Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sympathetic control of bone mass regulated by osteopontin

The sympathetic nervous system suppresses bone mass by mechanisms that remain incompletely elucidated. Using cell-based and murine genetics approaches, we show that this activity of the sympathetic nervous system requires osteopontin (OPN), a cytokine and one of the major members of the noncollagenous extracellular matrix proteins of bone. In this work, we found that the stimulation of the sympathetic tone by isoproterenol increased the level of OPN expression in the plasma and bone and that mice lacking OPN (OPN-KO) suppressed the isoproterenol-induced bone loss by preventing reduced osteoblastic and enhanced osteoclastic activities. In addition, we found that OPN is necessary for changes in the expression of genes related to bone resorption and bone formation that are induced by activation of the sympathetic tone. At the cellular level, we showed that intracellular OPN modulated the capacity of the β2-adrenergic receptor to generate cAMP with a corresponding modulation of cAMP-response element binding (CREB) phosphorylation and associated transcriptional events inside the cell. Our results indicate that OPN plays a critical role in sympathetic tone regulation of bone mass and that this OPN regulation is taking place through modulation of the β2-adrenergic receptor/cAMP signaling system.
The Fiscal Impact of Population Aging in Germany

Previous studies have shown that population aging has severe consequences for public spending. However, in welfare states with a federal budget structure, population aging will affect the levels of government to differing degrees. This article focuses on the impact of population aging on the fiscal system of the Federal Republic of Germany. The analysis draws upon profiles for public transfer flows by single years of age to illustrate the impact of age structure changes on the cost and revenue structures at the different levels of government. The results show that Länder and local governments are likely to achieve cost reductions while the federal budget and social security will face higher expenditures because of the increasing number of elderly people. This study provides valuable information on the age utilization of public flows and on the need for restructuring the allocation rules for government revenues and expenditures across levels of government.
Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with peptic disease.

BACKGROUND Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common human infections worldwide. It has been established as etiology of chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer disease, gastric adenocarcinoma and mucosal associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (MALT). During this decade, there have been some reports showing a decline in global prevalence of H. pylori infection and peptic diseases including in many Asian countries. OBJECTIVE To study the H. pylori infection in patients with peptic diseases, association with other factors and comparison to previous data. MATERIAL AND METHOD Retrospective observational study of endoscopic reports for upper gastrointestinal tract diseases in patients with peptic diseases from October 2009 to September 2010 at the Endoscopic Unit, Department of Medicine, Rajavithi Hospital. Patients were examined for the presence of H. pylori infection by rapid urease test (RUT) or histology staining. RESULTS Five hundred and seventy patients with a mean age of 55.0 +/- 16.02 years with peptic diseases were studies. Endoscopic findings showed 106 GU patients (18.6%), 29 DU patients (5.1%), 3 combined GU and DU patients (0.5%) and 432 NUD patients (75.8%). The prevalence of H. pylori infection were 64% (365 of 570 patients). Prevalence of H. pylori infection were 61.3% of NUD cases, 68.9% of GU cases, 82.8% in DU cases and 100% in combined GU and DU cases. Comparison with previous data (Anantapunpong S. Rajavithi Med J 1999; 10: 17-26), the prevalence of H. pylori infection overall and in DU are not changed but in NUD and GU are increased. CONCLUSION The prevalence of H. pylori infection is still high in peptic diseases. The patients with age more than 50 years have more GU, less NUD than the younger groups. In comparison with a previous study, the prevalence of H. pylori infection in overall and in DU are not changed but in NUD and GU are increased.
Growth in Children after Bone Marrow Transplantation for Acute Myelogenous Leukemia as Compared to Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

Previous studies of growth in children following bone marrow transplantation for leukemia have demonstrated poor growth with little ability to "catch-up" two to four years after transplantation. Because of small patient numbers, these studies did not distinguish patients with differing types of leukemia. 12 children with acute myelogenous leukemia who survived over 3 years after transplantation were compared with 12 who survived transplantation for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The initial height standard deviation scores were similar in both groups prior to transplantation. The height standard deviation scores in the acute lymphoblastic leukemia group decreased for each of the 5 years after transplantation while the height score for the acute myelogenous leukemia group after 5 years was not statistically different from pre-transplantation. The growth of the children with myelogenous leukemia was better possibly because these children were older, had received less cranial irradiation at the time of transplantation, and had a lower incidence of severe chronic graft-versus-host disease.
Compensation of chief executive officers at nonprofit US hospitals.

IMPORTANCE Hospital chief executive officers (CEOs) can shape the priorities and performance of their organizations. The degree to which their compensation is based on their hospitals' quality performance is not well known. OBJECTIVE To characterize CEO compensation and examine its relation with quality metrics. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Retrospective observational study. Participants included 1877 CEOs at 2681 private, nonprofit US hospitals. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES We used linear regression to identify hospital structural characteristics associated with CEO pay. We then determined the degree to which a hospital's performance on financial metrics, technologic metrics, quality metrics, and community benefit in 2008 was associated with CEO pay in 2009. RESULTS The CEOs in our sample had a mean compensation of $595,781 (median, $404,938) in 2009. In multivariate analyses, CEO pay was associated with the number of hospital beds overseen ($550 for each additional bed; 95% CI, 429-671; P < .001), teaching status ($425,078 more at major teaching vs nonteaching hospitals; 95% CI, 315,238-534,918; P < .001), and urban location. Hospitals with high levels of advanced technologic capabilities compensated their CEOs $135,862 more (95% CI, 80,744-190,990; P < .001) than did hospitals with low levels of technology. Hospitals with high performance on patient satisfaction compensated their CEOs $51,706 more than did those with low performance on patient satisfaction (95% CI, 15,166-88,247; P = .006). We found no association between CEO pay and hospitals' margins, liquidity, capitalization, occupancy rates, process quality performance, mortality rates, readmission rates, or measures of community benefit. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Compensation of CEOs at nonprofit hospitals was highly variable across the country. Compensation was associated with technology and patient satisfaction but not with processes of care, patient outcomes, or community benefit.
Cohort effects and job satisfaction of academics

Previous studies of job satisfaction in the labour force as a whole have found that women generally express themselves as more satisfied at work than men. This paper examines the relationship between age and individual job satisfaction using a uniquely detailed dataset on Scottish academics. The insignificant gender effect on job satisfaction for the whole sample of academics is found to be made up of two offsetting effects. Male academics under the age of 36 are found to have significantly higher job satisfaction than the female under 36 cohort. Men over 36 however have a significantly lower satisfaction than their female academic equivalents.
Understanding the risks in China's PPP projects: ranking of their probability and consequence

Purpose – Based on the Chinese government's increased public‐private partnership (PPP) experience in the last decade, they have made a lot of efforts to improve the investment environment. This paper hence aims to conduct a more up‐to‐date evaluation of the potential risks in China's PPP projects.Design/methodology/approach – As part of a comprehensive research looking at implementing PPP, a two‐round Delphi survey was conducted with experienced practitioners to identify the key risks that could be encountered in China's PPP projects. The probability of occurrence and severity of the consequence for the selected risks were derived from the surveys and used to calculate their relative risk significance index score.Findings – The results showed that the top ten risks identified according to their risk significance index score are: government's intervention; poor political decision making; financial risk; government's reliability; market demand change; corruption; subjective evaluation; interest rate change;.
Asymmetry, Partial Moments, and Production Risk

Partial-moment functions are proposed as a flexible way to characterize and estimate asymmetric effects of inputs on output distributions. Methods for econometric estimation of partial-moment functions, and tests for input symmetry and location-scale distributions, are presented. A Monte Carlo study demonstrates properties of proposed tests. A study of Ecuadorian potato production illustrates the methods. Hypotheses of input symmetry and location scale are rejected. A risk-value model based on partial moments implies that fertilizer is risk increasing and fungicides and labor are risk reducing in potato production, whereas an expected utility model based on full moments has the opposite implications. Copyright 2010, Oxford University Press.
Neonatal group B streptococcal disease: Incidence, presentation, and mortality

Objectives. To ascertain the incidence, and compare the clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters, and immediate mortality of neonates with early-onset (symptomatic and asymptomatic) and late-onset group B streptococcal (GBS) disease. Methods. A chart review of 81 neonates with GBS disease (either blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid culture-proven) born between 1995 and 2002 admitted to two tertiary care perinatal centers in Toronto was conducted. Clinical characteristics were compared for (1) asymptomatic early-onset, symptomatic early-onset, and late-onset GBS disease and (2) survivors and non-survivors. Results. The incidence of GBS disease was 1.13/1000 live births. One or more antepartum or intrapartum predisposing factors were recognized in 62% of cases. Early-onset was noted in 65 (80%) neonates (23 asymptomatic and 42 symptomatic). All full-term infants survived. The mortality was 6% and was confined to preterm neonates with early symptomatic disease who presented with shock and had thrombocytopenia. Conclusion. Antepartum or intrapartum known predisposing risk factors of GBS disease were lacking in one third of patients. Patients who died were preterm infants in the early symptomatic group.
E-cadherin expression as a differentiation marker in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS E-cadherin is a cell-cell adhesion molecule involved in tumor progression and metastasis. We evaluated the E-cadherin expression pattern in gastric cancer and investigated its relationship to histopathological features. METHODOLOGY The expression of E-cadherin was evaluated in 83 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens of gastric cancer by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS In benign gastric mucosa, E-cadherin was expressed uniformly at the cell membrane. Abnormal E-cadherin expression with loss of membranous localization was found in 55 (56%) cancer specimens. Aberrant E-cadherin expression was found more often in diffuse (96%) and mixed type tumors (91%) than in intestinal type tumors (47%) (p=0.0001). A significantly higher proportion of signet-ring (84%) and undifferentiated tumors (87%) showed abnormal E-cadherin expression compared with adenocarcinomas with glandular morphology (57%) (p=0.01). There was a significant correlation between abnormal E-cadherin expression and degree of differentiation (p=0.0001), local tumor extent (p=0.002), and the presence of lymph node metastases (p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS Loss of normal E-cadherin expression may serve as a differentiation marker in gastric cancer.
Co-producing European climate science and policy: a cautionary note on the making of useful knowledge

This paper examines the tight coupling between European climate science and policy. Drawing upon the analytical idiom of co-production it examines how knowledge-making practices are incorporated into European climate policy-making, and more importantly, how EU climate policy has influenced the funding, making and interpretation of useful European climate policy research. The paper identifies a tension between the critical/reflexive ambition built into the co-production idiom, and the more utilitarian interpretation of the term. Whereas the former sets out to expose and interrogate the ontological assumptions underpinning public policy, the latter seeks to be useful by responding to the knowledge needs of societal decision-makers. This tension is analysed through a case study of the integrated research project ADAM (Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies: Supporting European Climate Policy) funded under the 6th Framework Programme of the EU. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.
Effects of Different Dimensions of Social Capital on Innovation: Evidence from Europe at the Regional Level

This paper investigates how different dimensions of social capital influence innovation output. The novelty of the paper lies in the fact that for measuring social capital, instead of one overall index, six factors are constructed of 20 indicators using principal components analysis. Then, human capital and R&D are also included in the analysis as factors of innovation. Unlike many previous studies, this one uses the structural equation modelling approach instead of regression analysis in order to take into account the relationships between the factors of innovation. Regional-level data from Eurostat Regio and the European Social Survey are analysed. Compared to preceding studies, a larger number of observations is used. The findings provide strong support for the argument that social capital indeed influences innovative activity and furthermore, that different dimensions of social capital have dissimilar effects on innovation.
Guidelines for Monitoring and Management of Pediatric Patients Before, During, and After Sedation for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures: Update 2016

The safe sedation of children for procedures requires a systematic approach that includes the following: no administration of sedating medication without the safety net of medical/dental supervision, careful presedation evaluation for underlying medical or surgical conditions that would place the child at increased risk from sedating medications, appropriate fasting for elective procedures and a balance between the depth of sedation and risk for those who are unable to fast because of the urgent nature of the procedure, a focused airway examination for large (kissing) tonsils or anatomic airway abnormalities that might increase the potential for airway obstruction, a clear understanding of the medication’s pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects and drug interactions, appropriate training and skills in airway management to allow rescue of the patient, age- and size-appropriate equipment for airway management and venous access, appropriate medications and reversal agents, sufficient numbers of staff to both carry out the procedure and monitor the patient, appropriate physiologic monitoring during and after the procedure, a properly equipped and staffed recovery area, recovery to the presedation level of consciousness before discharge from medical/dental supervision, and appropriate discharge instructions. This report was developed through a collaborative effort of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry to offer pediatric providers updated information and guidance in delivering safe sedation to children.
Pretreatment assessment and predictors of hepatitis C virus treatment in US veterans coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C virus

Summary. The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) cares for many human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis C virus (HIV/HCV)‐coinfected patients. VA treatment recommendations indicate that all HIV/HCV‐coinfected patients undergo evaluation for HCV treatment and list pretreatment assessment tests. We compared clinical practice with these recommendations. We identified 377 HIV/HCV‐coinfected veterans who began HCV therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin and 4135 HIV/HCV‐coinfected veterans who did not but were in VA care at the same facilities during the same period. We compared laboratory and clinical characteristics of the two groups and estimated multivariate logistic regression models of receipt of HCV treatment. Overall, patients had high rates of receipt of tests necessary for HCV pretreatment assessment. Patients starting HCV treatment had higher alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lower creatinine, higher CD4 counts and lower HIV viral loads than patients not starting HCV treatment. In the multivariate model, positive predictors of starting HCV treatment included being non‐Hispanic whites, having higher ALTs, lower creatinines, higher HCV viral loads, higher CD4 counts, undetectable HIV viral loads and receiving HIV antiretrovirals. A history of chronic mental illness and a history of hard drug use were negative predictors. Most HIV/HCV‐coinfected patients received the necessary HCV pretreatment assessments, although rates of screening for hepatitis A and B immunity can be improved. Having well‐controlled HIV disease is by far the most important modifiable factor affecting the receipt of HCV treatment. More research is needed to determine if the observed racial differences in starting HCV treatment reflect biological differences, provider behaviour or patient preference.
A New Resistance Gene, linB, Conferring Resistance to Lincosamides by Nucleotidylation in Enterococcus faecium HM1025

ABSTRACT Resistance to lincomycin and clindamycin in the clinical isolateEnterococcus faecium HM1025 is due to a ribosomal methylase encoded by an ermAM-like gene and the plasmid-mediated inactivation of these antibiotics. We have cloned and determined the nucleotide sequence of the gene responsible for the inactivation of lincosamides, linB. This gene encodes a 267-amino-acid lincosamide nucleotidyltransferase. The enzyme catalyzes 3-(5′-adenylation) (the adenylation of the hydroxyl group in position 3 of the molecules) of lincomycin and clindamycin. Expression oflinB was observed in both Escherichia coli andStaphylococcus aureus. The deduced amino acid sequence of the enzyme did not display any significant homology with staphylococcal nucleotidyltransferases encoded by linA andlinA′ genes. Sequences homologous to linB were found in 14 other clinical isolates of E. faecium, indicating the spread of the resistance trait in this species.
Self-initiated expatriation: implications for HRM

The decision of an employee to move from their home country in order to work in another country/culture will create a myriad of issues for the employees to face. Every year, many employees take the decision to migrate. So far the literature has focused on the motivation to expatriate, on the one hand, or Human Resource Management (HRM) for international assignments within an organization, on the other hand. Little regard is paid to the opportunities HRM can play in supporting the adjustment of self-initiated expatriates to the new organization and culture. The paper derives assumptions based on Black, Mendenhall and Oddou's (1991) model of adjustment to help self-initiated expatriates to adjust and reach their performance potential more quickly. We argue that organizations should consider whether their current practices enhance or hinder the successful employment of self-initiated expatriates. Besides work-related HRM practices, HRM for self-initiated expatriates should consider expanding support into non-work areas, such as supporting partner relocation or helping to find accommodation.
Analysis and comparison of several simple impulsive noise mitigation schemes for OFDM receivers

In this paper, we analyze and compare the performance of OFDM receivers with blanking, clipping and combined blanking-clipping nonlinear preprocessors in the presence of impulsive noise. Closed-form analytical expressions for the signal-to-noise ratio at the output of three types of nonlinearity are derived. Simulation results are provided that show good agreement with theory.
EXPLORING MODAL VERBS CONVEYING POSSIBILITY IN ACADEMIC DISCOURSE

Clanek se zabýva výskytem možnostnich významů anglických modalnich sloves CAN/COULD a MAY/MIGHT v lingvistických textech. Clanek se soustředi na semanticke, syntakticke a stylisticke aspekty zkoumaných modalnich sloves a snaži se poukazat na kontextove faktory ovlivňujici jejich interpretace. Na zavěr se clanek věnuje modalnim slovesům CAN/COULD a MAY/MIGHT jako prostředku atenuace významu (hedging device).
Reproductive Health Services in Russia and CEE - a Review on Providers and Provider-Patient-Relations Research in English 1990-2010,

Reproductive health services within Russia and Central Eastern European (CEE) postsocialist countries received particular attention both internationally and nationally in the early 1990s. There was a shared concern about access to proper services in the field of family planning and antenatal care and about the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of medical professionals. Yet comprehensive reviews of research literature on the topic are difficult to find in English. This review was written to construct a general view of the situation in Russia and CEE countries for the purposes of a research project on reproductive health services in St. Petersburg. The review consists of empirical reports and systematic reviews published in English. It is structured in two parts: (1) providers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding family planning and (2) patient involvement in clinical decision-making and provider-patient relationships in reproductive health services.