Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metabolism of antithrombin III (heparin cofactor) in man: effects of venous thrombosis and of heparin administration

Abstract. The metabolism of human antithrombin III (heparin cofactor) was studied in four control subjects, in four subjects with peripheral obliterative arterial disease, in six patients with recent venous thrombosis and in one patient with clinically severe haemophilia A. The labelled antithrombin III had a high specific activity (5.75 units/mg) and displayed a single band on SDS‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. On Sephadex G‐100 gel filtration the labelled material eluted in the same position as the antithrombin III activity in plasma. Crossed immunoelectrophoresis of a mixture of fresh plasma and labelled antithrombin III against a specific antiserum, revealed a single precipitin line in which radioactivity was concentrated. The changes in electrophoretic mobility of both the plasma antithrombin III and the labelled material following the addition of heparin to the mixture or following coagulation were identical. The purified antithrombin III behaved as a homogeneous protein in the turnover experiments. The plasma radioactivity data were approximated by a sum of two exponential terms and the metabolism of antithrombin III represented by a two compartment mammillary model.
Spatial modulation detection based on projection decomposition

In this paper, we propose to decompose the received signal into its projection on the channel vector and the corresponding perpendicular in the spatial modulation (SM) detection. Based on this decomposition, the optimal joint antenna and symbol detection can be done separately with reduced complexity and no performance loss. Moreover, the constellation symmetry and a lower bound approximation are employed in the antenna detection to reduce its complexity further. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed detectors.
Area deprivation and widening inequalities in US mortality, 1969-1998.

OBJECTIVES This study examined age-, sex-, and race-specific gradients in US mortality by area deprivation between 1969 and 1998. METHODS A census-based area deprivation index was linked to county mortality data. RESULTS Area deprivation gradients in US mortality increased substantially during 1969 through 1998. The gradients were steepest for men and women aged 25 to 44 years and those younger than 25 years, with higher mortality rates observed in more deprived areas. Although area gradients were less pronounced for women in each age group, they rose sharply for women aged 25 to 44 and 45 to 64 years. CONCLUSIONS Areal inequalities in mortality widened because of slower mortality declines in more deprived areas. Future research needs to examine population-level social, behavioral, and medical care factors that may account for the increasing gradient.
Comparison of neonatal nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and residents in the neonatal intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE To compare patient care delivery by neonatal nurse practitioners and physician assistants with that of pediatric residents in the intensive care setting. DESIGN Retrospective chart review after developing specific performance criteria, namely, patient management, outcome, and charges. METHODS/MATERIALS Charts for 244 consecutive admissions to a neonatal intensive care unit in Jacksonville, Fla, were reviewed. Patients were cared for by one of two teams, one staffed by residents and the other by neonatal nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Similar patients were cared for by the two teams, as determined by patient background characteristics and diagnostic variables. Performance of the two teams was assessed by comparison of patient management, outcome, and charges. Management variables included data on length of critical care and hospital stay, ventilator and oxygen use, total parenteral nutritional use, number of transfusions, and the performance of various procedures. Outcome variables included the incidence of air leaks, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, intraventricular hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus, necrotizing enterocolitis, retinopathy of prematurity, and number of infants who died. Charge variables included hospital and physician charges. MAIN RESULTS Results demonstrated no significant differences in management, outcome, or charge variables between patients cared for by the two teams. CONCLUSION Neonatal nurse practitioners and physician assistants are an effective alternative to residents for patient care in the neonatal intensive care unit.
An inductive typology of the interrelations between different components of intellectual capital

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to enhance knowledge of the full set of interrelations between IC components by providing an inductive typology of their strategic interactions. Design/methodology/approach – To answer the research question the author conducted a content analysis of CEOs’ letters to shareholders published by 122 companies among the 200 first companies from the Fortune Global 500 from 2008 to 2012. Findings – The results show that these three IC components interact with each other around the central position held by relational and structural capital and to a lesser extent human capital. Companies that have a positive evolution in the ranking focus significantly more on the structural capital while those who have a negative evolution in the ranking mention more the relational capital. Research limitations/implications – The study is based on the CEOs’ letters that might limit the generalization of the findings. Nonetheless, this research highlights a full and fruitful set of interrelat.
Acetylcholine stimulates cortical precursor cell proliferation in vitro via muscarinic receptor activation and MAP kinase phosphorylation

Increasing evidence has shown that some neurotransmitters act as growth‐regulatory signals during brain development. Here we report a role for the classical neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) to stimulate proliferation of neural stem cells and stem cell‐derived progenitor cells during neural cell lineage progression in vitro. Neuroepithelial cells in the ventricular zone of the embryonic rat cortex were found to express the m2 subtype of the muscarinic receptor. Neural precursor cells dissociated from the embryonic rat cortical neuroepithelium were expanded in culture with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) revealed the presence of m2, m3 and m4 muscarinic receptor subtype transcripts, while immunocytochemistry demonstrated m2 protein. ACh and carbachol induced an increase in cytosolic Ca2+ and membrane currents in proliferating (BrdU+) cells, both of which were abolished by atropine. Exposure of bFGF‐deprived precursor cells to muscarinic agonists not only increased both cell number and DNA synthesis, but also enhanced differentiation of neurons. These effects were blocked by atropine, indicating the involvement of muscarinic ACh receptors. The growth‐stimulating effects were also antagonized by a panel of inhibitors of second messengers, including 1,2‐bis‐(O‐aminophenoxy)‐ethane‐N,N,N′,N′‐tetraacetic acid (BAPTA‐AM) to chelate cytosolic Ca2+, EGTA to complex extracellular Ca2+, pertussis toxin, which uncouples certain G‐proteins, the protein kinase C inhibitor H7 and the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor PD98059. Muscarinic agonists activated MAPK, which was significantly inhibited by atropine and the same panel of inhibitors. Thus, muscarinic receptors expressed by neural precursors transduce a growth‐regulatory signal during neurogenesis via pathways involving pertussis toxin‐sensitive G‐proteins, Ca2+ signalling, protein kinase C activation, MAPK phosphorylation and DNA synthesis.
Family, Gender, and Women's Nutritional Status: A Comparison Between Two Himalayan Communities in Nepal

ABSTRACT During the last decades, the focus of food and nutrition security research has shifted from issues of macro-level availability to problems of unequal access, and distribution within the household. Little systematic attention has however been paid to the role of family systems in household food allocation processes. This study focuses on the extent to which family relations, and particularly gender roles, in two Himalayan communities with different family systems influence intra-household food allocation, and the subsequent nutritional status of women of reproductive age (15–49). In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 Buddhist and 15 Hindu women, the latter belonging either to the higher Chhetri or lower Dalit castes. Additionally, anthropometric data of women were collected. Results show that women from Hindu families were worse off than women from Buddhist households in terms of nutritional status, which is due to different intra-household allocation patterns. Secondly, women's nutritional status varied over the reproductive life course. Women were most vulnerable during menses, pregnancy, and the post-partum period. Comparison with research conducted in the 1980s in this area suggests that the influence of family-level values and practices on women's nutritional status is slowly changing.
Association of Rotavirus With Seizures Accompanied by Cerebral White Matter Injury in Neonates

We aimed to identify whether rotavirus, human parechovirus, or enterovirus are causative or associated viral pathogens of seizures accompanied by diffuse cerebral white matter injury in neonates. Thirty neonates who presented with seizures and diffusion-restriction in the widespread bilateral cerebral white matter on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were included in this study. All patients were tested for rotavirus, human parechovirus, and enterovirus by using reverse transcription PCR. Stool, cerebrospinal fluid, and serum samples were examined in 30, 25, and 20 patients, respectively. Rotavirus was detected in stool samples from all 30 patients (100%). Stool samples from 5 patients (16.7%) were also positive for enterovirus. Rotavirus or human parechovirus were not detected in any cerebrospinal fluid samples from 25 patients, but 1 patient tested positive for enterovirus. No virus was detected in any of 20 patient sera. This study indicated an association between rotavirus and seizures accompanied by diffuse cerebral white matter lesions in neonates.
Extreme Value Theory, Asset Ranking and Threshold Choice: A Practical Note on VAR Estimation

We analyze asset rankings derived from state-of-the-art peak-over-threshold (POT) approaches to estimate value-at-risk (VaR). Supported by a variety of robustness checks, we gain three important insights for portfolio managers investing in equity and commodity markets. First, even though POT methods are known to yield more precise VaR estimates than classic techniques based on the normal distribution assumption or historical simulation, all techniques yield almost identical rankings. Second, even though the choice of threshold crucially influences VaR estimates, it does not significantly change asset rankings. These two results are most pronounced when the portfolio manager's focus is on identifying the best or worst assets in terms of VaR. Third, unconditional and conditional POT approaches differ considerably in the rankings they generate. Thus, neglecting the non-independent-and-identically-distributed property of returns can lead to distinctly different decisions in a risk-based asset selection process.
Formulation and optimization of foam mat dried grape bar

A five level four factors central composite rotatable design under response surface methodology was used to optimize process conditions of the foam mat drying process i.e. egg albumen (0-12%), methyl cellulose (0.1-0.5%), drying bed thickness (3-7mm) and drying temperature (55-75 0 C) to develop grape bar with final moisture content of 14±1 % (db). Contour and response graphs were generated and the effect of foaming parameters on the quality parameters namely drying time, color change, texture, non-enzymatic browning, total sugars (%), titrable acidity (%), protein (%) and overall acceptability (%) were studied. Significant regression models were established with the coefficient of determination, R 2 (≥0.90). Optimization of process for grape bar was performed to result minimum drying time, color change, cutting force, non enzymatic browning and maximum overall acceptability and optimized process conditions were 5.51 % egg albumen, 0.31% methyl cellulose, 4 mm drying bed thickness and 60 0 C drying temperature with desirability 0.74.
Regulation of neutral sphingomyelinase-2 by GSH: a new insight to the role of oxidative stress in aging-associated inflammation Published, JLR Papers in Press, August 10, 2007.

Oxidative stress and inflammation are fundamental for the onset of aging and appear to be causatively linked. Previously, we reported that hepatocytes from aged rats, compared with young rats, are hyperresponsive to interleukin-1β (IL-1β) stimulation and exhibit more potent c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation and attenuated interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-1 (IRAK-1) degradation. An age-related increase in the activity of neutral sphingomyelinase-2 (NSMase-2), a plasma membrane enzyme, was found to be responsible for the IL-1β hyperresponsiveness. The results reported here show that increased NSMase activity during aging is caused by a 60–70% decrease in hepatocyte GSH levels. GSH, at concentrations typically found in hepatocytes from young animals, inhibits NSMase activity in a biphasic dose-dependent manner. Inhibition of GSH synthesis in young hepatocytes activates NSMase, causing increased JNK activation and IRAK-1 stabilization in response to IL-1β, mimicking the hyperresponsiveness typical for aged hepatocytes. Vice versa, increased GSH content in hepatocytes from aged animals by treatment with N-acetylcysteine inhibits NSMase activity and restores normal IL-1β response. Importantly, the GSH decline, NSMase activation, and IL-1β hyperresponsiveness are not observed in aged, calorie-restricted rats. In summary, this report demonstrates that depletion of cellular GSH during aging plays an important role in regulating the hepatic response to IL-1β by inducing NSMase-2 activity.
Supporting collaboration in the development and management of lean supply networks

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how the appropriate information and communication technology can act as a catalyst in the development and operations management of lean supply networks; not by automating tasks and procedures, but by providing the enabling infrastructure required for structuring difficult problems and issues arising at inter-organisational boundaries and for taming the social complexity of their resolution processes. Towards this end, we present the design rationale and the functionalities of Co-LEAN, which is an integrated suite of software tools developed by the authors for the design and management of lean supply networks. In addition to providing full operational support in the planning and execution of the lean supply network, Co-LEAN supports internet-based collaboration in the specification of value, the identification and optimisation of value-streams, the alignment of supply-chain strategy with the overall operations strategy, and the supply-chain improvement tasks. The paper discusses the knowledge and information management requirements of lean supply networks, and presents the main components and functionalities of Co-LEAN in the context of a use case in a supply network formed around a stainless steel tanks’ manufacturer.
Duration of Untreated Illness as a Predictor of Treatment Response and Clinical Course in Generalized Anxiety Disorder

ABSTRACT Introduction: The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of the duration of untreated illness (DUI)—defined as the time elapsing between the onset of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and the first adequate pharmacologic treatment—on treatment response and clinical course in a sample of subjects with GAD. Methods: One hundred patients with GAD, diagnosed according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition-Text Revision criteria, were enrolled and their main demographic and clinical features collected. Patients were then treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or venlafaxine for 8 weeks in open-label conditions. Treatment response and other clinical variables were analyzed after dividing the sample into two groups according to DUI (DUI ≤12 months and DUI >12 months). Results: When the DUI was computed with respect to the first antidepressant treatment (DUI-AD), a higher improvement (Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness scale) after the pharmacologic treatment was found in the group with a shorter DUI (analysis of variance with repeated measures: time effect F=654.975, P<.001; group effect: F=4.369, P=.O39). When computed with respect to the first treatment with benzodiazepines (DUI-BDZ), the two groups did not show any significant difference in treatment response (time effect: F=652.183, P<.001; group effect: F=0.009, P=.924). In addition, patients with a longer DUI (DUI-BDZ or DUI-AD) showed an earlier age at onset, a longer duration of illness and a higher rate of comorbid psychiatric disorders with onset later than GAD. Conclusion: Results from this preliminary study seem to suggest that a shorter DUI-AD may determine a better response to pharmacologic treatment in patients with GAD, and that a longer DUI (DUI-BDZ and DUI-AD) may be associated to a worse clinical course. Further investigation on the relationship between DUI and GAD is needed.
Characteristics of Single Fallers and Recurrent Fallers among Hospital In-Patients

Background: Recurrent fallers constitute a minority of patients who fall but contribute considerably to the total number of falls recorded. Objective: To study the characteristics of recurrent fallers in a hospital setting. Methods: In a prospective observational study we investigated the characteristics of 1,025 patients admitted to a geriatric non-acute hospital. Patients were followed until discharge and were classified as non-fallers, single fallers or recurrent fallers. Results: We identified 824 non-fallers, 136 single fallers and 65 recurrent fallers contributing 175 falls. Compared to non-fallers, recurrent fallers were more likely to have pre-admission falls (p = 0.004), confusion (p < 0.0001), an unsafe gait (p = 0.0001) and be on tranquillisers (p = 0.018) and antidepressants (p = 0.006). They had longer stays in hospital (p < 0.0001) and more nursing home discharges (p = 0.0001). There was considerable overlap with risk factors for single fallers but compared to this group they were more likely to be confused (p = 0.027), and on antidepressant medication (p = 0.009). They also had a longer length of stay (p < 0.001) and more nursing home discharges (p = 0.03). Confusion (p = 0.0001), unsafe gait (p = 0.0006) and antidepressants (p = 0.018) were independently associated with recurrent falls. Conclusions: It is important to recognise the risk factors that prospectively identify a recurrent faller because of the significant contribution to total falls by a relatively small number of patients. This may be useful not only in trying to reduce total falls but also in trying to reduce injury.
Conditioning factors and opportunities for teamwork. A case study from a Catalan university

The aim of this article is to analyse the conditioning factors and opportunities that influence teamwork among teachers at a Catalan university. The creation of new academic identities based on a culture of mutual and continuing learning are essential if teacher teams are to be encouraged. A descriptive methodology was used, based on a case study approach. Conditioning factors and opportunities were examined from a structural, organisational and functional perspective. The data were obtained through analysis of the literature, semi-structured interviews and a survey with five levels of response. Application of these data collection techniques permitted both a qualitative and quantitative (SPSS) use of data for evaluation purposes. The results derived from individual perceptions of the internal functioning of teacher teams within the faculty show that insufficient importance is attached to these teams as functional management units. This has a direct impact on the tasks and quality of the processes they implement, and consequently on team and faculty objectives.
The Sovereign Yield Curve and Fiscal Behaviour in China

The present study aims to explore the relationship between the sovereign yield curve and fiscal behaviour in China. The Chinese Government is very powerful, and fiscal policy plays an important role in China's economy. A dynamic Nelsonâ€“Siegel model is adopted to estimate the level, slope and curvature factors of the yield curve. Three aspects of fiscal behaviour, including government spending, revenue and budget balance, are considered. Significant relationships between fiscal behaviour and the sovereign yield curve are found and described in the present study. Higher government expenditure raises the level and slope factors of the yield curve, while increasing government revenue reduces the level factor and enhances the slope factor. Furthermore, improved budget balance decreases the level and slope factors of the yield curve. Fiscal behaviour also interacts with the macroeconomy in China. Fiscal policy is insensitive to price surges in contrast to the strong responses of monetary policy to higher inflation. In addition, crowdingâ€ out effects of government spending are demonstrated in this study.
Training and bioenergetic characteristics in elite male and female Kenyan runners.

PURPOSE This study compares the training characteristics and the physical profiles of top-class male and female Kenyan long-distance runners. METHOD The subjects were 20 elite Kenyan runners: 13 men (10-km performance time: 10-km performance time of 28 min, 36 s +/- 18 s) and 7 women (32 min, 32 s +/- 65 s). The male runners were separated into high-speed training runners (HST: N = 6) and low-speed training runners (LST: N = 7) depending on whether they train at speeds equal or higher than those associated with the maximal oxygen uptake (vVO2max ). All but one woman were high-speed training runners (female HST: N = 6). Subjects performed an incremental test on a 400-m track to determine VO2max, vVO2max, and the velocity at the lactate threshold (vLT). RESULTS Within each gender among the HST group, 10-km performance time was inversely correlated with vVO2max (rho = -0.86, P = 0.05, and rho = -0.95, P = 0.03, for men and women, respectively). HST male runners had a higher VO2max, a lower (but not significantly) fraction of vVO2max (FVO2max ) at the lactate threshold, and a higher energy cost of running (ECR). Among men, the weekly training distance at vVO2max explained 59% of the variance of vVO2max, and vVO2max explained 52% of the variance of 10-km performance time. Kenyan women had a high VO2max and FVO2max at vLT that was lower than their male HST counterparts. ECR was not significantly different between genders. CONCLUSION The velocity at the VO2max is the main factor predicting the variance of the 10-km performance both in men and women, and high-intensity training contributes to this higher VO2max among men.