Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical Features and C-Reactive Protein as Predictors of Bacterial Exacerbations of COPD

Introduction: Identifying predictors of bacterial and viral pathogens in sputum from patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may help direct management. Methods: We used data from a trial evaluating a C-reactive protein (CRP) point of care guided approach to managing COPD exacerbations in primary care. We used regression analyses to identify baseline clinical features, including CRP value in those randomized to testing, associated with bacterial, viral or mixed infections, defined by the presence of bacterial and viral pathogens in sputum, detected by culture or polymerase chain reaction (PCR), respectively. Results: Of 386 participants with baseline sputum samples, 79 (20.5%), 123 (31.9%), and 91 (23.6%) had bacterial, viral/atypical, and mixed bacterial/viral/atypical pathogens identified, respectively. Increasing sputum purulence assessed by color chart was associated with increased odds of finding bacterial and mixed (bacterial and viral/atypical) pathogens in sputum (area under the ROC curve (AUROC) for bacterial pathogens =0.739 (95% CI: 0.670, 0.808)). Elevated CRP was associated with increased odds of finding bacterial pathogens and mixed pathogens but did not significantly increase the AUROC for predicting bacterial pathogens over sputum color alone (AUROC for combination of sputum color and CRP = 0.776 (95% CI: 0.708, 0.843), p for comparison of models = 0.053). We found no association between the presence of sputum pathogens and other clinical or demographic features. Conclusion: Sputum purulence was the best predictor of sputum bacterial pathogens and mixed bacterial viral/atypical pathogens in patients with COPD exacerbations in our study. Elevated CRP was associated with bacterial pathogens but did not add to the predictive value of sputum purulence.
Karhunen–Loève Transform for Detecting Ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) Anomalies Prior to the 1999 Chi-Chi Earthquake, Taiwan

This research uses eigenvalue characteristics of the Karhunen– Loève Transform to investigate GPS network ionospheric total electron content (TEC) anomalies associated with Taiwan’s Chi-Chi earthquake of September 21, 1999 (LT) (Mw = 7.6). The transforms are conducted for ionospheric TEC from August 1 to September 20, 1999 (local time), using data from 13 GPS receivers. The data were collected at 22°–26°N Lat. and 120°– 122°E Long. Applying the Karhunen–Loève Transform to the GPS receiver data TEC anomalies gave large principal eigenvalues (>0.5 in a normalized set) on August 14 and September 17, 18, and 20, with allowance given for the Dst index, which was quiet for the study period. Comparisons were then made with other researchers who also found TEC anomalies on September 17, 18, and 19 associated with the Chi-Chi earthquake. Consideration is also given to reported ground-level geomagnetic fi eld activity that occurred between midAugust and late October leading up to and including the Chi-Chi and Chia-Yi earthquakes, which are associated with the same series of faults. It is possible that August 14 is representative of an earthquake-associated TEC anomaly. This is an interesting result given how much earlier than the earthquake it occurred.
ON THE CORRELATION BETWEEN PERCEPTUAL AND CONTEXTUAL ASPECTS OF LAUGHTER

We have analyzed over 13000 bouts of laughter, in over 65 hours of unscripted, naturally occurring multi-party meetings, to identify discriminative contexts of voiced and unvoiced laughter. Our results show that, in meetings, laughter is quite frequent, accounting for almost 10% of all vocal activity effort by time. Approximately a third of all laughter is unvoiced, but meeting participants vary extensively in how often they employ voicing during laughter. In spite of this variability, laughter appears to exhibit robust temporal characteristics. Voiced laughs are on average longer than unvoiced laughs, and appear to correlate with temporally adjacent voiced laughter from other participants, as well as with speech from the laugher. Unvoiced laughter appears to occur independently of vocal activity from other participants.
Segmental diversification of the posterior head is a part of a conserved genetic system for anterior-posterior patterning of a metameric animal body, in which homeotic selector genes play

Segmental diversification of the posterior head is a part of a conserved genetic system for anterior-posterior patterning of a metameric animal body, in which homeotic selector genes play a central role (Lawrence and Morata, 1994; Mann and Affolter, 1998; McGinnis and Krumlauf, 1992). In Drosophila, Hox genes labial (lab), proboscipedia (pb), Deformed(Dfd) and Sex combs reduced(Scr) are required for determining the identity of the head segments (Popadic et al., 1998). Their action is assisted by many other head-specific genetic functions, whose role is to elaborate on Hox signals and to specify the differentiation of head-specific structures (Rogers and Kaufman, 1997). One such function is encoded in the CncB protein isoform. In a previous study, we showed that the cnc locus encodes three transcript and protein isoforms. The cncB transcript is expressed in an embryonic pattern that includes the labral, intercalary and mandibular segments, while cncA and cncCare expressed ubiquitously (McGinnis et al., 1998; Mohler et al., 1991). Mutant embryos with reduced levels of CncB protein have a duplicated set of mouth hooks and cirri in place of mandibular structures (Harding et al., 1995; McGinnis et al., 1998; Mohler et al., 1995). Mouth hooks and cirri derive from the maxillary segment and are specified by the Dfd segmental identity function. Transient ectopic expression of CncB can repress Dfd function in the maxillary segment, inducing a loss of normal maxillary structures, while having no effects on the functions of homeotic proteins in the trunk (McGinnis et al., 1998). The cncB loss-of-function phenotype has therefore been interpreted as a homeotic transformation in which the maxillary-promoting activity of Dfd is derepressed in the mandibular segment. Lower levels of CncB function also result in other head defects, including the loss of the median tooth and dorsal pharynx (labrum-derived structures), loss of the floor of the pharynx (an intercalary segment-derived structure), and loss of the anterior lateralgraten and the base of the mouth hook. The lateralgraten and mouth hook base both originate in part from the posterior mandibular segment and both require Dfd and CncB function for normal development. Thus, in addition to 4023 Development 127, 4023-4037 (2000) Printed in Great Britain © The Company of Biologists Limited 2000 DEV8747
EXEMPTION SYSTEM SUPERIOR?

In this paper we ask whether recent claims that the US government should switch from the tax credit system to the exemption system are justified. We study corporate taxation in a model where international capital flows are either greenfield investment projects or acquisitions of existing firms, and where investment is motivated by either cost reduction or market entry reasons. The paper asks how corporate taxation affects the international allocation of capital under different double taxation regimes. We find that the standard view on international taxation only prevails in the case of cost driven greenfield investment. In all other cases the deduction system is no longer optimal from a national perspective and the foreign tax credit system fails to ensure neutrality. However, the desirability of the tax exemption system has to be qualified. We show that the cross border cash flow tax system dominates the exemption system in terms of optimality properties. JEL Code: H25, F23.
A Novel Energy Balanced Backbone Construction for Dense WSNs

— Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) consists of battery operated sensor devices that are deployed in random fashion to accomplish a specific task. To analyze dense wireless sensor network, we propose a methodology that utilizes spanning tree protocol, graph sampling and connected dominating sets in sequence. Spanning tree protocol improves the connectivity of the graph, graph sampling reduces complexity of the network and the connecting dominating sets is used to construct a backbone. The backbone framework obtained is much energy efficient as compared to the existing model. Our results prove that our methodology has reduced the energy consumption of the backbone framework by 27%.
Use Of PCR Amplification For The Evaluation Of TB Diagnosis In Children By Classic Methods

There have been few studies evaluating the efficacy of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing in Front other routine test for diagnosis of TB in children. The tuberculin skin test (TST) used to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in children has many drawbacks, and a new diagnostic test for has been introduced. We assessed the diagnostic yield of PCR prospectively in a blinded study of patients referred to Al-Nassyria center for chest diseases and other private laboratories from January to June 2008 and compared the results to the routine TST, smears with Ziehl-Neelsen staining and culture on LoÂ¨wenstein-Jensen medium which used as the â€œgold standard. â€. Sputum specimens were collected from 108 TB suspects patients and analyzed for the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.TST yielded 23 (21.3%) were positive for TB with 65.7 % sensitivity and 87% specificity in comparing with 35(32.4%) by culture which improved the presence of 3cases as false-positive and 15 cases as false-negative by TST . All smear positive specimens appeared culture positive, but showed 54.3 %sensitivity and 100 % specificity. PCR amplification results appeared less than culture and more than each of smear and TST with %88.6 sensitivity and 100% specificity . All the thirty one PCR positive samples showed culture positive. It is concluded that although both culture and PCR amplification method are Sensitive and specific for the detection of M. tuberculosis in respiratory specimens of children . Rapid PCR method appeared to be more suitable than other tests especially the routine TST which applied.
Clinical Predictors of De�nitive Treatment Interruptions of Long-course Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

Background: This study aims to identify predictors of de�nitive treatment interruptions (DTI) of the neoadjuvant long-course radiotherapy (LCRT) in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), as well as determine their impact on clinical outcomes. Methods: Patients with stage II-III LARC treated between 2009-2018 were retrospectively analyzed (n=101). Logistic regression models were performed to evaluate the impact of relevant clinical variables on grade 3 or greater (G3+) acute toxicity, de�nitive treatment interruption (DTI), pathological complete response (pCR), and de�nitive ostomy (dOST) rates. The secondary outcomes were loco-regional control (LRC), metastasis-free survival (MFS), progression-free survival (PFS), cancer-speci�c survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). Results: The incidences of grade 3 and 4 toxicities were 25.3%, and 1.1%, respectively. Most common G3+ toxicity were peri-anal dermatitis (14.7%) and diarrhea (7.4%), which were more frequent in females (p=0.040) and patients with tumor closer to the anal verge (p=0.019). Eleven cases (10.9%) developed DTI, which were associated with these G3+ events (p<0.001). Resection occurred after a median 7.1 weeks (IQR: 6.1-8.9). Downstaging occurred in 57.4% (including 17.8% pCR), 88% achieved negative margins and the dOST rate was 56.4%. After 49.5 months median follow-up, the 5-year LRC, MFS, PFS, CSS and OS were: 94.4%, 78.9%, 74.7%, 85.2% and 81.6%, respectively. DTI events did not impact pCR (p=0.435), dOST (p=0.611) or any survival outcomes. The only factors associated with loco-regional failure were close/positive margins (p<0.001) and pathologic stage ypIII (p=0.002). Conclusions: close to the anal verge and female sex were associated with increased G3+ toxicity, which was predictive of DTI. The resultant partial or complete omission of the planned boost, however, dose did not increase the chance of local recurrence. Further studies to clarify the bene�t and the best timing to deliver the boost are warranted, especially for the patients with positive margins.
Labor Reallocation in Response to Trade Reform

Tracking individual workers across employers and industries after Brazil's trade liberalization in the 1990's shows that foreign import penetration and tariff reductions trigger worker displacements but that neither comparative-advantage industries nor exporters absorb displaced workers for years. There are significantly more displacements and fewer accessions in comparative-advantage industries and at exporters. These findings are robust to instrumenting trade barriers and export status with product demand at Brazil's export destinations and real exchange rate components. Worker effects are important predictors of labor turnover. Trade liberalization is assoicated with significantly more transitions to informal work status and self-employment. Output is reallocated to more productive firms but, given fast labor-productivity growth, this product reallocationi is not accompanied by similar labor reallocation. Copyright Information: All rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. Contact the author or original publisher for any necessary permissions. eScholarship is not the copyright owner for deposited works. Learn more at http://www.escholarship. org/help_copyright. html#reuse
Effects of Bioactive Peptides Derived From Feather Keratin On Small Intestinal Function, Meat Quality, And Performance of Broiler Chicks

In this research, the effect of mixed feather bioactive peptides (MFBPs) added in water, on intestinal health, meat quality, and plasma cholesterol level of broiler chickens was evaluated. Eighty-day-old male broiler chick (Ross 308) were randomly divided into two treatments with four replication pens. The dietary treatments were: the drinking water with no additives (control), and drinking water containing 50 ppm MFBPs. Live weight and feed intake were measured at the end of starter (1-10 d), grower (11-24 d), and finisher (25-36 d) periods with calculating average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio. The results indicate that body weight gain was greater (P<0.05) in birds received MFBPs in the final period. At 24 days of age, the villus height and muscle layer thickness in different parts of the intestine were higher in birds that received bioactive peptides but epithelial thickness was lower than control birds (P<0.05). In addition, the administration of MFBPs decreased (P<0.01) serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein in broilers. Supplementation with MFBPs significantly reduced (P<0.01) the malondialdehyde (MDA) amount in the thigh muscle. In conclusion, using the MFBPs in the diet of broilers could improve meat quality, cholesterol concentration in serum, and gut health.