total body fat content and fat topography were related to glucose metabolism in the basal and nsulin-stimulated states in 18 nonobese and 18 obesepremenopausal nondiabetic women. All subjects received a euglycemic insulin (20 mil · min−1 · m2) clamp study in combination with [3-3H]-D-glucose infusion and indirect calorimetry to quantitate total body glucose uptake, glucose oxidation, and nonoxidative glucose disposal. Total body fat content was determined with tritiated water, whereas body fat distribution was estimated from the WHR, the STR, and the VSR (measured by magnetic resonance imaging). In the postabsorptive state, total body glucose utilization, glucose oxidation, and nonoxidative glucose disposal rates were similar in nonobese and obese women, whereas during the insulin clamp all three metabolic parameters were reduced significantly in the obese group. In nonobese women, total body fat content was related inversely to both total and nonoxidative glucose disposal during the insulin clamp, whereas no relationship was found between glucose metabolism (total, oxidative, and nonoxidative) and WHR, STR, or VSR. In contrast, in obese women, no relationship was observed between total body fat content and any measure of insulin-mediated glucose metabolism. However, both WHR and VSR were related inversely to total, oxidative, and nonoxidative glucose disposal rates during the insulin clamp. These results suggest that total body fat content and body fat topography are associated differently with insulin-mediated glucose metabolism in nonobese and obese women. In the nonobese women, total body fat mass appears to be a primary determinant of tissue sensitivity to insulin, whereas in obese women, body fat topography exerts a more dominant effect.
CCL22 and CCL17 in rat radiation pneumonitis and in human idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is caused by various known and unknown aetiologies, but the key pathogenic mechanisms are still ill-defined. Chemokines are a large family of chemotactic cytokines that play pivotal roles in various inflammatory diseases. In the present study, the roles of chemokines in a rat model of radiation pneumonitis/pulmonary fibrosis were examined. Accumulation of inflammatory cells and pneumonitis were observed on day 28, and diffuse alveolar wall thickening with extensive fibrosis was observed on day 56. In addition to the previously reported CCL2 (macrophage chemoattractant protein‐1) induction, selective upregulation of CCL22 (macrophage-derived chemokine) and CCL17 (thymus and activation-regulated chemokine) were demonstrated for the first time in the irradiated lung tissues. Immunohistochemically, it was demonstrated that CCL22 and CCL17 were localised primarily to alveolar macrophages, whereas their receptor CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) was detected on alveolar lymphocytes and macrophages. On further analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and sarcoidosis, elevated levels of CCL22, but not of CCL17, were observed in the idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients. Since these two chemokines play pivotal roles in various type‐2 T‐helper cell-dominant diseases, it was speculated that CCL22, and probably CCL17, are involved in the pathophysiology of radiation pneumonitis/pulmonary fibrosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis through the recruitment of CC chemokine receptor 4‐positive type‐2 T‐helper cells and alveolar macrophages.
Emotion control of unstructured dance movements

Motion capture technology has enabled the acquisition of high quality human motions for animating digital characters with extremely high fidelity. However, despite all the advances in motion editing and synthesis, it remains an open problem to modify pre-captured motions that are highly expressive, such as contemporary dances, for stylization and emotionalization. In this work, we present a novel approach for stylizing such motions by using emotion coordinates defined by the Russell's Circumplex Model (RCM). We extract and analyze a large set of body and motion features, based on the Laban Movement Analysis (LMA), and choose the effective and consistent features for characterizing emotions of motions. These features provide a mechanism not only for deriving the emotion coordinates of a newly input motion, but also for stylizing the motion to express a different emotion without having to reference the training data. Such decoupling of the training data and new input motions eliminates the necessity of manual processing and motion registration. We implement the two-way mapping between the motion features and emotion coordinates through Radial Basis Function (RBF) regression and interpolation, which can stylize free-style highly dynamic dance movements at interactive rates. Our results and user studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the stylization framework with a variety of dance movements exhibiting a diverse set of emotions.