Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tracking the State Children’s Health Insurance Program with Hospital Data: National Baselines, State Variations, and Some Cautions

State and federal agencies are concerned with the impact of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) on the health care of enrolled children. As part of a broad program evaluation, and at relatively low cost, analysts can track data on hospital admissions for ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) conditions. This article uses hospital data for 19 states to calculate baseline ACS rates and to discuss trends and cross-state variations just prior to the start of the CHIPs. A few cautions and limitations are discussed. An unexpected result in the exploration was a substantial increase in the rate of ACS admissions for self-pay and Medicaid-enrolled children during the period of 1990-1995. During that same period, the admission rate for other insured children fell by more than a third. The comparisons across states are meant to be illustrative; they do reveal a relationship between the rate of asthma admissions and the proportion of self-pay plus Medicaid-enrolled cases.
Evans Blue Attachment Enhances Somatostatin Receptor Subtype-2 Imaging and Radiotherapy

Purpose: Radionuclide therapy directed against tumors that express somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) has proven effective for the treatment of advanced, low- to intermediate-grade neuroendocrine tumors in the clinic. In clinical usage, somatostatin peptide-based analogs, labeled with therapeutic radionuclides, provide an overall response rate of about 30%, despite the high cumulative activity injected per patient. We set out to improve the effectiveness of somatostatin radiotherapy by preparing a chemical analog that would clear more slowly through the urinary tract and, concomitantly, have increased blood circulation half-life and higher targeted accumulation in the tumors. Experimental Design: We conjugated a common, clinically-used SST peptide derivative, DOTA-octreotate, to an Evans blue analog (EB), which reversibly binds to circulating serum albumin. The resulting molecule was used to chelate 86Y and 90Y, a diagnostic and a therapeutic radionuclide, respectively. The imaging capabilities and the radiotherapeutic efficacy of the resulting radioligand was evaluated in HCT116/SSTR2, HCT116, and AR42J cell lines that express differing levels of SST2 receptors. Results: The synthesized radiopharmaceutical retained affinity and specificity to SSTR2. The new molecule also retained the high internalization rate of DOTA-octreotate, and therefore, showed significantly higher accumulation in SSTR2-positive tumors. Labeling of our novel EB-octreotate derivative with the therapeutic, pure beta emitter, 90Y, resulted in improved tumor response and survival rates of mice bearing SSTR2 xenografts and had long term efficacy when compared to DOTA-octreotate itself. Conclusions: The coupling of a targeted peptide, a therapeutic radionuclide, and the EB‑based albumin binding provides for effective treatment of SSTR2-containing tumors.
Studies with aphidicolin on the Fv-1 host restriction of Friend murine leukemia virus

The murine gene Fv-1 exerts a major control over the replication of Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MuLV). An effect of the gene product has been determined to be at the level of accumulation and integration of viral DNA. Aphidicolin, an inhibitor of eucaryotic DNA polymerase alpha, was studied in murine cells infected either permissively or nonpermissively with regard to the Fv-1 genotype. Results indicated that inhibition of DNA polymerase alpha did not affect the accumulation of form III viral DNA in either permissive or nonpermissive cells. However, the normal accumulation of circular form I DNA in permissive cells was inhibited. The block in the accumulation of form I DNA resembled that occurring in some F-MuLV Fv-1-nonpermissive infections. Additionally, aphidicolin treatment resulted in the accumulation of novel low-molecular-weight viral DNA species, normally detectable in a nonpermissive infection of NIH cells with B-tropic F-MuLV. These data suggest that the Fv-1 gene product may interact with host DNA polymerase alpha to prevent viral replication.
Combined use of nuclear phosphoprotein c-Myc and cellular phosphoprotein p53 for hepatocellular carcinoma detection in high-risk chronic hepatitis C patients

Abstract Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a multistage process resulting from various genetic changes. We aimed to determine nuclear phosphoprotein c-Myc and cellular phosphoprotein p53 expression and to evaluate their importance in HCC diagnosis. Methods: One hundred and twenty chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients (60 non-HCC CHC patients and 60 HCC patients who had a single small (<5 cm) tumour) were recruited. The gene products of c-Myc and p53 were identified in liver tissues and serum samples using immunostaining, western blot and ELISA. Results: Immunohistochemical detection of c-Myc and p53 with monospecific antibodies revealed intense and diffuse cytoplasmic staining patterns. Accumulated mutant proteins, released from tumour cells into the extracellular serum, were detected at 62 KDa, for c-Myc, and 53 KDa, for p53, using western blotting. In contrast to alpha feto-protein, there was a significant increase (p < 0.0001) in the positivity rate of c-Myc (86.7% vs. 6.7%) and p53 (78.3% vs. 8.3%) in the malignant vs. non-malignant patients. The parallel combination of c-Myc and p53 reach the absolute sensitivity (100%), for more accurate and reliable HCC detection (specificity was 87%). Conclusion: c-Myc and p53 are potential HCC diagnostic biomarkers, and convenient combinations of them could improve diagnostic accuracy of HCC.
Racial/ethnic differences in adolescent substance use: mediation by individual, family, and school factors.

OBJECTIVE This study examined racial/ethnic differences in alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use among a diverse sample of approximately 5,500 seventh and eighth graders. We also evaluated the extent to which individual, family, and school factors mediated racial/ ethnic disparities in use. METHOD Students (49% male) from 16 participating middle schools in southern California reported on lifetime and past-month substance use, individual factors (expectancies and resistance self-efficacy), family factors (familism, parental respect, and adult and older sibling use), and school factors (school-grade use and perceived peer use). We used generalized estimating equations to examine the odds of consumption for each racial/ethnic group adjusting for sex, grade, and family structure. Path analysis models tested mediation of racial/ethnic differences through individual, family, and school factors. RESULTS After adjusting for sex, grade, and family structure, Hispanics reported higher and Asians reported lower lifetime and past-month substance use, compared with non-Hispanic Caucasians. Rates of substance use did not differ between non-Hispanic African Americans and Caucasians. Several individual factors mediated the relationship between Hispanic ethnicity and substance use, including negative expectancies and resistance self-efficacy. Higher use among Hispanics was generally not explained by family or school factors. By contrast, several factors mediated the relationship between Asian race and lower alcohol use, including individual, family (parental respect, adult and older sibling use), and school (perceived peer use, school-grade use) factors. CONCLUSIONS Results highlight the importance of targeting specific individual, family, and school factors in tailored intervention efforts to reduce substance use among young minority adolescents.
Translation initiation with GUC codon in the archaeon Halobacterium salinarum: implications for translation of leaderless mRNA and strict correlation between translation initiation and presence of mRNA

We have investigated whether anticodon sequence mutant of an archaeal initiator tRNA can initiate protein synthesis using reporter genes carrying mutations in the initiation codon. Halobacterium salinarum was used as the model organism and the bacterio‐opsin gene (bop), which encodes the precursor of the protein component of the purple membrane protein bacterio‐opsin (Bop), was chosen as the reporter. We demonstrate that a CAU to GAC anticodon sequence mutant of Haloferax volcanii initiator tRNA can initiate Bop protein synthesis using GUC as the initiation codon in H. salinarum. We generated four mutant bop genes, each carrying the AUG to GUC initiation codon mutation, with or without a compensatory mutation to maintain a predicted stem‐loop structure at the 5′‐end of the bop mRNA, and with or without mutations to test translation initiation at a site corresponding to the amino terminus of mature bacterio‐opsin. H. salinarum chromosomal recombinants containing these mutant genes were phenotypically Pum– (purple membrane negative). Upon transformation with a plasmid carrying the mutant initiator tRNA gene, only strains designed to maintain the bop mRNA stem‐loop structure produced Bop and were phenotypically Pum+ as indicated by purple colony colour, and immunoblotting and spectral analysis of cell extracts. Thus GUC can serve as an initiation codon in archaea and the stem‐loop structure in the bop mRNA is important for translation. Interestingly, for the same mutant mRNA, only transformants that produce Bop protein contain bop mRNA. These results suggest either a strong coupling between translation and mRNA stability or strong transcriptional polarity in H. salinarum.
Contextualized Relationship Between Knowledge Sharing and Performance in Software Development

Abstract We study how the knowledge that software developers receive from other software developers in their company impacts their performance. We also study the boundary conditions of this relationship. The results of our empirical study indicate that receiving knowledge from other software developers in the company is positively related to the performance of the knowledge-receiving software developers. Moreover, this relationship was stronger when the software developers had high rather than low task autonomy, when they had high- rather than low-quality social exchanges with their supervisors, and when the software development firms used formal knowledge utilization processes. Theoretically, these results contribute to a better understanding of the processes through which software developers utilize the knowledge that they receive from their peers in the firm. Practically, they show software development firms how emphasizing the task, social, and institutional dimensions of the software development process can help them increase knowledge utilization and performance in software development.
MICROFILTRATION AND ULTRAFILTRATION OF Bacillus thuringiensis FERMENTATION BROTH: MEMBRANE PERFORMANCE AND SPORE-CRYSTAL RECOVERY APPROACHES

Abstract - Recovery of spores and crystals from the fermentation broth of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) was studied using the membrane separation technology. Four types of polymeric membranes, with different characteristics, in the range of microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) were used for evaluating their permeate flux and spore–crystal recovery capacity. Results indicated that both MF and UF membranes are effective for spore–crystal recovery. The hydrophobic MF membrane made of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) achieved a better performance compared to the one made with hydrophilic cellulose acetate (CA). Both had a 0.22 µm pore size, under the condition of an upper range of feed pressure. Also, with the increase of the feed flow rate, a higher flux was achieved for the PVDF membrane. A UF membrane made of polyethersulfone (PES) polymer was also used effectively for spore/crystal recovery from the broth, but under a higher operating pressure. In the entire experiment, a 99.9% rejection factor was measured with the applied membranes for the spore/crystal in the fermentation broth.
Stress-Strain and Strength Behavior of Undrained Organic Soil in Kupondol, Kathmandu

The Kathmandu valley is mostly composed of an organic layer locally known as Kalimati, meaning black soil in Nepali. In spite of the unsuitability of organic soil as foundation subsoil, due to its high compressibility and low strength, many civil engineering structures (i.e. residential buildings and high-rise commercial buildings) are being built at an alarming rate. Even more alarming is the fact that no systematic and comprehensive studies have ever been conducted on the geotechnical properties of this highly problematic soil deposit. Geotechnical investigations that have been performed for construction projects, including those structures whose foundation lies on Kalimati soil, typically contain data on general properties of the soil and only to some extend the consolidation and the shear parameter obtained from unconfined compression tests and direct shear tests. As the local name indicates, these soils are black in color, having a high water content and high liquid limit and they are hard when dry but soft when wet. The organic soil is found at different depths and different thicknesses. Sometimes it exists too deep to have a significant effect on the foundation. In many areas it exists at a shallow depth with significant thickness, thus having considerable effect on the foundation of the structure above it. While existing data provides useful information for the design of foundations, almost no data exists on the undrained behavior of the soil, which foundation design on this type of soil should be based on. There is a serious need for research work related to behavior of undrained organic soil deposits in the Kathmandu. Specifically pore pressure, shear strength and stress-strain characteristics, especially under triaxial compression. Key Words: Organic deposit; Foundation; Engineering properties; Kalimati; Geotechnical investigation DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3126/jie.v8i1-2.5101 Journal of the Institute of Engineering Vol. 8, No. 1&2, 2010/2011 Page: 113-118 Uploaded Date: 20 July, 2011
Horizontal cell processes in teleost retina

Contacts between horizontal and bipolar cells are described in the retina of the teleost Eugerres plumieri. A single, long expansion observed in the external cone horizontal cells makes contact by means of a terminal button with the cell body of a bipolar. It represents the only contact between this class of horizontal cell and the bipolar soma. On the other hand, the medial and internal cone horizontal cells and the rod horizontal cells, which lack such a single, long expansion, display instead numerous short and fine expansions that terminate by means of a terminal knob on a bipolar cell body. The bipolar‐destined, short expansions of the rod horizontal cell make contact with large bipolar cell bodies, whereas corresponding short expansions of cone horizontal cells contact small bipolar cell bodies.
DISTRIBUTION AND SOURCES APPORTIONMENT OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN THE EDIBLE BIVALVES AND SIPUNCULIDA FROM COASTAL AREAS OF BEIBU GULF , CHINA

Concentrations, composition and sources apportionment of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in the edible bivalves (oysters, mussels and clams) and sipunculida samples collected from coastal areas of Beibu Gulf, China. The results showed that the total PAH concentrations ranged from 36.4 to 403.3 ng/g dry weight. Compared with other bays and coastal areas, current contamination levels of PAHs were in a low range. Relative abundances and isomer ratios indicated a probable pyrogenic origin for the PAHs contamination. Further quantitative analysis showed that the percentages contributions of biomass and coal combustion, vehicular emission, coke oven emissions and crude oil pollution were 67.67%, 17.39% and 14.94%, respectively.
Short-term glucosamine infusion does not affect insulin sensitivity in humans.

Overactivity of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway may underlie hyperglycemia-associated insulin resistance, but to date human studies are lacking. Hexosamine pathway activation can be mimicked by glucosamine (GlcN). In the present placebo-controlled study we determined whether GlcN infusion affects insulin resistance in vivo. In 18 healthy subjects, we applied the double forearm balance technique (infused arm vs. control arm) combined with the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp (60 mU/m(2). min insulin) for at least 300 min. During the clamp, subjects received infusions in the brachial artery of 4 micromol/dL.min GlcN from 90-240 min (n = 6) or from 0-300 min (n = 6) or saline (placebo; n = 6). We studied the effects of GlcN on forearm glucose uptake (FGU; infused arm vs. control arm, and vs. placebo experiments) and on whole body glucose uptake. GlcN infusion raised the plasma GlcN concentration in the infusion arms to 0.42 +/- 0.14 and 0.81 +/- 0.46 mmol/L; plasma GlcN remained very low (< 0.07 mmol/L) in the control arms and in the placebo group. GlcN infusion did not change forearm blood flow. During insulin, FGU increased more than 10-fold. At all time points, FGU was similar in the GlcN-infused arm compared with the control arm and was not different from FGU in the placebo experiments. Similar results were obtained for forearm arteriovenous glucose differences or extraction and for whole body glucose uptake. Thus, despite relevant GlcN concentrations for 5 h in the infused forearm, GlcN had no effect on insulin-induced glucose uptake. These results do not support involvement of the hexosamine pathway in the regulation of insulin sensitivity in humans, at least not in the short-term setting.
Degradation of photovoltaic module output power by microparticles

One factor that reduces the output of photovoltaic module is direct blocking of light by shadows and by objects such as leaves and airborne dust. The output reduction due to vehicle exhaust and particles in the atmosphere is generally estimated to be about 3% [1], but this figure may be affected by differences in areas, which may arise from variations in particle size, color or some other factor. In this study, we investigated the effect of very small particles. In particular, there were examined the effect of particle material and size on the output power. Since SiO2 and Si are the main components of sand from all areas in the world and SiO2 makes up over 90% of sand from ancient deserts, there were investigated effect of SiO2 and Si particles in this study.
Linearizing control of magnetic suspension systems

In many applications, magnetic suspension systems are required to operate over large variations in air gap. As a result, the nonlinearities inherent in most types of suspensions have a significant impact on performance. Specifically, it may be difficult to design a linear controller which gives satisfactory performance, stability, and disturbance rejection over a wide range of operating points. One way to address this problem is through the use of nonlinear control techniques such as feedback linearization. For most common designs of magnetic suspensions the governing equations are in the so-called companion form, lending themselves to feedback linearization. A single degree of freedom magnetic suspension has been designed and constructed in order to compare the performance of linear and nonlinear digital control schemes in a well-controlled experimental environment. We demonstrate the superiority of nonlinear controllers over conventional controllers for systems with large variations in operating point via experiments on our system.
The fertility of mice after androgen injection in early infancy.

Androgen treatment during the critical neonatal period in themouse leads to a marked change in the evolution of the reproductive performance. Though ovulation occurs in most animals in the early mature period, 25% of the androgenized mice are sterile. The mice that prove to be fertile do not develop young after the first insemination apparently due to a faulty maternal milieu caused by a temporary incompetence of the endometrium. The total reproduction capacity is reduced by more than half. The fertility span of the androgenized mice is shortened due to the late appearance of first litters and the early onset of secondary sterility. The early failure of the uterus to support developing embryos and thereby initiating the end of reproduction suggests an early aging of the uterus.
Onchocerca volvulus‐specific antibody and cytokine responses in onchocerciasis patients after 16 years of repeated ivermectin therapy

The recommended control option against onchocerciasis is repeated ivermectin treatment, which will need to be implemented for decades, and it remains unknown how repeated ivermectin therapy might affect immunity against Onchocerca volvulus in the long term. O. volvulus‐specific antibody reactivity and cellular cytokine production were investigated in onchocerciasis patients receiving ivermectin (150 µg/kg) annually for 16 years. In treated patients, the T helper type 2 (Th2) cytokine interleukin (IL)‐5 and T regulatory IL‐10 in response to O. volvulus antigen (OvAg) and bacteria‐derived Streptolysin O (SL‐O) diminished to levels found in infection‐free endemic controls; also, cellular release of Th1‐type interferon (IFN)‐γ at 16 years post initial ivermectin treatment (p.i.t.) approached control levels. In ivermectin‐treated onchocerciasis patients, IL‐5 production in responses to the mitogen phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) decreased, but IL‐10 in response PHA increased, and neither attained the cytokine production levels of endemic controls. At 16 years p.i. t. , O. volvulus‐specific IgG1 and IgG4 subclass reactivity still persisted at higher levels in onchocerciasis patients than in O. volvulus exposed but microfilariae‐free endemic controls. In addition, cytokine responses remained depressed in onchocerciasis patients infected concurrently with Mansonella perstans and Necator americanus or Entamoeba histolytica/dispar. Thus, long‐term ivermectin therapy of onchocerciasis may not suffice to re‐establish fully a balanced Th1 and Th2 immune responsiveness in O. volvulus microfilariae‐negative individuals. Such deficient reconstitution of immune competence may be due to an as yet continuing and uncontrolled reinfection with O. volvulus, but parasite co‐infections can also bias and may prevent the development of such immunity.
The Impact of Therapy on Quality of Life and Mood in Neuropathic Pain: What Is the Effect of Pain Reduction?

Mood and quality of life (QOL) outcomes vary widely in neuropathic pain trials. This may be a result of variable analgesia and other treatment effects. We evaluated the relationship between pain reduction and mood/QOL in neuropathic pain. Pain, side effects, QOL, and mood from a trial of morphine, gabapentin, and a morphine-gabapentin combination were examined. Baseline QOL was impaired according to Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) scores. Baseline mood, according to Profile of Mood States scores, was comparable to that of a nondepressed population. Pain reduction with all three active trial treatments correlated with improved QOL. Pain reduction with morphine and with gabapentin correlated with improved mood. Pain reduction with a morphine-gabapentin combination correlated with improvement in only one of several domains of the Profile of Mood States. Severity of sedation, constipation, and dry mouth during any treatment did not correlate with mood/QOL changes. These results can be interpreted to imply that larger analgesic treatment effect sizes lead to more substantial improvements in QOL and/or mood. However, other beneficial or adverse treatment-related side effects may also affect mood/QOL. Therefore, future studies are needed to also evaluate the impact of treatment-related side effects on mood/QOL in analgesic trials.