Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Everyday Life and Wellbeing among the Oldest Elderly in Norway—A Qualitative Study

Background: Demographic changes in the European countries are resulting in an increase in the proportion of elderly. The life conditions and mental health of older people are fields with insufficient knowledge. Demographical changes, socioeconomic factors, as well as urban-rural dimensions affect their situation and demand multifactorial developmental approaches. This is also in line with the emerging gerontological theory of gerotranscendence. There has been a tendency to see the elderly as a homogeneous group, an idea that is challenged by recent research on the “third” and “fourth” age. The everyday life and health of older people—particularly in relation to their mental health —are thus affected by many different circumstances and developments in society, which also interact with each other in complex patterns. Objectives: To develop a deeper understanding of how older people experience, regard and describe their life situation and mental health in urban and rural areas. Method: A descriptive and exploratory qualitative study, where elderly older than 80 in rural and urban areas in Norway were interviewed. In total, 23 interviews were completed (7 men, 16 women, 83 to 94 years old). The data were analyzed by means of a qualitative content analysis. Results: The analysis shows some differences between the two geographical areas, and gerotranscendence can be recognized. The main findings are analyzed as six themes: Satisfaction and enjoying life as a basic mood, An organized everyday life, built on activities. To manage on your own is of utmost importance. Strategies to handle hardships and challenges, an indispensable social network, and trust in the welfare state, however sometimes are conditioned. Conclusions: People in the “fourth age”, interviewed in this study have developed strategies to handle their everyday life and experience wellbeing. The empirical findings seem to be well in line with the theory of gerotranscendence. Urban-rural differences are found to be limited and related to the individual’s life stories.
Inhibition of the Rho/ROCK pathway reduces apoptosis during transplantation of embryonic stem cell‐derived neural precursors

Rho‐GTPase has been implicated in the apoptosis of many cell types, including neurons, but the mechanism by which it acts is not fully understood. Here, we investigate the roles of Rho and ROCK in apoptosis during transplantation of embryonic stem cell‐derived neural precursor cells. We find that dissociation of neural precursors activates Rho and induces apoptosis. Treatment with the Rho inhibitor C3 exoenzyme and/or the ROCK inhibitor Y‐27632 decreases the amount of dissociation‐induced apoptosis (anoikis) by 20–30%. Membrane blebbing, which is an early morphological sign of apoptosis; cleavage of caspase‐3; and release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria are also reduced by ROCK inhibition. These results suggest that dissociation of neural precursor cells elicits an intrinsic pathway of cell death that is at least partially mediated through the Rho/ROCK pathway. Moreover, in an animal transplantation model, inhibition of Rho and/or ROCK suppresses acute apoptosis of grafted cells. After transplantation, tumor necrosis factor‐α and pro‐nerve growth factor are strongly expressed around the graft. ROCK inhibition also suppresses apoptosis enhanced by these inflammatory cytokines. Taken together, these results indicate that inhibition of Rho/ROCK signaling may improve survival of grafted cells in cell replacement therapy. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Pathophysiology and pharmacotherapy of gastroparesis: current and future perspectives

Introduction: Gastroparesis is an important clinical disorder characterised by delayed gastric emptying in the absence of mechanical outlet obstruction. Idiopathic, diabetes and postsurgical causes represent the most common aetiologies. The condition commonly manifests as upper gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, postprandial fullness, early satiety, abdominal pain and bloating. Areas covered: This paper provides a review of the prevalence, pathophysiology and clinical features associated with gastroparesis, with a particular focus on current pharmacological management options and novel and emerging therapies. A literature search was undertaken using the search terms: gastroparesis, diabetic gastroparesis, idiopathic gastroparesis, gastric emptying, prokinetic, metoclopramide, domperidone, erythromycin, motilin, alemcinal, KC11458, mitemcinal, ghrelin, TZP-101, TZP-102, RM-131, tegaserod, prucalopride, naronapride, velusetrag, levosulpiride, itopride, botulinum toxin, gastric electrical stimulation, Enterra. Expert opinion: Strategies for the management of gastroparesis include correction of malnutrition, dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, relief of symptoms by appropriate use of prokinetic and antiemetic agents and, in patients with gastroparesis associated with diabetes or critical illness-induced hyperglycaemia, optimisation of glycaemic control. Conventional prokinetic agents form the mainstay of treatment. While novel pharmacotherapies are in development, compelling evidence for their efficacy, particularly in symptom relief, remains to be established.
Dialkylresorcinols as bacterial signaling molecules

Significance Bacteria can communicate with each other by small diffusible molecules, a process termed quorum sensing. Many bacteria use acylated homoserine lactones (AHLs) as signals, which are sensed by so-called LuxR-type receptors. With the photopyrones from the insect pathogenic bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens, we recently identified the first quorum sensing molecules different from AHLs that are sensed by a LuxR-type receptor. Here we describe the second novel quorum sensing molecule sensed by a LuxR-type receptor of Photorhabdus species, PauR of the human pathogen Photorhabdus asymbiotica. We demonstrate that P. asymbiotica communicates via dialkylresorcinols (DARs) and cyclohexanediones (CHDs). As the synthesis pathway is widespread, and often present in human pathogens, we discuss DARs and CHDs as novel and widespread signaling molecules. It is well recognized that bacteria communicate via small diffusible molecules, a process termed quorum sensing. The best understood quorum sensing systems are those that use acylated homoserine lactones (AHLs) for communication. The prototype of those systems consists of a LuxI-like AHL synthase and a cognate LuxR receptor that detects the signal. However, many proteobacteria possess LuxR receptors, yet lack any LuxI-type synthase, and thus these receptors are referred to as LuxR orphans or solos. In addition to the well-known AHLs, little is known about the signaling molecules that are sensed by LuxR solos. Here, we describe a novel cell–cell communication system in the insect and human pathogen Photorhabdus asymbiotica. We identified the LuxR homolog PauR to sense dialkylresorcinols (DARs) and cyclohexanediones (CHDs) instead of AHLs as signals. The DarABC synthesis pathway produces the molecules, and the entire system emerged as important for virulence. Moreover, we have analyzed more than 90 different Photorhabdus strains by HPLC/MS and showed that these DARs and CHDs are specific to the human pathogen P. asymbiotica. On the basis of genomic evidence, 116 other bacterial species are putative DAR producers, among them many human pathogens. Therefore, we discuss the possibility of DARs as novel and widespread bacterial signaling molecules and show that bacterial cell–cell communication goes far beyond AHL signaling in nature.
The lifetime risk of suicide in schizophrenia: a reexamination.

BACKGROUND The psychiatry literature routinely quotes a lifetime schizophrenia suicide prevalence of 10% based on 1 meta-analysis and 2 studies of chronic schizophrenics. OBJECTIVES To build a methodology for extrapolating lifetime suicide prevalence estimates from published cohorts and to apply this approach to studies that meet inclusion criteria. DATA SOURCES We began with a MEDLINE search (1966-present) for articles that observed cohorts of schizophrenic patients. Exhaustive bibliography searching of each identified article brought the total number of articles reviewed to 632. STUDY SELECTION Studies included in the meta-analysis observed a cohort of schizophrenic patients for at least 2 years, with at least 90% follow-up, and reported suicides. Articles are excluded for systematic age bias (ie, adolescents). DATA EXTRACTION Extracted data included sample size, number of deaths, number of suicides, percentage of follow-up, and diagnostic system used. Data were extracted independently by 2 of us, and differences were resolved by consensus after re-review. DATA SYNTHESIS Studies were divided into 2 groups: 32 studies of schizophrenics enrolled at various illness points (25 578 subjects) and 29 studies of schizophrenics identified at either illness onset or first admission (22 598 subjects). Regression models of the intersection of proportionate mortality (the percentage of the dead who died by suicide) and case fatality (the percentage of the total sample who died by suicide) were used to calculate suicide risk in each group. The estimate of lifetime suicide prevalence in those observed from first admission or illness onset was 5.6% (95% confidence interval, 3.7%-8.5%). Mixed samples showed a rate of 1.8% (95% confidence interval, 1.4%-2.3%). Case fatality rates showed no significant differences when studies of patients diagnosed with the use of newer systems were compared with studies of patients diagnosed under older criteria. CONCLUSION This study estimates that 4.9% of schizophrenics will commit suicide during their lifetimes, usually near illness onset.
Post‐intensive care unit pediatric hospital stay and estimated costs

Objective: For pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) survivors, to determine the proportion of hospital stay and estimated hospital costs accounted for by post‐ICU care. Design: Prospective study. Setting: University teaching hospital. Patients: Pediatric patients who survive an ICU admission. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Estimated relative daily costs were assumed as follows: ICU, with ventilator/ICU, not on ventilator/intermediate care unit/general pediatric hospital day, at 2:1:0.7:0.3, respectively. Estimated costs were expressed in arbitrary units as (number of days at each level of care) × (relative cost per day). The ICU phase was defined as the patient's first ICU admission only, and the post‐ICU phase included intermediate care unit and general pediatric hospital days, as well as ICU readmission during the same hospitalization. Pre‐ICU hospital activity was excluded from analysis. For 341 ICU survivors, post‐ICU days (median, 4 days per patient) accounted for 62% of the total hospital stay. Post‐ICU care accounted for one third of the total estimated hospital costs for ICU survivors. Patients with longer post‐ICU stays could not be reliably identified at the time of ICU discharge according to their ICU length of stay, duration of mechanical ventilation in the ICU, age, ICU day 1 mortality probability, or diagnostic group (p > .05). Conclusions: Post‐ICU care accounts for a substantial proportion of hospital stay and estimated costs for ICU survivors. These observations suggest that developing strategies to optimize hospital utilization at the time of ICU discharge may be important for controlling costs of recovery from critical illness.
Modelling of Nigerian Residential Electricity Consumption Using Multiple Regression Model with One Period Lagged Dependent Variable

This paper presents the modelling and forecasting of residential electricity consumption in Nigeria based on nine years (2006 and 2014) data and multiple regression model with one period lagged dependent variable. A Socio economic parameter (population), and climatic parameter (annual average temperature) are used as explanatory variables in modelling the and forecasting of residential electricity consumption in Nigeria. The results of the multiple regression analysis applied to the data arrived at the model with the least sum of square error as E _t= -36.2458+ 9. 7202P_t-12. 0265T_t+0. 1540E_(t-1), where t is the year; E _t is the predicted residential electricity demand in MW/h; P_t is the annual population in millions; T_t is the average annual temperature in °C and E_(t-1) is the residential electricity demand in the year before year t. The error analysis gave coefficient of determinant of 0.913, adjusted coefficient of determination of 0.86 and Root Mean Square Error of 61.86. The forecast results gave 5.11% annual average increase in the electric power demand of the residential sector with respect to the 2014 electricity consumption data. Such results presented in this paper are useful for effective planning of power supply to the residential sector in Nigeria.
Keratinocyte proximity and contact can play a significant role in determining mesenchymal stem cell fate in human tissue

Bone marrow‐derived human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) possess multipotent differentiation capabilities and are a potent source of paracrine factors. We show how the epidermal keratinocyte can direct hMSC differentiation selectively. Keratinocytes and hMSCs were either cocultured in physical contact (contact cocultures)’ or separated without physical contact using a transwell insert (noncontact cocultures). We also delivered hMSCs into an ex vivo human excisional wound where subpopulations of the hMSCs were either in contact or were physically separated from the epidermal keratinocytes. In comparison to control hMSCs that were not cocultured’ contact cocultured hMSCs adopted an epithelial morphology and expressed kera‐tinocyte markers while noncontact coculutred hMSCs’ surprisingly’ adopted phenotypes that resembled myo‐fibroblast and early neural lineage, both of which are of dermal origin. Cell fusion was not a requirement in in vitro contact cocultures, as determined by fluorescence‐activated cell sorting (FACS) and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis (FISH). To the best of our knowledge, this work provides the first example of hMSC differentiation into different lineages depending on their proximity to a single cell type. —Sivamani, R. K. , Schwartz, M. P., Anseth, K. S. , Isseroff, R. R. , Keratinocyte proximity and contact can play a significant role in determining mesenchymal stem cell fate in human tissue, FASEB J. 25, 122–131 (2011). www.fasebj. org
Correlation of polymorphic variation in the promoter region of the interleukin-1 beta gene with secretion of interleukin-1 beta protein.

OBJECTIVE Significant variation in interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) protein secretion between subjects has been observed when using a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/ATP-mediated ex vivo blood stimulation assay. To explore the potential relationships between genetic polymorphisms in the IL1B cytokine gene and cellular responses to inflammatory stimuli such as LPS, we investigated the hypothesis that polymorphisms within the promoter and exon 5 of the IL1B gene contribute to the observed differences in IL-1 beta protein secretion. METHODS The IL1B gene polymorphisms C-511T, T-31C, and C3954T were tested for association with LPS-induced secretion of IL-1 beta protein as measured by an ex vivo blood stimulation assay. Samples from 2 independent study populations (n = 31 and n = 25) were available for use in the ex vivo assay after consent was obtained to analyze the DNA. RESULTS A specific haplotype, composed of the T allele at -511 and the C allele at -31, was significantly associated with a 2-3-fold increase in LPS-induced IL-1 beta protein secretion. This association was observed in both of the independent study populations (P = 0.0084 and P = 0.0017). CONCLUSION These data suggest that polymorphisms within the promoter region of the IL1B gene contribute to observed differences in LPS-induced IL-1 beta protein secretion.
Synthesis of a New DLMPPT Technique With PLC for Enhanced PV Energy Extraction Under Varying Irradiance and Load Changing Conditions

In this paper, a photovoltaic (PV) energy extraction process with higher efficiency and wider scope of modular and portable programs using programmable logic controller (PLC) is proposed. Under dual layer maximum power point tracking (DLMPPT) concept, energy gains are simultaneously achieved as distributed MPPT (DMPPT) across PV modules and centralized MPPT (CMPPT) across PV arrays with newly modified “incremental conductance algorithm” using adaptive subroutine jump control at an appropriate ramp rate correction, to update pulse width modulation duty cycle for speedy MPPT action and resolving issue pertaining to multimaxima points under partial shading conditions as well. A dynamic energy balance between supply of PV energy to common dc bus and its quick transfer/consumption by load across inverter is a prime factor for enhanced DLMPPT benchmark in the process. This scheme is simulated on MATLAB, followed by hardware (5 kW) implementation for performance data generation and analysis on a yearly basis at a farm house located (lat = 26.397, lon = 74.728) in a village near Ajmer, India. It is found that DLMPPT is ahead in energy gains by 13.26% and 7.88% as compared to CMPPT and DMPPT, respectively.
An Evaluation of Patients' Willingness to Trade Symptom-Free Days for Asthma-Related Treatment Risks: A Discrete Choice Experiment

Background. Not taking treatment preferences into account may lead to patients' inappropriate use of asthma treatments. The objective of this study was to quantify these preferences, in terms of risk-benefits trade-offs, for six asthma treatment attributes using a discrete choice experiment (DCE). Methods. Adult asthma patients (n = 157) participated in the study. The custom-designed DCE measured preferences for treatment effectiveness (symptom-free days), potential risk (oral thrush and tremor/heart palpitation), ease of use (frequency of daily administration and number of inhalers required), and cost. A nested logit model was used to determine the relative preferences of each attribute, from which the marginal rates of substitution were calculated. Segmented models were used to test for interactions between cost and treatment benefit with socioeconomic status and medication use. Results. Relationships between preferences and all attributes were in the hypothesized direction. On average, patients were willing to pay an additional $14 per month to receive one additional symptom-free day, and $26, $79, and $112 monthly to avoid one, two, and three annual episodes of oral thrush, respectively. Income and the magnitude of short-acting β -agonist use also affected treatment preferences. Conclusions. Overall, asthma patients desired treatments that offered more symptom-free days, but they were willing to trade days without symptoms in exchange for a reduction in adverse events and greater convenience.
An above-IC RF-MEMS switch

A MEMS switch is driven by a 0.25/spl mu/m BiCMOS IC and achieves 0.4dB insertion loss and 54dB isolation at 2GHz. The 400/spl mu/m/spl times/50/spl mu/m MEMS device is built together on top of the wafers enabling a system-on-chip design.
A Novel Combined Beamformer Based on Hypercomplex Processes

The problem of beamforming based on hypercomplex processes is considered for an airborne electromagnetic (EM) vector-sensor array. The quaternion domain facilitates modeling and processing of four-dimensional real signals (or two-dimensional complex signals). Based on the quaternion model of an airborne EM vector-sensor, a quaternion spatial matched filter (QSMF) is presented and its characteristics are analyzed. The quaternion-valued output y(n) of the QSMF consists of two complex components y1(n) and y2(n). The analysis in theory highlights the fact that y2(n) includes only the interference component and noise, but doesn't include the desired signal. By employing y2(n) to cancel the interference component in y1(n), we propose an interference cancellation algorithm (ICA) of the QSMF. In the presence of a strong interference, the ICA can improve the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Based on the interference cancellation structure, we propose two schemes of combined QSMF and complex minimum variance distortionless response (CMVDR) beamformer (one is referred to QSMF-CMVDR and the other is referred to QSMF-DCMVDR) for an airborne EM vector-sensors array. The advantages of the proposed beamformers are that the interference can be canceled by ICA of the QSMF and the additive noise can be reduced by CMVDR beamformer. The output SNR expressions of two combined beamformers that we derive reveal that the output SNR of the QSMF-DCMVDR beamformer is superior to that of a conventional linearly constrained minimum variance (LCMV) beamformer. And in the presence of the coherent (or correlated) interferences, two combined beamformers are not subject to performance degradation. Simulation results are in agreement with our analysis.
What Role Can Minimum Wages Play in Overcoming the Low-wage Model in Central and Eastern Europe?

This working paper gives an overview of minimum wage policies in Central and Eastern Europe. It shows that minimum wages are an effective tool for reducing inequality by raising the lowest incomes. Minimum wages can have some, albeit limited, role in increasing aggregate productivity and promoting economic upgrading. However, to be truly effective in raising wages and productivity, minimum wages would need to be accompanied by a stronger role for collective bargaining in CEE countries.
Analysis of denitrification by Pseudomonas stutzeri under nutrient‐limited conditions using membrane inlet mass spectrometry

Membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS) was used to investigate denitrification by Pseudomonas stutzeri in a static lake water column. Continuous real‐time measurement of gases enabled the dynamics of the process to be investigated. Concentrations of 17 mmol l−1 nitrate and 10 mmol l−1 nitrite were identified as optimal for denitrification under nutrient‐limited conditions (i.e., produced the highest concentrations of N2). Available carbon was the major rate‐limiting factor in lake water when nitrate or nitrite was present. No stratification of the process with depth was observed, and aerobic denitrification was apparent under all the conditions employed. The rate of denitrification was dependent on cell concentration, and possible limitations of the usefulness of MIMS under environmentally modelled conditions were identified for environments containing low numbers of bacteria.
New Venture Performance in Transition Economies from Different Institutional Perspectives**

Building on institutional theory, this study examines the effects of dysfunctional competition and government ties on new venture performance in transition economies. And, it goes deeper to investigate how these effects are contingent on a new venture's entrepreneurial orientation (EO). It finds that EO weakens the negative relationship between dysfunctional competition and new venture performance but exacerbates the negative linkage of government ties to new venture performance. The findings not only illustrate how government impacts new venture performance in transition economies, but also indicate that new ventures can leverage entrepreneurship to cope with the effects of government‐related factors.
Dual-hop systems with noisy relay and interference-limited destination

In this letter, we analyze the outage performance of a dual-hop relay fading channel in an interference-limited environment. We first derive closed-form expressions for the outage probability of both the amplify-and-forward (AF) and the decode-and-forward (DF) relay channels, based on which, the diversity analysis is conducted. In addition, we show that in terms of the outage probability performance, the worst scenario appears to be the case with equal received-power interferers, for a given total received interference power.