Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Decreased response to recall antigens is associated with depressed costimulatory receptor expression in septic critically ill patients.

Anti-inflammatory substances are released during septic shock that modulate monocyte function. Decreased monocyte responsiveness to bacterial toxins and decreased expression of human-leukocyte-associated antigen-DR (HLA-DR) have been reported during septic shock and critical illness. Impaired antigen presentation has been inferred from these observations but has not been demonstrated. We assessed antigen presentation and costimulatory molecule expression in 12 age-matched control subjects, 10 noninfected critically ill patients (CINS), and 17 critically ill patients with sepsis (CIS). Antigen presentation was assessed by using in vitro lymphocyte 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation in response to tetanus toxoid. The expression of HLA-DR and the costimulatory molecules CD28, CD86, and CTLA-4 was assessed by flow cytometry. Serum interleukin-10 (IL-10) was also measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum IL-10 levels were significantly elevated in CIS patients (91 +/- 38 pg/mL) as compared with levels in control subjects (5 +/- 4 pg/mL)(P < .05). Lymphocyte BrdU incorporation increased by 710% +/- 243% in control subjects but by only 144% +/- 62% in CIS patients and 76% +/- 31% in CINS patients (P < .01 vs control). Monocyte HLA-DR expression, monocyte CD86 expression, and lymphocyte CD28 expression were significantly decreased in CIS patients (P < .01) as compared with control subjects. Conversely, lymphocyte CTLA-4 expression was significantly increased in CIS patients (P < .05 vs control). Monocyte CD86 expression was also significantly decreased in CINS patients as compared with control subjects. These data indicate that antigen presentation is decreased in critically ill patients with sepsis. This appears in part related to decreased expression of HLA-DR and the costimulatory molecules CD86 and CD28. Increased expression of the negative signal receptor CTLA-4 may also impair antigen presentation in patients with sepsis.
Polymer composites with a large nanofiller content: a case study involving epoxy

A situation involving a polymer nanocomposite containing a large amount of inorganic filler was studied. An epoxy nanocomposite with a content of 20% wt of nanosilica was used. Emphasis was put on imaging at the nanoscale and some dielectric responses were measured using dielectric spectroscopy. Using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) in a High-Angle Annular Dark Field (HAADF) scanning mode, an area of less than 4 nm around an isolated particle was imaged and found to have a very low atomic number. With Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) in peak-force mode agglomerates were clearly imaged. With respect to the dielectric response, no interfacial relaxation peak was observed. In presence of some agglomeration, the real part of the permittivity was found to be decreased by the addition of the nanofiller. Higher-field measurements unravelled nonlinear variations of the conduction versus an applied field. It was shown that the use of a large filler concentration resulted in greater interphase overlapping between the nanoparticles.
Phase II Study of Gefitinib in Patients with Relapsed or Persistent Ovarian or Primary Peritoneal Carcinoma and Evaluation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutations and Immunohistochemical Expression: A Gynecologic Oncology Group Study

Purpose: This phase II trial assessed the activity and tolerability of a daily oral dose of 500 mg gefitinib (ZD1839, Iressa) in patients with recurrent or persistent epithelial ovarian or primary peritoneal carcinoma, and explored the clinical value of determining the status of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Experimental Design: Primary measure of efficacy was progression-free survival at 6 months. Mutations in exons 18 to 21 of EGFR and/or immunohistochemical expression of EGFR were evaluated in tumor specimens from patients enrolled in this trial as well as from patients not treated with gefitinib. Results: Twenty-seven of 30 (90%) patients were eligible and evaluable for analysis of gefitinib efficacy and toxicity. Of these, four survived progression-free >6 months with one objective response (4%). The most commonly observed grade 3 toxicities were dermatologic (15%, 4 of 27) and diarrhea (30%, 8 of 27). Specimens from 26 of 26 or 25 of 26 patients were evaluable for immunohistochemical or mutation analysis, respectively. The response rate for patients with EGFR-positive tumors was 9% (1 of 11). EGFR expression was associated with longer progression-free survival (P = 0.008) and possibly longer survival (P = 0.082). The patient with the only objective response had a mutation in the catalytic domain of the tumor's EGFR (P = 0.04). Among 32 invasive tumors from patients not treated with gefitinib, one exhibited a catalytic domain mutation. Conclusions: Gefitinib was well tolerated but had minimal activity in unscreened patients with recurrent ovarian or primary peritoneal carcinoma. Prescreening patients for activating mutations in EGFR may improve response rate to gefitinib. This report is the first to document activating mutations in catalytic domain of EGFR in 3.5% (2 of 57) of ovarian cancers.
Reduction of Leakage and Low-Frequency Noise in MOS Transistors Through Two-Step RTA of NiSi-Silicide Technology

A two-step rapid thermal annealing (RTA) nickel salicidation process was employed to fabricate 0.1-mum gate length CMOS transistors. Excess salicidation, common in the conventional one-step RTA NiSi process, is effectively suppressed by this approach, which is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. More improvements due to two-step NiSi are observed in NMOS than in PMOS transistors: The n+-p junction diode with two-step NiSi exhibits lower reverse leakage and higher breakdown voltage than the one-step silicided diode. For the first time, it is found that two-step NiSi NMOS exhibits significant reduction in off-state leakage (~5times) and low-frequency noise (up to two orders of magnitude) over one-step NiSi NMOS, although there is not much difference in PMOS transistors
Factors associated with overcrowded pediateric emergency rooms in Northern India and possible solutions: a medical school setting

Background: To quantify the extent of emergency department overcrowding in a tertiary care hospital and to identify possible solutions.Methods: A retrospective hospital record-based study was conducted at Government Medical College Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India from the Department of Pediaterics and comprised data of all the patients presenting to the emergency department between 1st January 2018 to 31st December 2018. Demographic characteristics, length of stay (LOS), revisit frequency and consultation status of the patients were determined.Results: Of the 1,17,035 patients, 25,223 (43.89%) were discharged straight away while 24,113 (41.95%) were admitted to different wards and subspecialties. Besides, 6464 (11.25%) patients left the department against medical advice, 861 (1.5%) expired, 741 (1.29%) were referred to other hospitals and 67 (0.12%) were dead on arrival. Of those who were admitted, 1,4498 (60.13%) patients stayed for more than 10 hours before getting the main hospital bed. Mostly, the delays observed were due to delay in getting lab reports, already preoccupied ventilators and incubators in pediatric and neonatal intensive care units, not using checklist for proper reassessment of patients and early discharge, overburdened by patients coming in just for nebulization and intravenous or intramuscular medications, the admitting residents detain the unstable patient longer in emergency department before admission to wards.Conclusions: In conclusion, cooperation of the managers, relevant departments and a multidisciplinary approach are necessary to achieve the goals to reduce overcrowding in the emergency departments.
The relationship between risk-neutral and actual default probabilities: the credit risk premium

ABSTRACT The study investigates empirically the relationship between the risk-neutral measure Q and the real-world measure P. We study the ratio between the risk-neutral and actual default intensities, which we call the coverage ratio or the relative credit risk premium. Actual default intensities are derived from rating agencies annual transition matrices, while risk-neutral default intensities are bootstrapped from CDS quotes of European corporates. We quantify the average risk premium and its changes over time. Compared to related literature, special attention is given to the effects of the recent financial and European sovereign crises. We find that average credit risk premia rose substantially and that post-crisis levels are still higher than those observed before the financial crisis. This observation is especially true for high-quality debt and if it persists, it will have an impact on corporates funding costs. The quantification and revision of risk premia contributes to the discussion of the credit spread puzzle and could give extra insights in valuation models that start from real-world estimates. Our work is furthermore important in the context of state aid assessment. The real economic value (REV) methodology, applied by the European Commission to evaluate impaired portfolios, is based on a long-term average risk premium.
Human Behavior in Newsvendor Decisions: A Comparative Study with Experimental Results

As decision makers do not make optimal decisions in practice despite the existence of optimal solutions in many models, there has been a rising interest in behavioral operations management recently. In this study, we aim for a comparative study to analyze the inventory decisions in Korea, America, and China, by conducting the same newsvendor experiment in Korea and compare the results with those of previous studies. From the comparative analysis, some national characteristics in decision-making processes have been observed but there is lowly significant difference in order quantities among the three groups. Korean students show lower level of understanding in demand distributions and tendencies of anchoring on the mean demand and being risk-averse. The finding that individuals make their own decisions differently based on their different behaviors suggests that we need to consider individual approach in analyzing human decision-making processes rather than adapting aggregate approach.
Calcium levels as a risk factor for delayed graft function

Background. Delayed graft function (DGF) occurs in up to 50% of renal transplants. Hypercalcemia and hyperparathyroidism are associated with impaired renal function. Little is known on the effects of serum calcium levels on DGF. This issue was addressed in the current study. Methods. Patients receiving a cadaveric renal transplant between 1986 and 1996 were studied. Data on calcium metabolism and histologic characteristics of nephrocalcinosis, acute tubular necrosis (ATN), and acute rejection in biopsies taken within the first week were related to the occurrence of DGF. Results. The incidence of DGF in a cohort of 585 cadaveric transplants was 31%. DGF correlated independently with serum calcium levels (odds ratio [OR] 1.14 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04–1.26] per 0.1 mmol/L). The use of calcium channel blockers before transplantation protected against DGF (OR 0.5 [95% CI 0.29– 0.87]). In this selected group, we found an association with histologic signs of ATN and DGF. However, most of the biopsies also had features of acute rejection or nephrocalcinosis. Nephrocalcinosis was found in 12 of 71 biopsies and was not associated with serum calcium levels or the occurrence of DGF. Conclusions. In this study, serum calcium levels were independently associated with DGF. This could not be explained by the presence of microscopic nephrocalcinosis. Therefore, DGF is attributed to high intracellular calcium levels. Because calcium supplementation and vitamin D analogues are commonly used in dialysis practice, hypercalcemia influences long-term graft outcome by its effect on DGF. The pretransplant use of calcium channel blockers has a protective effect on the occurrence of DGF.
Long-term survival after venous thromboembolism: a retrospective selected cohort study among young women

Few data are available on long-term survival following venous thromboembolism. We performed a retrospective survival analysis covering the period January 1985 to December 2006 in 728 young women (median age 28.7 years; interquartile range 21.6–36.3 years) with a history of venous thromboembolism who visited our clinic between 1985 and 1998. Mortality information was obtained from the Austrian Central Death Register. Survival of our patients was compared to the general Austrian female population after adjustment for age and calendar period. Overall, 23 patients (3.2%) died, the cumulative relative survival was 1.03 (95% CI 0.99–1.04). Site of venous thromboembolism or triggering factors had no significant influence. Venous thromboembolism does not reduce long-term survival in young women considering our median follow up of 14 years. The risk of fatal bleeding and quality of life should be assessed versus that of fatal recurrent venous thromboembolism when deciding on long-term anticoagulation in young women.
Sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma: an update

Purpose of reviewSinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma is a rare and extremely malignant tumor of the paranasal sinuses. Historically, treatment outcomes have been poor. This review presents recent data on the management of sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma and examines treatment trends that may result in improved locoregional control and survival. Recent findingsPatients who receive aggressive multimodality treatments have improved outcomes. In particular, a chemoradiotherapy regimen including concurrent platinum-based chemotherapy given preoperatively or postoperatively to patients with resectable disease seems to result in better disease-free survival. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, although strongly advocated by some, is currently not offered by many. Although surgery seems to be an important part of the treatment for sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma, its ideal timing, either upfront or after radiotherapy, remains uncertain. SummaryOverall, outcomes for sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma are poor. An aggressive approach using surgery, platinum-based chemotherapy, and radiation seems to offer the greatest chance for significant locoregional control and survival.
Image segmentation for automated taxiing of Unmanned Aircraft

This paper details a method of detecting collision risks for Unmanned Aircraft during taxiing. Using images captured from an on-board camera, semantic segmentation can be used to identify surface types and detect potential collisions. A review of classifier lead segmentation concludes that texture feature descriptors lack the pixel level accuracy required for collision avoidance. Instead, segmentation prior to classification is suggested as a better method for accurate region border extraction. This is achieved through an initial over-segmentation using the established SLIC superpixel technique with further untrained clustering using DBSCAN algorithm. Known classes are used to train a classifier through construction of a texton dictionary and models of texton content typical to each class. The paper demonstrates the application of said system to real world images, and shows good automated segment identification. Remaining issues are identified and contextual information is suggested as a method of resolving them going forward.
EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP OF ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT ON EARLY CAREER SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS’ RETENTION DECISIONS

THE RELATIONSHIP OF ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT ON EARLY CAREER SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS’ RETENTION DECISIONS By Cassandra B. Willis, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2019 Director: Dr. LaRon Scott, Assistant Professor Department of Counseling and Special Education The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between administrative support and retention of early career special education teachers. Research has shown that there is a shortage of special education teachers; however, teachers leaving the field may be driving the shortages. Based on the work of Schein’s (2003) theory of organizational culture, this study identified how different types of support (i.e., emotional, instructional, technical, and environmental) can influence early career special education teachers’ decision to remain in their current position. Participants, including teachers and administrators from a suburban school division in Virginia, completed a modified version of the Administrative Support Survey. A correlational research design was used to answer research questions comparing support perceived by principals to support received by teachers and support perceived by teachers to support provided by
Coping with Growth and Emigration: Latvian Labor Market Before and After EU Accession

In 2002-2005, Latvian labor market has witnessed dramatic changes related both to unprecedented economic growth and to a massive outflow of labor force after EU enlargement in May 2004. This study, based on micro-level analysis of Latvian Labor Force surveys 2002-2005, provides a detailed analysis of these changes, with a particular focus on developments which are likely to improve living standards of formerly disadvantaged segments of population. The findings suggest that emerging shortage of labor has led to strong wage growth and reduction of unemployment. The author documents increased employment rates and improvements in labor market position of ethnic minorities, elderly, fixed-term workers, the low-skilled, and other disadvantaged groups. Wage growth, in turn, has fostered labor force participation, resulting in further increase of employment rates. This analysis may be of interest for policy makers in countries entering a period of transformation or exposed to external shocks. The study also provides an in-depth analysis of the labor market integration of the sizable Russian-speaking minority in Latvia. The author finds, on average, modest occupational segregation but somewhat larger segregation as far as the sectors of the economy are concerned. In both cases, segregation index is inversely related to Latvian language skills; the same is true for the observed ethnic wage gap. The unexplained ethnic wage gap reaches its maximum (6 percent) for workers with medium Latvian language skills.
Polymorphisms in the Lymphotoxin Alpha Gene and the Risk of Ischemic Stroke in the Japanese Population

Background and Purpose: Lymphotoxin α (LTA), one of the tumor necrosis factor family proteins, is an important proinflammatory cytokine and appears to play a putative role in the inflammatory process of atherosclerosis. Recent genetic studies have suggested that variations in the gene encoding LTA, which affect its expression and biological function, may contribute to the development of vascular diseases. We conducted a case-control study to clarify the association of LTA gene polymorphisms with ischemic stroke in a large Japanese population. Methods: Genotyping for LTA A252G and C804A polymorphisms was achieved by a rapid-cycle polymerase chain reaction and melting curve analysis using fluorescent probes in 1,044 incident cases of ischemic stroke recruited from the Fukuoka Stroke Registry and 1,044 age- and sex-matched control subjects recruited from the Hisayama Study. Results: The overall distribution of allele and genotype for each polymorphism was similar between stroke patients and control subjects. The allele frequencies of 252G and 804A were slightly lower in stroke patients than in control subjects; however, conditional logistic regression analysis adjusted for potential risk factors found no association between the risk of ischemic stroke and either polymorphism. In terms of stroke subtype, we also found no association of these polymorphisms with any subtypes of ischemic stroke. Conclusions: Neither the A252G nor C804A polymorphism of the LTA gene was associated with stroke overall and any subtypes of ischemic stroke in the Japanese population.
The Natural History of Appendicitis in Adults A Prospective Study

ObjectiveThe authors relate prehospital delay and in hospital delay to the incidence of perforation of appendicitis. Summary Background DataQuality assurance studies use perforation rate as an index of quality of care. This is based on the assumption commonly presented in retrospective reports that in-hospital delay to surgery influences the incidence of perforation. Only one limited study prospectively found that prehospital delay increased the perforation rate. MethodsDuring a 6-month period, 95 consecutive adults undergoing appendectomies at Foothills Hospital in Calgary, Alberta, were questioned as to onset and type of first symptom (i.e., epigastric discomfort, anorexia nervosa, vomiting, and abdominal pain). Time of emergency room (ER) arrival, surgery consultation, and operating room start were taken from the chart. Surgical and pathology reports were used to identify status of appendix (normal, inflamed, suppurative, gangrenous, perforated) and presence of abscess cavity. The status of appendix was related to prehospital and in-hospital delay to establish significance. ResultsThere were 13 (14%) normal, 67 (70%) inflamed, and 15 (16%) perforated appendices. Patients with perforated appendics waited 2.5 times longer before reporting to the ER, compared with patients with inflamed appendices (57 hours vs. 22 hours, p < 0.007). Once in the hospital, patients with perforated appendices were identified and treated faster than those with inflamed appendices (7 vs. 9 hours, p < 0.039). Analysis by ER physician was 3 hours whether the appendix wasnormal, inflamed, or perforated. Analysis by the surgeon was significantly shorter in patients with perforated appendices than patients with inflamed appendices (4 vs. 6 hours, p < 0.039). ConclusionsThis prospective study identifies that delay in presentation accounts for the majority of perforated
Content Specificity of Expectancy Beliefs and Task Values in Elementary Physical Education

The curriculum may superimpose a content-specific context that mediates motivation (Bong, 2001). This study examined content specificity of the expectancy-value motivation in elementary school physical education. Students' expectancy beliefs and perceived task values from a cardiorespiratory fitness unit, a muscular fitness unit, and a traditional skill/game unit were analyzed using constant comparison coding procedures, multivariate analysis of variance, χ2, and correlation analyses. There was no difference in the intrinsic interest value among the three content conditions. Expectancy belief, attainment, and utility values were significantly higher for the cardiorespiratory fitness curriculum. Correlations differentiated among the expectancyvalue components of the content conditions, providing further evidence of content specificity in the expectancy-value motivation process. The findings suggest that expectancy beliefs and task values should be incorporated in the theoretical platform for curriculum development based on the learning outcomes that can be specified with enhanced motivation effect.