Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Setting the Agenda: Exploring Florida Residents' Perceptions of Water Quality and Quantity Issues

Water quantity and quality are among the top issues currently facing Florida. To understand residents’ perceptions of these issues as well as understand how agenda-setting may be used to influence residents’ behaviors and opinions surrounding water issues, this study explored Florida residents’ opinions of water. Agenda-setting served as the conceptual framework to aid in understanding where water quality and quantity emerge on the public’s agenda. Responses were obtained from 469 Florida residents via an online survey. The results showed respondents believed water quality had not changed, with the exception of the quality of bays, which they believed was getting worse. Water quality was found to be an issue of high importance among respondents, especially in regard to the quality of drinking water. Respondents believed water quantity was highly important; however, more importance was associated with water quality issues. The results of this study identified the current disconnect that exists among residents concerning water issues. This study also established the salience of water issues on the public’s agenda and how Florida residents could be better informed. A statewide communication campaign focused on both water quality and quantity issues was recommended to decrease the disconnect that currently exists between residents’ perceptions and the reality of water issues. This campaign should utilize the technology-based outlets to stay informed with the public’s agenda to personalize communication efforts. These efforts would increase the public’s interest concerning water issues by reducing redundant information and diluting important issues.
The Impact of Disability Insurance on Beneficiaries’ Earnings: is the Income Effect Large?

We study how U.S. Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) payments affect beneficiaries’ earnings. The formula linking DI payments to past earnings has “bend points,” or discontinuous changes in the marginal replacement rate, that allow us to use a regression kink design. Using Social Security Administration microdata on all new DI beneficiaries from 2001 to 2007, we document a robust income effect of DI payment amounts on earnings around a bend point. Our preferred estimates suggest that an increase in DI payments of one dollar causes an average decrease in beneficiaries’ earnings of twenty cents. In several contexts we find no evidence that the substitution effect of DI is large. This combination of findings suggests that the income effect is crucial in driving DI-induced reductions in earnings. 1 This research was supported by Social Security Administration Grant 33-5101-00-1-15-537 to the Disability Research Consortium at the National Bureau of Economic Research. We thank Paul O’Leary for helping us to understand the Disability Analysis File data, and we thank Richard Burkhauser, Matias Cattaneo, Manasi Deshpande, Peter Ganong, Hilary Hoynes, Simon Jäger, Magne Mogstad, Zhuan Pei, Jesse Rothstein, Stefan Staubli, Geno Smolensky, Lesley Turner, David Weaver, and Danny Yagan for helpful suggestions, as well as seminar participants at George Washington University, Monash University, UC Berkeley, University of Melbourne, University of Michigan, University of New South Wales and Virginia Commonwealth University. We thank the UC Berkeley Burch Center for research support. All errors are our own.
Comparison of procalcitonin with interleukin 8, C-reactive protein and differential white blood cell count for the early diagnosis of bacterial infections in newborn infants.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate procalcitonin (PCT) as a test for early diagnosis of bacterial infections (BI) in newborn infants and to compare the results of PCT with those of interleukin 8 (IL-8), C-reactive protein (CRP) and differential white blood cell count. STUDY DESIGN PCT was prospectively measured along with IL-8, CRP and differential white blood cell counts and blood cultures in 197 newborn infants at the first suspicion of bacterial infection. PCT, IL-8, CRP and differential white blood cell counts were analyzed for sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values after receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for best thresholds. The kinetics of PCT was determined in infants with and without BI. RESULTS Forty-six infants were diagnosed clinically as having BI, of whom 9 had BI with positive blood cultures. At a cutoff value of 0.50 microg/l, PCT detected combined culture-proved and clinical BI with a sensitivity of 57% (95% confidence interval, 41%, 71%) and a specificity of 66% (95% confidence interval, 57%, 74%). The combination of IL-8 > or =70 ng/l and/or CRP >10 mg/l achieved a sensitivity of 91% (95% confidence interval, 79%, 98%) and a specificity of 73% (95% confidence interval, 64%, 81%). PCT values of infected and not infected infants tended to rise for 24 h after initial evaluation and then decreased. CONCLUSION The combination of IL-8 and CRP is more reliable than PCT as a test for early diagnosis of BI in newborn infants.
Musculoskeletal Teaching and Training in Saudi Internal Medicine Residency Programmes

Background: Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are among the most common complains presented at the clinical practice, accounting about 15% - 30% of all primary care encounters. However, clinical doctors continue to document a low level of confidence in their musculoskeletal clinical skills. Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the internal medicine (IM) residents for confidence and perception in demonstrating musculoskeletal clinical skills. Methods: 37 items paper-based questionnaire was developed and piloted to investigate IM residents in Saudi Arabia during June-December 2011. Results: The study indicates residents’ low self-confidence in demonstrating MSK physical examinations with total mean (10/24). Respondents also show general agreement that MSK problems are very common in patient visits, and indicate the importance of MSK clinical screening in all standard clinical examination of patients, yet they point to current inappropriate practice in handling most cases. Respondents show lower perception of undergraduate and postgraduate training, regarding the inadequate training and assessment in MSK. Conclusions: The study shows inadequate MSK education, during and post, medical school training and that there are different training approaches for the different specialties, which undermines MSK training altogether.
The A‐kinase anchoring protein 15 regulates feedback inhibition of the epithelial Na+ channel

Protein kinase A anchoring proteins or AKAPs regulate the activity of many ion channels. Protein kinase A (PKA) is a well‐recognized target of AKAPs, with other kinases now emerging as additional targets. We examined the roles of epithelial‐expressed AKAPs in regulating the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC). Experiments used heterologous expression with AKAP15, AKAP‐KL, and AKAP79 in Xenopus oo‐cytes. Experiments were carried out under high and low Na+ conditions, as Na+ loading is known to affect the baseline activity of ENaC in a PKC‐dependent mechanism. ENaC activity was unaffected by AKAP79 and AKAP‐KL expression. However, oocytes coexpressing AKAP15 exhibited an 80% and 91% reduction in the amiloride‐sensitive, whole‐cell conductance in high and low Na+ conditions, respectively. The reduced channel activity was unaffected by PKA activation or inhibition, indicating a PKA‐independent mechanism. Expression with a membrane‐targeting domain, mutant form of AKAP15 (AKAP15m) prevented the decrease of ENaC activity, but only under low Na+ conditions. In high sodium conditions, coexpression with AKAP15m led to an increase of ENaC activity to levels similar to those observed under low Na+. These results indicate that membrane‐associated AKAP15 reduces ENaC activity whereas the cytoplasmically associated one may participate in the channel's feedback inhibition by intracellular Na+, a process known to involve PKC. This hypothesis was further confirmed in coexpression experiments, which demonstrated functional and physical interaction between AKAP15 and PKCα. We propose that AKAP15 regulates ENaC via a novel PKA‐indepen‐dent pathway. —Bengrine, A. , Li, J., Awayda, M. S. The A‐kinase anchoring protein 15 regulates feedback inhibition of the epithelial Na+ channel. FASEB J. 21, 1189–1201 (2007)
Development and response of a coupled catchment fan system under changing tectonic and climatic forcing

[1] Sediment fans are a potentially useful and underexploited recorder of Earth's climatic and tectonic history, but historical observations have led to conflicting views on the importance of tectonic, climatic, and lithologic variables in controlling fan morphology and deposition. A one-dimensional model of a sediment fan and its associated catchment is used to explore the sensitivity of such simple sediment routing systems to perturbations in fault slip and precipitation rates. A transport-limited catchment is coupled to a fan whose surface slope is set by the balance between catchment sediment efflux and the available tectonically generated basin accommodation. Rock uplift rate is spatially variable across the model space. Increasing the fault slip rate, or decreasing the precipitation rate, leads to an increase in fan slope, temporary back-stepping of the fan toe, and a pronounced angular unconformity. Conversely, a decrease in slip rate, or an increase in precipitation rate, results in a decrease in fan slope, and progradation and eventual stabilization of the fan toe. Once perturbed, the system evolves toward a new equilibrium state with time constants of ∼0.5 to 2 Myr; these response times are insensitive to slip rate but are strongly dependent on precipitation rate. Variations in fan slope are well described by a dimensionless parameter that expresses equilibrium slope as a function of slip rate, precipitation rate, system size, and catchment lithology. This parameter holds promise as a predictive tool in inverting the morphology of natural fans for environmental variables.
Unit Activity in the Vestibular Nuclei of Monkeys during Off‐Vertical Axis Rotation

Yaw rotation about an axis tilted from the spatial vertical induces horizontal eye velocity that is comprised of two components: a steady-state or bias component and an oscillating component dependent on head position with regard to gravity. ’-“ There is considerable evidence that both components arise from activity generated by the ~toliths. ~-’ Models have been developed that can estimate head velocity from the otolith signals and produce eye velocity through activation of the velocity storage integrator. ”1° However, the neural basis for many of the theoretical predictions has not been explored. The purpose of this study was to record single units in the
Anatomy of a world cruise.

BACKGROUND AND METHOD We registered the patient-related activities of a large cruise ship's medical center during a 103-day worldwide voyage and compared data from 694 passengers (53% women) with median age 66 years with data from 540 crew (27% women) with median age 30 years of age. RESULTS The medical staff had 3033 (1537 crew, 1496 passenger) consultations (=206 consultations per week) and performed 982 diagnostic procedures. Skin disorders dominated in the crew and were more frequent than in the passengers (29% versus 13%, p<.01), respiratory problems dominated in the passengers and were more frequent than in the crew (26% versus 17%, p<.01), while cardiovascular disorders were more common in the passengers (7% versus 1%, p<.01). Forty-six injuries (35 passengers, 11 crew) were recorded. One passenger died aboard. Seventy-six crew (14%) were not able to work for a total of 110 days (1.1 crew sick per day), while five crew were signed off for medical reasons. CONCLUSIONS To be a doctor or nurse on a large cruise ship during a long sea voyage is no vacation. The medical staff should expect a varied general practice with a higher consultation frequency rate than shoreside, even higher in crew
Correction for GOES Imager Spectral Response Function Using GSICS. Part II: Applications

During the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-14 and -15 post-launch test (PLT) for science periods, an up to ~ 2 K mean brightness temperature (Tb) bias with respect to collocated Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) observations was observed in the absorptive IR channels of the GOES-14/15 Imagers. These large scene-dependent biases were believed to be caused mainly by spectral characterization errors. In this paper, we refined the spectral response function (SRF) shift algorithm which was developed during the GOES-13 PLT period to improve the GOES-14/15 Imager IR radiometric calibration accuracy by accurately calculating the impact of blackbody on the calibrated scene radiance. The uncertainty of the SRF shift algorithm was estimated and used to guide the final selection of the total amount of central wave-number shift. This refined algorithm was first verified with GOES-13 Imager Ch6 data and then used to evaluate and further revise the audited GOES-14/15 SRFs provided by the instrument vendor. Based on this algorithm, the optimal SRF shifts were -1.98 cm-1 for GOES-13 Ch6, -8.25 cm-1 for GOES-14 Ch3, -0.25 cm-1 for GOES-14 Ch6, -6.25 cm-1 for GOES-15 Ch3 and +0.50 cm-1 for GOES-15 Ch6. The newly shifted SRFs were operationally implemented into the GOES-14/15 Imager IR calibrations in the August of 2011 and successfully reduced the mean all-sky Tb bias with respect to the reference instrument to less than 0.15 K. The scene-dependent bias, which can be nonlinear at large erroneous SRF, was also greatly reduced. The same method was applied to correct the GOES-12 Imager Ch6 SRF which has a changing SRF error during its mission life. A strong linear relationship between the optimal SRF shifts and the mean Tb bias with respect to the AIRS data was observed at this channel. This strong linear relationship can be used to revise the GOES-12 Ch6 SRF for a better radiance simulation. The method described in this paper is particularly important to evaluate and revise the erroneous SRF, if it exists, after satellite launch yet before it becomes fully operational.
In Vivo Recognition of the fecA3 Target Promoter by Helicobacter pylori NikR

ABSTRACT In Helicobacter pylori, the transcriptional regulator HpNikR represses transcription of the fecA3 gene by binding to two adjacent operators spanning a region of almost 80 nucleotides along the fecA3 promoter in a nickel-dependent manner. By employing hydroxyl radical footprinting, we mapped the protected nucleotides within each operator. Three short sequences rich in A and T nucleotides were identified within each operator, comprising just 24 bases for both operators, with 4 or 5 protected bases interspaced by 4 to 7 free nucleotides, with no center of symmetry. Base substitutions at any site strongly reduced the affinity of HpNikR for the operators and also affected the stability of the DNA-protein complex, when the promoter-regulator interaction was analyzed in vitro. The effect of these substitutions was remarkably different when transcription of the mutant promoters was analyzed in vivo. Base changes introduced at the farthest subsites impaired the HpNikR-dependent repression, with the mutations closer to +1 completely abolishing the repression, the more distal one still allowing almost 50% of transcription, and the mutations in the middle being ineffective. The data presented here show that HpNikR may first select its targets by identifying sequences within the previously defined consensus and subsequently establish base-specific contacts to firmly bind DNA. In particular, HpNikR seems to interact in an asymmetric mode with the fecA3 target to repress its transcription.
Social Innovation And Social Entrepreneurship Through Big Data: Developing A Reseach Agenda

The power of big data and their applications are evident through the enormous attention they have received over the past few years, with the majority of the research focusing on solving technical and business problems. However, the challenge remains on how to harness the potential of big data in order to come up with innovative solutions on various societal problems. Big data have the potential to change the way that entrepreneurs as well as the other stakeholders of a social ecosystem take decisions , and develop new paths to create social innovation by taking data-driven decisions. Nonetheless, there is limited understanding on how social ecosystems need to change to embrace the advancement that big data entail. There is a need to institutionalize innovation through big data and social entre-preneurship, and examine how to successfully exploit big data towards achieving social good and sustainable change. We suggest building on the current state of the art, and go beyond it by merging and extending the findings with insights from the different stakeholders involved in the social innovation process. Further, we propose developing and testing a framework of best practices, that will be used as a roadmap by interested parties to successfully employ big data for social innovation, through the development of prototype applications which will clearly showcase the impact of big data on addressing societal challenges. This position paper concludes with research questions and challenges for future studies in the area.
Spark‐ and ember‐like elementary Ca2+ release events in skinned fibres of adult mammalian skeletal muscle

1 Using laser scanning confocal microscopy, we show for the first time elementary Ca2+ release events (ECRE) from the sarcoplasmic reticulum in chemically and mechanically skinned fibres from adult mammalian muscle and compare them with ECRE from amphibian skinned fibres. 2 Hundreds of spontaneously occurring events could be measured from individual single skinned mammalian fibres. In addition to spark‐like events, we found ember‐like events, i.e. long‐lasting events of steady amplitude. These two different fundamental release types in mammalian muscle could occur in combination at the same location. 3 The two peaks of the frequency of occurrence for ECRE of mammalian skeletal muscle coincided with the expected locations of the transverse tubular system within the sarcomere, suggesting that ECRE mainly originate at triadic junctions. 4 ECRE in adult mammalian muscle could also be identified at the onset of the global Ca2+ release evoked by membrane depolarisation in mechanically skinned fibres. In addition, the frequency of ECRE was significantly increased by application of 0.5 mm caffeine and reduced by application of 2 mm tetracaine. 5 We conclude that the excitation‐contraction coupling process in adult mammalian muscle involves the activation of both spark‐ and ember‐like elementary Ca2+ release events.
Comparing the temporal changes of airfares on online travel agency websites and metasearch engines

Abstract Recent trends in transport and communication infrastructures have had a profound impact on the tourism industry. Despite the growing number and importance of online travel agencies and travel metasearch sites tourism literature addressing this issue is very scarce. Th is paper aims to examine the temporal changes of return airfares on online travel agency (OTA) and travel metasearch websites from Budapest to three short-haul destinations for fi xed departure dates in high and shoulder season. Th e study was based on quantitative research methods using automated internet data collection and statistical analysis (ANOVA tests). During the study, we created a database containing more than 31 thousand ticket prices over a 182-day period for the three selected destinations. Empirical fi ndings showed that no single website off ered lowest airfares consistently and metasearch sites outperformed OTAs in almost any cases by off ering lower airfares. Results also indicated the best time to book fl ights on the selected sites, airfares for shoulder season were signifi cantly cheaper than for high season and ticket prices tend to be more expensive on Mondays and Sundays.
Hospitalizations of pregnant HIV-infected women in the USA prior to and during the era of HAART, 1994–2003

Background:The literature on whether HIV infection and its complex antiretroviral treatments confer a higher risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes is controversial. Objective:We compared rates of hospitalization for select morbidities among HIV-infected and uninfected pregnant women in the USA. Design and Methods:Using data from the 1994–2003 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we used descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression to examine socio-demographic characteristics, morbidity outcomes and time trends. Results:There were approximately 6000 hospitalizations per year of HIV-infected pregnant women in the USA. HIV-infected women were more likely to be hospitalized in urban hospitals, in the South, have Medicaid as the expected payer, have longer hospitalizations and incur higher charges than uninfected women. Hospitalizations for major puerperal sepsis, genitourinary infections, influenza, bacterial infections, preterm labor/delivery, and liver disorders were more frequent among pregnant HIV-infected women than their uninfected counterparts. However, rates of pre-eclampsia and antepartum hemorrhage were not significantly different. While rates of inpatient mortality and various infectious conditions decreased between 1994 and 2003, the rate of gestational diabetes increased among HIV-infected pregnant women. Conclusions:HIV-infected pregnant women in the USA continue to be at higher risk for morbidity and adverse obstetric outcomes. With the introduction of antiretroviral therapy, rates of most of the conditions examined have either decreased or remained stable, hence current antiretroviral regimens do not seem to be associated with major adverse pregnancy outcomes on a population basis. The increase in gestational diabetes among HIV-infected women may be associated, in part, with antiretroviral therapy and merits further attention.
Government Financial Assets and Debt Sustainability

Do government financial assets help improve public debt sustainability? To answer this question, we assemble a comprehensive dataset on government assets using multiple sources and covering 110 advanced and emerging market economies since the late 1980s. We then use this rich database to estimate the impact of assets on two key dimensions of debt sustainability: borrowing costs and the probability of debt distress. Government financial assets significantly reduce sovereign spreads and the probability of debt crises in emerging economies but not in advanced economies, and the effect varies with asset characteristics, notably liquidity. Government finacial assets also help discriminate countries across the distribution of sovereign spreads, thus signaling information about emerging economies’ creditworthiness.