Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimizing Therapy to Prevent Avoidable Hospital Admissions in Multimorbid Older Adults (OPERAM): cluster randomised controlled trial

Abstract Objective To examine the effect of optimising drug treatment on drug related hospital admissions in older adults with multimorbidity and polypharmacy admitted to hospital. Design Cluster randomised controlled trial. Setting 110 clusters of inpatient wards within university based hospitals in four European countries (Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, and Republic of Ireland) defined by attending hospital doctors. Participants 2008 older adults (≥70 years) with multimorbidity (≥3 chronic conditions) and polypharmacy (≥5 drugs used long term). Intervention Clinical staff clusters were randomised to usual care or a structured pharmacotherapy optimisation intervention performed at the individual level jointly by a doctor and a pharmacist, with the support of a clinical decision software system deploying the screening tool of older person’s prescriptions and screening tool to alert to the right treatment (STOPP/START) criteria to identify potentially inappropriate prescribing. Main outcome measure Primary outcome was first drug related hospital admission within 12 months. Results 2008 older adults (median nine drugs) were randomised and enrolled in 54 intervention clusters (963 participants) and 56 control clusters (1045 participants) receiving usual care. In the intervention arm, 86.1% of participants (n=789) had inappropriate prescribing, with a mean of 2.75 (SD 2.24) STOPP/START recommendations for each participant. 62.2% (n=491) had ≥1 recommendation successfully implemented at two months, predominantly discontinuation of potentially inappropriate drugs. In the intervention group, 211 participants (21.9%) experienced a first drug related hospital admission compared with 234 (22.4%) in the control group. In the intention-to-treat analysis censored for death as competing event (n=375, 18.7%), the hazard ratio for first drug related hospital admission was 0.95 (95% confidence interval 0.77 to 1.17). In the per protocol analysis, the hazard ratio for a drug related hospital admission was 0.91 (0.69 to 1.19). The hazard ratio for first fall was 0.96 (0.79 to 1.15; 237 v 263 first falls) and for death was 0.90 (0.71 to 1.13; 172 v 203 deaths). Conclusions Inappropriate prescribing was common in older adults with multimorbidity and polypharmacy admitted to hospital and was reduced through an intervention to optimise pharmacotherapy, but without effect on drug related hospital admissions. Additional efforts are needed to identify pharmacotherapy optimisation interventions that reduce inappropriate prescribing and improve patient outcomes. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02986425.
Application of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Protocols in Colorectal Cancer, Complicated by Malignant Bowel Obstruction: a Review of the Literature

Summary Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are standard in elective colorectal surgery. They lead to decreasing postoperative complications and shorten the hospital stay and the recovery period. Following these protocols is associated with better short-term results and better and disease-free survival in cases of respectable colorectal carcinomas. There is clear evidence of the beneficial effect of the protocols in reducing the rate of postoperative complications and shortening the hospital stay after elective colorectal surgery. There remains the question of whether these protocols are applicable effective in patients after emergency colorectal surgery. Over the last years, safe and effective ERAS protocols have been reported in patients with life-threatening conditions such as colorectal obstruction and intraabdominal infection.
The Impact of Institutional Investors’ Ownership on Performance and Financial Position: Evidence from Firms in the Republic of Croatia

Abstract The research problem of this study is focused on examining the impact of the ownership of institutional investors on the corporate governance of Croatian companies. The problem was approached comprehensively such that institutional investors were analysed as both homogeneous and heterogeneous groups (investment funds, pension funds, insurance companies). The results of this study reveal a statistically significant impact of institutional investor ownership being viewed as both homogeneous and heterogeneous groups on business performance and financial position, which reduces the gap between ownership intentions and management interests, thereby resulting in an increase in shareholder wealth while limiting the satisfaction and social goals of a company.
International Conference KNOWLEDGE-BASED ORGANIZATION Vol. XXVII No 3 2021 INNOVATION-CENTERED SOCIETY: FROM THE FIRST WAVE TO THE SMART SOCIETY

Ideas really matter, as they decisively influence people thoughts, creeds and behaviours. Among these, the tomorrow’s world feature is a current dominant concern. Alvin Toffler’s perspective of the three major disruptive waves colliding mankind’s history is still revealing. Also, Thomas Friedman’s intuitive vision of an interconnected world becoming flat, relates to circumstances in which any nation could potentially challenge another one, on an equal basis, within the global competitive playing field. Recently, the concept of a future Smart Society gains ground, and innovation plays an essential role in it, as it possesses the potential not only to flatten the world, but also to expand it, in terms of enlarging human knowledge perspectives. Consequently, the future world society should be better named Innovation-Centered Society rather than Smart Society. Following the Toffler’s society evolution pattern, the core element of the future should be innovation, as this is the common denominator of the disruptive technologies progress, and has the power to create an entire supporting ecosystem.
Comparison of nitric oxide and adrenomedullin levels of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and anxiety disorder

Abstract Objectives Many studies show that adrenomedullin (ADM) is associated with nitric oxide (NO) and various mechanisms and is involved in the etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and autism by oxidative stress and HPA axis dsyregulation. The aim of this study comparison of nitric oxide and adrenomedullin levels in children with ADHD, AD and healthy control included in our study, especially due to their effect mechanisms as they may predict anxiety symptom, was to investigate the relationship between nitric oxide and adrenomedullin levels and anxiety symptoms in children with ADHD, AD and healthy control. Methods The study included 27 ADHD, 27 AD and 23 healthy children without any previous drug use, without comorbid disease. The semi-structured interview was conducted by the researcher in all the children attending the study. Sociodemographic information form, Conner’s Parent and Teacher Rating scale and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were evaluated. NO level measured by spectrophotometer, ADM levels were measured by ELISA. Results There was no statistically significant difference in the serum NO and ADM levels of the children included in the sampling group according to age and sex. There was no statistically significant difference between NO and ADM levels between ADHD, AD and control groups. There was no statistically significant relationship between serum NO and ADM levels and ADHD, AD and control group children of state-trait anxiety scores. Conclusions These findings may suggest that NO and ADM levels in children with ADHD, AD do not show these diseases and that these parameters are not associated with anxiety symptoms.
Socially Responsible Human Resource Management and Voluntary Environmental Behavior: Moderating the Effect of Ecocentric Leadership

Abstract Purpose: The study examines the influence of socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) on employees’ voluntary environmental behavior (VEB), and it tests the moderating effect of ecocentric leadership (EL). Design/Method: We adopted deductive reasoning in a positivist paradigm by applying quantitative analytical techniques and structural equation modeling. We selected 187 respondents from clothing industry through a self-administered questionnaire survey in Chattogram, the commercial capital of Bangladesh. Findings: The outcomes revealed that both SRHRM and EL influence VEB. However, the moderation analysis indicated that EL negatively intervenes in the effect of SRHRM on VEB. Implications: One of the essential contributions of our study is its development of the knowledge related to valuing, developing, and measuring SRHRM’s contribution to improving VEB in a moderated model with the help of EL to ensure long-term sustainability. Originality: Very little is known about the importance of SRHRM in fostering employees’ voluntary environmental behavior, so this study will be one of the first to examine the topic. Moreover, the moderating effect of EL posits that its interaction effect is not substantial in stimulating voluntary environmental behavior if organizations can institutionalize SRHRM.
Evaluation of arterial stiffness in systolic heart failure

Abstract Objective: Micro- and macrovascular changes can occur in heart failure, and could influence its prognosis and management. In a prospective study, we proposed the evaluation of arterial stiffness (macrovascular function) and its correlations in patients with systolic heart failure. Methods: 40 patients (32 men, 8 women, mean age 63±2.9 years), with hemodynamically stable systolic heart failure (left ventricular ejection fraction, EF<40%) were enrolled in the study. In every patient, beyond routine explorations (ECG, cardiac and carotid ultrasound, laboratory measurements), arterial stiffness was assessed by measuring pulse wave velocity (PWV). The correlations of PWV with clinical and echo-cardiographic characteristics were studied using t-test and chi-square test (p<0.05 being considered for statistical significance). Results: The average PWV was 8.55±2.2 m/s, and 16 patients had increased PWV (>10 m/s). We found significantly higher PWV values in patients older than 65 years (p<0.001), in patients with eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (p<0.001), hypertension (p=0.006), and increased (>1 mm) carotid intima-media thickness (p=0.016). PWV was found to be significantly lower when EF was <30% (p=0.049). Furthermore, the presence of an increased PWV was correlated significantly with age (p<0.001), and (with borderline significance) with eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 and, inversely, with EF<30%. Conclusions: Increased arterial stiffness reflected by high PWV is frequently present in patients with systolic heart failure, and is mainly correlated with general risk factors of arterial involvement. Low EF, due to low stroke volume and decreased systolic arterial wall tension can influence the values and the interpretation of PWV.
Occurrence and Prevalence of Macroparasites of African Giant Rats (Cricetomys Gambianus) in a Savanna Region of Nigeria

Abstract Rodents play an important role in the transmission of zoonotic diseases since they serve as reservoirs of these infections. A survey of ecto and intestinal parasites of the African giant rat (Cricetomys gambianus) was carried out between January and May, 2018 in Il-orin to access their potential as reservoirs of zoonoses. A total of 60 African giant rats were caught live using single catch rat traps which were set around bushes, near human habitation. The giant rats were euthanized with chloroform and thoroughly examined for ectoparasites. The giant rats were dissected and the alimentary canal removed. Direct smear floatation and sedimentation methods were used to detect endoparasites in the animals. The prevalence of different types of endoparasites were: Hymenolepis nana (33.3 %), Hymenolepis diminuta (25.0 %), Aspicularis tetraptera (29.2 %), and Acanthocephala spp. (12.5 %), while the ectoparasites were: Ixodes rasus (37.9 %), Xenopsylla cheopis (44.8 %) and Ornithonyssus bacoti (17.2 %). African giant rats harbour quite a number of infections that can be spread to humans especially in developing countries where most communities are economically disadvantaged, thus the need to properly enlighten the populace.
Selection and characterization of siderophores of pathogenic Escherichia coli intestinal and extraintestinal isolates

Abstract Microorganisms adopt a unique mechanism for sequestration and transport of bound iron by producing iron-chelating molecules called siderophores. Siderophores play an important role in colonization of microbes in iron-deficient sites of the host, hence acting as an important virulence factor and promising carriers of antimicrobials to target sites inside the microbial cells. The research was conducted to identify and characterize the siderophores of pathogenic Escherichia coli isolates obtained from different parts of India. A total of 534 confirmed E. coli isolates were tested for the expression of siderophores using chrome azurol S agar method and its type were determined by Csaky and Arnow assays for hydroxamate and catecholate-type siderophores, respectively. The obtained results revealed a difference in siderophore-type expression by intestinal and extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli. On chrome azurol S agar 45.1% of pathogenic E. coli. were found to produce siderophores, 12.5% isolates were found to produce catechol-type siderophore and 35.4% isolates produced hydroxamate-type siderophore; and isolates could be classified into five sidero-types (1) only hydroxamate producing (2) only catechol producing (3) both catechol and hydroxamate producing (4) producing siderophores other than hydroxamate and catechol types and (5) siderophore non-producers. Siderophore production was detected in isolates from all geographical regions and in all seasons of the year. The findings conclude that siderophore production is one of the important virulence and epidemiological markers of intestinal as well as extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli.
Method-Related Impacts on Campylobacter coli Recovery From Sampling Materials And Meat

Abstract A defined Campylobacter coli (C. coli) suspension was inoculated on sterile sampling materials (cotton bud, polyester bud, cellulose sponge) and pieces of lamb meat. Various combinations of diluents (phosphate buffer saline ± Tween®80) and sampling methods (direct homogenization, simulating the excision method for meat, and swabbing) were investigated for the recovery (detachment) of C. coli cells from the inoculated samples. The obtained C. coli bacteria, as quantified by real-time PCR with respect to the dilution factors and the initial inoculum, were used for the calculation of the recovery (%) per sampling material and method. Regarding artificially inoculated sampling materials, the lowest recovery was observed for cotton buds (2.8%) and the highest for cellulose sponge (28.9%), and the differences between the obtained results were statistically significant (P < 0.05). As regards lamb meat, the lowest recovery was observed for swabbing with cotton buds (3.2%) and the highest for direct homogenization (10.7%). The results indicate an overall low rate of bacterial recovery from contaminated samples, with cellulose sponges and polyester buds being significantly superior to cotton buds, and direct homogenization of meat with diluent better than swabbing. The type of sampling materials and methods applied for the quantification of C. coli entails a key impact on determining the actual contamination of the examined samples.
Compression efficiency analysis of AV1, VVC, and HEVC for random access applications

AOM Video 1 (AV1) and Versatile Video Coding (VVC) are the outcome of two recent independent video coding technology developments. Although VVC is the successor of High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) in the lineage of international video coding standards jointly developed by ITU-T and ISO/IEC within an open and public standardization process, AV1 is a video coding scheme that was developed by the industry consortium Alliance for Open Media (AOM) and that has its technological roots in Google's proprietary VP9 codec. This paper presents a compression efficiency evaluation for the AV1, VVC, and HEVC video coding schemes in a typical video compression application requiring random access. The latter is an important property, without which essential functionalities in digital video broadcasting or streaming could not be provided. For the evaluation, we employed a controlled experimental environment that basically follows the guidelines specified in the Common Test Conditions of the Joint Video Experts Team. As representatives of the corresponding video coding schemes, we selected their freely available reference software implementations. Depending on the application-specific frequency of random access points, the experimental results show averaged bit-rate savings of about 10–15% for AV1 and 36–37% for the VVC reference encoder implementation (VTM), both relative to the HEVC reference encoder implementation (HM) and by using a test set of video sequences with different characteristics regarding content and resolution. A direct comparison between VTM and AV1 reveals averaged bit-rate savings of about 25–29% for VTM, while the averaged encoding and decoding run times of VTM relative to those of AV1 are around 300% and 270%, respectively.
Using the nuclear LEAFY gene to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships among invasive knotweed (Reynoutria, Polygonaceae) populations

Abstract Knotweed species in the genus Reynoutria are native to eastern Asia but have become noxious weeds in Europe and North America. In the United States, invasive populations of Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica Houtt.), giant knotweed [Reynoutria sachalinensis (F. Schmidt) Nakai], and their interspecific hybrid known as Bohemian knotweed (R. × bohemica Chrtek & Chrtková) continue to expand their ranges. Although these plants are among the most invasive terrestrial species, there are relatively few molecular tools for identifying the parental species, the F1 hybrid, or subsequent hybrids or introgressed individuals. We studied Reynoutria populations in Wisconsin, a state where all three taxa grow, to determine whether molecular data would be useful for distinguishing species and identifying hybrids. We obtained DNA sequence data from the plastid matK gene and the nuclear LEAFY gene and compared these to previously published sequences. Data from the uniparentally inherited matK region included haplotypes attributable to R. japonica and R. sachalinensis. Nuclear data indicated that R. sachalinensis plants are most similar to native plants in Japan, with two Wisconsin accessions exhibiting a monomorphic genotype for the LEAFY gene. Three Wisconsin accessions of R. japonica were each characterized by having three distinct kinds of LEAFY sequence. Most plants in our study were found to possess two or three phylogenetically distinct copies of the LEAFY gene, with the copies being most closely related to R. japonica and R. sachalinensis, respectively, and these were inferred to be interspecific hybrids. Altogether, five kinds of interspecific hybrids were identified, reflecting various combinations of LEAFY sequence types from the parental species. The widespread existence of hybrid plants in Wisconsin, many of which are morphologically identifiable as R. japonica, indicates a cryptic genetic diversity that should be examined more broadly in North America using molecular tools.
Structural covariance of amygdala subregions is associated with trait aggression and endogenous testosterone in healthy individuals

Many studies point toward volume reductions in the amygdala as a potential neurostructural marker for trait aggression. However, most of these findings stem from clinical samples, rendering unclear whether the findings generalize to non-clinical populations. Furthermore, the notion of neural networks suggests that interregional correlations in grey matter volume (i.e., structural covariance) can explain individual differences in aggressive behavior beyond local univariate associations. Here, we tested whether structural covariance between amygdala subregions and the rest of the brain is associated with self-reported aggression in a large sample of healthy young students (n=263; 51% women). Salivary testosterone concentrations were measured for a subset of n=76 participants (45% women), allowing us to investigate the influence of endogenous testosterone on structural covariance. Aggressive individuals showed enhanced covariance between superficial amygdala (SFA) and dorsal anterior insula (dAI), but lower covariance between laterobasal amygdala (LBA) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). These structural patterns overlap with functional networks involved in the genesis and regulation of aggressive behavior, respectively. With increasing endogenous testosterone, we observed stronger structural covariance between centromedial amygdala (CMA) and medial prefrontal cortex in men and between CMA and orbitofrontal cortex in women. These results speak for structural covariance of amygdala subregions as a robust correlate of trait aggression in healthy individuals. Moreover, regions that showed structural covariance with the amygdala modulated by either testosterone or aggression did not overlap, speaking for a more complex role of testosterone in human social behavior rather than the simple assumption that testosterone only increases aggressiveness.
Organization of Cortical and Thalamic Input to Inhibitory Neurons in Mouse Motor Cortex

Intracortical inhibition in motor cortex (M1) regulates movement and motor learning. If cortical and thalamic inputs target different inhibitory cell types in different layers, then these afferents may play different roles in regulating M1 output. Using mice of both sexes, we quantified input to two main classes of M1 interneurons, parvalbumin+ (PV+) cells and somatostatin+ (SOM+) cells, using monosynaptic rabies tracing. We then compared anatomic and functional connectivity based on synaptic strength from sensory cortex and thalamus. Functionally, each input innervated M1 interneurons with a unique laminar profile. Different interneuron types were excited in a distinct, complementary manner, suggesting feedforward inhibition proceeds selectively via distinct circuits. Specifically, somatosensory cortex (S1) inputs primarily targeted PV+ neurons in upper layers (L2/3) but SOM+ neurons in middle layers (L5). Somatosensory thalamus [posterior nucleus (PO)] inputs targeted PV+ neurons in middle layers (L5). In contrast to sensory cortical areas, thalamic input to SOM+ neurons was equivalent to that of PV+ neurons. Thus, long-range excitatory inputs target inhibitory neurons in an area and a cell type-specific manner, which contrasts with input to neighboring pyramidal cells. In contrast to feedforward inhibition providing generic inhibitory tone in cortex, circuits are selectively organized to recruit inhibition matched to incoming excitatory circuits. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT M1 integrates sensory information and frontal cortical inputs to plan and control movements. Although inputs to excitatory cells are described, the synaptic circuits by which these inputs drive specific types of M1 interneurons are unknown. Anatomical results with rabies tracing and physiological quantification of synaptic strength shows that two main classes of inhibitory cells (PV+ and SOM+ interneurons) both receive substantial cortical and thalamic input, in contrast to interneurons in sensory areas (where thalamic input strongly prefers PV+ interneurons). Further, each input studied targets PV+ and SOM+ interneurons in a different fashion, suggesting that separate, specific circuits exist for recruitment of feedforward inhibition.