Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improving outcomes in community-acquired pneumonia

Purpose of review Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a pervasive disease that is encountered in outpatient and inpatient settings. CAP is the leading cause of death from an infectious disease and accounts for significant worldwide morbidity and mortality. This update reviews current advances that can be used to promote improved outcomes in CAP. Recent findings Early recognition of CAP and its severe presentations, with appropriate site of care decisions, leads to reduced patient mortality. In addition to traditional prognostic tools, certain serum biomarkers can assist in defining disease severity and guide treatment and management strategies. The use of macrolides as part of combination antibiotic therapy has shown beneficial mortality effects across the CAP disease spectrum, especially for those with severe illness. When treating community-associated, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia, use of an antitoxin antibiotic is likely to be valuable. Adjunctive therapy with corticosteroids may prevent delayed clinical resolution in selected patients with severe CAP. Recent data expand on the interaction of CAP with comorbid disease, particularly cardiovascular disease, and its impact on mortality in CAP patients. Summary Improved diagnostic tools, optimized treatment regimens, and enhanced understanding of CAP-induced perturbations in comorbid disease states hold promise to improve patient outcomes.
Chromatin modification by the RNA Polymerase II elongation complex

Transcription elongation by RNA polymerase II (RNAP II) involves the coordinated action of numerous regulatory factors. Among these are chromatin-modifying enzymes, which generate a stereotypic and conserved pattern of histone modifications along transcribed genes. This pattern implies a precise coordination between regulators of histone modification and the RNAP II elongation complex. Here I review the pathways and molecular events that regulate co-transcriptional histone modifications. Insight into these events will illuminate the assembly of functional RNAP II elongation complexes and how the chromatin landscape influences their composition and function.
Prediction of Bit Rate Sequences of Encoded Video Signals

A new approach for video traffic characterization (VTC) is proposed. In this approach, it is assumed that every video sequence is characterized by a set of fundamental indexes or parameters and that the bit rate process can be generated by a parametric model of the corresponding indices. Among the implications of this approach are: the encoding process is no longer necessary to simulate the bit rate process for a particular video sequence: a video sequence needs to be processed only once to obtain its fundamental parameters: and, in general, the computation of the index processes requires much less processing than the actual encoding. If parametric models are identified for all encoding algorithms of interest, then the problem of developing models for various combinations of encoders and classes of video sequences reduces to the problem of developing a single model for the index processes of various classes of video sequences. >
Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Micafungin in Infants Supported With Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

Background: Candida is a leading cause of infection in infants on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Optimal micafungin dosing is unknown in this population because ECMO can alter drug pharmacokinetics (PK). Methods: To characterize micafungin pharmacokinetics and safety in infants on ECMO, we conducted an open-label pharmacokinetics trial. Infants on ECMO either received intravenous micafungin 4 mg/kg every 24 h for invasive candidiasis prophylaxis or 8 mg/kg every 24 h when a fungal infection was suspected or confirmed. We collected plasma samples after single and multiple micafungin doses. We defined the therapeutic target as the adult exposure associated with efficacy in phase III trials and the prophylactic target as one-half of the therapeutic target. Results: We enrolled 12 infants (124 samples) with a median age of 59 days. Using a 1-compartment model, median weight-normalized volume of distribution and clearance were 0.64 L/kg and 0.041 L/kg/h, respectively. Dose-exposure simulations revealed that doses of 2.5 and 5 mg/kg every 24 h matched exposure targets for prophylaxis and treatment of invasive candidiasis, respectively. We did not observe any drug-related adverse events. Conclusions: In infants on ECMO, micafungin volume of distribution was higher and clearance was in the upper range of previously published values for infants not on ECMO. Based on these data, we recommend dosing of 2.5 and 5 mg/kg every 24 h for prophylaxis and treatment of invasive candidiasis, respectively, to match adult exposure proven effective against Candida spp.
Down-Regulation of Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-Specific Phospholipase D Induced by Lipopolysaccharide and Oxidative Stress in the Murine Monocyte- Macrophage Cell Line RAW 264.7

ABSTRACT Serum glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase D (GPI-PLD) activity is reduced over 75% in systemic inflammatory response syndrome. To investigate the mechanism of this response, expression of the GPI-PLD gene was studied in the mouse monocyte-macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 0.5 to 50 ng/ml). GPI-PLD mRNA was reduced approximately 60% in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Oxidative stress induced by 0.5 mM H2O2 or 50 μM menadione also caused a greater than 50% reduction in GPI-PLD mRNA. The antioxidant N-acetyl-l-cysteine attenuated the down-regulatory effect of H2O2but not of LPS. Cotreatment of the cells with actinomycin D inhibited down-regulation induced by either LPS or H2O2. The half-life of GPI-PLD mRNA was not affected by LPS, or decreased slightly with H2O2, indicating that the reduction in GPI-PLD mRNA is due primarily to transcriptional regulation. Stimulation with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) resulted in ∼40% reduction in GPI-PLD mRNA in human A549 alveolar carcinoma cells but not RAW 264.7 cells, suggesting that alternative pathways could exist in different cell types for down-regulating GPI-PLD expression during an inflammatory response and the TNF-α autocrine signaling mechanism alone is not sufficient to recapitulate the LPS-induced reduction of GPI-PLD in macrophages. Sublines of RAW 264.7 cells with reduced GPI-PLD expression exhibited increased cell sensitivity to LPS stimulation and membrane-anchored CD14 expression on the cell surface. Our data suggest that down-regulation of GPI-PLD could play an important role in the control of proinflammatory responses.
Properties of the most influential social sensors

In the influence maximization problem one is to find a subset of vertexes with the highest influence among the node sets of the same cardinality, where a model representing the spread of influence is also given. In [6] two of the most commonly used model were introduced and it was shown that in both cases the problem becomes NP-hard. On the other hand, it was also proven that the greedy algorithm always guarantees a solution performing at most as bad as 1 - 1/e times the optimal solution. Focusing on the Independent Cascade Model we enhance the greedy algorithm to be able to remember not only the locally best solution but b other sets as well, whose influence was the second, third etc. best in the previous step. Surprisingly, contrast to the extended search space this method performs indistinguishably the same as the optimized greedy algorithm of [1] even for relatively large values of b. This shows that there are several different node sets, whose influence is indistinguishably the same as that of the node set returned by the greedy algorithm. Inspired by this result we characterize the most influential sets from two different perspective. Firstly, we try to determine the distribution of three different centrality measures on the members. It turns out that for the eigenvector centrality [12] this distribution can be closely approximated by the normal distribution. Secondly, we examine how the age of a node, i.e., the time passed after becoming a member of the network, correlates to its chance of being chosen by the greedy algorithm. Surprisingly, we found that for graphs with 100, 000 nodes generated by the forest fire model [8] [7], most of the times even the “youngest” node belongs to the first 50, 000 users who have joined the network. It may be even more striking that the fourth youngest elements are among the 10 percent of these nodes in average.
Effect of 13 week magnetic field exposures on DMBA-initiated mammary gland carcinomas in female Sprague–Dawley rats

Several studies suggest that exposure to 50 Hz magnetic fields may promote chemically induced breast cancer in rats. Groups of 100 female Sprague–Dawley rats were initiated with four weekly 5 mg gavage doses of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) starting at 50 days of age. After the first weekly DMBA administration, exposure to ambient fields (sham exposed), 50 Hz magnetic fields at either 1 or 5 G field intensity or 60 Hz fields at 1 G for 18.5 h/day, 7 days/week was initiated. Exposure continued for 13 weeks. A vehicle control group without DMBA was included. In a second study, using lower doses of DMBA, groups of 100 female Sprague–Dawley rats were initiated with four weekly doses of 2 mg of DMBA starting at 50 days of age followed, after the first weekly DMBA administration, by exposure to ambient fields (sham exposed) or 50 Hz magnetic fields at either 1 or 5 G field intensity for 18.5 h/day, 7 days/week for 13 weeks. Rats were weighed and palpated weekly for the presence of tumors. There was no effect of magnetic field exposure on body weight gains or on the time of appearance of mammary tumors in either study. At the end of 13 weeks, the animals were killed and the mammary tumors counted and measured. Mammary gland masses found grossly were examined histologically. In the first 13 week study, the mammary gland carcinoma incidences were 92, 86, 96 and 96% for the DMBA controls, 1 G, 50 Hz, 5 G, 50 Hz and 1 G, 60 Hz groups, respectively. The total numbers of carcinomas were 691, 528 (P < 0.05, decrease), 561 and 692 for the DMBA controls, 1 G, 50 Hz, 5 G, 50 Hz and 1 G, 60 Hz groups, respectively. In study 2, the mammary gland carcinoma incidences were 43, 48 and 38% for the DMBA controls, 1 G, 50 Hz and 5 G, 50 Hz groups, respectively. The total numbers of carcinomas were 102, 90 and 79 for the DMBA controls, 1 G, 50 Hz and 5 G, 50 Hz groups, respectively. There was no effect of magnetic field exposure on tumor size either by in-life palpation or by measurement at necropsy in either study. There was no evidence that 50 or 60 Hz magnetic fields promoted breast cancer in these studies in female rats. These studies do not support the hypothesis that magnetic field exposure promotes breast cancer in this DMBA rat model.
Interaction potential for SiO2: A molecular-dynamics study of structural correlations.

distance. In lattice-structure calculations with the total potential function, a-cristobalite and aquartz are found to have the lowest and almost degenerate energies, in agreement with experiments. The energies for p-cristobalite, p-quartz, and keatite are found to be higher than those for acristobalite and a-quartz. Molecular-dynamics calculations with this potential function correctly describe the short- and intermediate-range order in molten and vitreous states. In the latter, partial pair-distribution functions give Si— 0, 0— 0, and Si— Si bond lengths of 1.62, 2.65, and 3.05 A, respectively. The vitreous state consists of nearly ideal Si(Ol&2)4 tetrahedra in corner-sharing configurations. The Si— U— Si bond-angle distribution has a peak at 142' and a full width at half maximum {FWHM) of 25' in good agreement with nuclear magnetic resonance experiments. The calculated static structure factor is also in agreement with neutron-diffraction experiments. Partial static structure factors reveal that intermediate-range Si-Si, O-O, and Si-0 correlations between 4 and 8 A give rise to the first sharp diffraction peak {FSDP). The FSDP is absent in charge-charge structure factor, which indicates that charge neutrality prevails over length scales between 4 and 8 0 A. Dynamical correlations in vitreous and molten states, phonon densities of states of crystalline and vitreous Si02, infrared spectra of crystalline, vitreous and molten states, isotope effect, distribution of rings and their structure in molten and vitreous states, and structural transformations at high pressures will be discussed in subsequent papers.
The Rehabilitation Role of Punishment in Prisons in Italy. Theoretical Development and Sociological Considerations

This article deals with punishment and prisons, in particular, the rehabilitative role of punishment in Italian prisons. This role is herewith specified: On the one hand, by sociological considerations on punishment and prisons, based on the studies of Clemmer and Goffman; on the other hand, by international rules and the Italian legislation, dating back to the Reform of the Penitentiary Code 1975 and lastly, from a critical point of view. Generally speaking, the term rehabilitative model in this context means to restore solidarity with the socially recognized values, reconstructing the broken citizenship bond.
Role of Beliefs About Hypnotic States as a Moderator Variable: A Reexamination of the Relationship Between Reactance and Hypnotizability

Abstract The hypothesis that beliefs about hypnosis determine the amount of psychological reactance aroused was tested. Participants were administered a measure of trait reactance to therapist directives (Therapeutic Reactance Scale; TRS), the Beliefs about Hypnotic State Questionnaire (BHSQ–R), and behavioral and subjective scales concerning hypnotic response. Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed significant interactions between BHSQ–R subscales and TRS. The findings suggest that the arousal of psychological reactance to hypnosis is determined by individuals’ trait reactance levels acting together with their interpretations of the hypnotic situation. The role of beliefs about hypnotic states as a moderator of the relationship between personality and hypnotizability was discussed.
Improving Benchmark Dose Estimation for Sodium Reduction

A recent series of experiments aimed to determine the amount salt can be reduced in food products without losing too much of their original taste; this is called the benchmark dose. In this study, a logistic model was used, however, it did not to include some features of the experiment and also used the data in an inefficient way. To improve the model, we borrowed the idea of risk assessment from toxicology and employed a log-logistic model with independent background risk. We also explored a more efficient way to analyze the experiment data by using a beta-binomial model. Compared to the beta-binomial model, the conventional logistic model overestimates the benchmark dose. The beta-binomial model is recommended for future use. I. Background and Motivation To respond to industry interest in salt reduction, Nuala Bobowski from the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota designed a series of experiments to determine how much sodium can be reduced with minimal adverse effects (Bobowski, 2012). An ‘adverse effect’ occurs when the difference between a normal food product and an identical product with same ingredients but reduced sodium is noticed by tasters half the time. Our goal is to find how much reduction in salt is possible without losing the traditional flavor of the food. This
Magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities and cognitive deficits in systemic lupus erythematosus patients without overt central nervous system disease.

OBJECTIVE To investigate cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities in relation to cognitive functioning in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients without a history of central nervous system (CNS) disease. METHODS Ventricle-to-brain ratios (VBRs) and the total number of white matter hyperintensities (WMHIs) were computed in 20 female patients with non-CNS SLE using established MRI computer-generated quantification procedures. Comprehensive neuropsychological test scores across 8 domains were also obtained. RESULTS A mean VBR of 2.83% (SD = 0.7) occurred in the non-CNS SLE patients compared with a VBR of 1.36% in a normative sample. The average number of WMHIs was 4.95 (SD = 6.0). Using a combined rating scale (VBR > 2.25%, WMHIs > 5), 7 of 20 MRI scans (35%) were classified as abnormal. Increased VBRs and larger numbers of WMHIs showed a trend association with longer duration of SLE. Thirty-five percent of the non-CNS SLE patients demonstrated neuropsychological deficits. No significant correlations were found between the VBR, total WMHIs, and cognitive scores. Comparisons of cognitively impaired and nonimpaired patients with non-CNS SLE revealed no significant differences across clinical characteristics or MRI values. CONCLUSION Quantified MRI analyses indicated atypical brain structure and an increased number of WMHIs in a subset of non-CNS SLE patients. However, these MRI abnormalities were not associated with functional abnormalities determined by comprehensive neuropsychological testing. Therefore, MRI analyses are not likely to provide additional clinical information on cognitively impaired SLE patients who have no other evidence of CNS involvement.
On corner and vertex detection

A formal representation of corner and vertex detection is presented. In particular, an analytical study is presented which allows one to know exactly what the behavior is of a detector around trihedral vertices. It is shown that near three surfaces, two elliptic maxima of DET exist, and their location is inside extremal contrast surface. The intermediate surface always shows a hyperbolic minima. It is shown that the detector allows to find the exact position of vertex. The approach proposed has been tested on many noisy synthetic data and real images and its robustness seems promising. <<ETX>>
Patterns of healthcare utilization and costs for vascular dementia in a community-dwelling population.

BACKGROUND While vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most prevalent dementia diagnosis, little is known about healthcare use and costs for VaD. PURPOSE This study compares the healthcare use and costs of community-dwelling patients with VaD to patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), other dementias (OD), cerebrovascular disease without dementia (CVD), and patients without dementia or cerebrovascular disease (controls). METHODS Using diagnoses codes from medical claims and encounter records, 678 VaD, 1,722 AD, 957 OD, 2,718 CVD, and 14,023 controls were identified from patients enrolled in a 100,000-member group practice Medicare HMO during 1999-2002. Annual healthcare use and costs of the study groups were compared, using regression analysis to control for patient characteristics. RESULTS VaD patients had the highest annual costs, dollars 14,387, followed by dollars 10,716 for OD, dollars 8,254 for CVD, and dollars 7,839 for AD, and dollars 5,494 for controls (p<0.0001 for all comparisons to VaD). Despite higher total direct costs, VaD patients had lower costs for physician visits and prescription drugs compared with all study groups except OD. In contrast, CVD patients had the highest costs for these services. Moreover, hospital admissions for VaD were nearly twice those for CVD, and hospital days for VaD nearly three times those for CVD, despite the high prevalence of cardiovascular conditions for both VaD and CVD. CONCLUSIONS VaD patients had higher healthcare costs compared to all other patient groups. The substantially higher costs for VaD compared to CVD and the differences in use of healthcare services by VaD compared to CVD suggest that dementia, not cerebrovascular disease, is a major source of the cost differences. Lower costs for physician visits and prescription drugs for VaD suggest possible opportunities for improving ambulatory care and preventing high-cost hospitalizations.
Die spezifische Lautdauer deutscher Sonanten

denen Sprachen und Sprachfamilien der Erde würde manches sprachliche Problem anschaulich sichtbar und motorisch spürbar machen. Die Sprachwissenschaft gewänne dadurch einen Weg, die sprachlichen Probleme, die heute hinter abstrakten Begriffen mißdeutbar und dunkel bleiben, in anschauliche Begriffe zu fassen und durch kritischen Vergleich zu fördern. Sie gewänne für das Eindringen in Wesen und Aufbau der Sprachen der Welt den Weg, auf dem heute 6 jährige Kinder bereits leichter und sicherer als j e zuvor in das Wesen und den Aufbau ihrer Muttersprache eindringen.
What Do We Know About Base Erosion and Profit Shifting? A Review of the Empirical Literature

The issue of tax-motivated income shifting within multinational firms has attracted increasing global attention in recent years. It is of central importance to many current policy debates, including those related to recent initiatives by the OECD on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) and to proposals for US tax reform in a territorial direction. This paper provides a survey of the empirical literature on tax-motivated income-shifting within multinational firms. Its emphasis is on clarifying what is known about the magnitude of BEPS. It begins by outlining a simple conceptual framework that helps to clarify aspects of governments’ responses to the BEPS phenomenon and the potential role of the OECD initiative. The paper then discusses different empirical approaches to identifying income-shifting, describes existing data sources, and summarizes the findings of the empirical literature. A major theme that emerges from this survey is that in the more recent empirical literature, which uses new and richer sources of data, the estimated magnitude of BEPS is typically much smaller than that found in earlier studies. The paper seeks to provide a framework within which to conceptualize this magnitude and its implications for policy. It concludes by highlighting the importance of existing legal and economic frictions as constraints on BEPS, and discussing possible ways in which future research might model these frictions more precisely.
Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors and Atherosclerosis

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) represent the family of 3 nuclear receptor isoforms-PPARα, -γ, and -δ/β, which are encoded by different genes. As lipid sensors, they are primarily involved in regulation of lipid metabolism and subsequently in inflammation and atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis considers accumulation of the cells and extracellular matrix in the vessel wall leading to the formation of atherosclerotic plaque, atherothrombosis, and other vascular complications. Besides existence of natural ligands for PPARs, their more potent synthetic ligands are fibrates and thiazolidindiones. Future investigations should now focus on the mechanisms of PPARs activation, which might present new approaches involved in the antiatherosclerotic effects revealed in this review. In addition, in this review we are presenting latest data from recent performed clinical studies which have focus on novel approach to PPARs agonists as potential therapeutic agents in the treatment of complex disease such as atherosclerosis.