Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does Hospitalization Impact Survival After Lower Respiratory Infection in Nursing Home Residents?

Background:Lower respiratory infection (LRI) is the leading cause of hospitalization for nursing home residents, but hospitalization is costly and may cause complications. Objective:We sought to compare mortality and cost between episodes of LRI initially treated in the hospital versus the nursing home after controlling for illness severity and the probability of hospitalization. Design:This was a prospective cohort study of nursing home residents with LRIs. Subjects:We identified 1406 episodes of LRI in 36 nursing homes in central Missouri and the St. Louis area between August 15, 1995, and September 30, 1998. Economic analysis was restricted to 1033 episodes identified after March 31, 1997. Measures:We adjusted for the higher probability of initial hospitalization in sicker residents using measures of illness severity and a hospitalization propensity score. The propensity score was derived from a logistic regression model that included patient, physician, and facility variables. Estimated costs were attributed to initial treatment setting. Results:After controlling for the probability of hospitalization and illness severity, hospitalization was not a significant mortality predictor (odds ratio 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.52–1.52). Mean daily cost was $138.24 for initial nursing home treatment and $419.75 for the hospital. Conclusions:After controlling for illness severity and propensity for hospitalization, hospital treatment is not associated with either increased or decreased risk for mortality for nursing home residents with LRIs. For residents with low and medium mortality risk, nursing home treatment is likely to be safe and less costly.
Regulation of the voltage gated K+ channel Kv1.3 by the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4‐2 and the serum and glucocorticoid inducible kinase SGK1

The stimulation of cell proliferation by insulin like growth factor IGF‐1 has previously been shown to depend on activation of voltage gated K+ channels. The signaling involved in activation of voltage gated K+ channel Kv1.3 includes the phosphatidylinositol‐3 (PI3) protein kinase, 3‐phosphoinositide dependent protein kinase PDK1 and the serum and glucocorticoid inducible kinase SGK1. However, nothing is known about mechanisms mediating the stimulation of Kv1.3 by SGK1. Most recently, SGK1 has been shown to phosphorylate and thus inactivate the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4‐2. The present study has been performed to explore whether the regulation of Kv1.3 involves Nedd4‐2. To this end Kv1.3 has been expressed in Xenopus oocytes with or without coexpression of Nedd4‐2 and/or constitutively active S422DSGK1. In oocytes expressing Kv1.3 but not in water injected oocytes, depolarization from a holding potential of −80 mV to +20 mV triggers rapidly inactivating currents typical for Kv1.3. Coexpression of Nedd4‐2 decreases, coexpression of S422DSGK1 enhances the currents significantly. The effects of either Nedd4‐2 or of SGK1 are abrogated by destruction of the respective catalytic subunits (C938SNedd4‐2 or K127NSGK1). Further experiments revealed that wild type SGK1 and SGK3 and to a lesser extent SGK2 are similarly effective in stimulating Kv1.3 in both, presence and absence of Nedd4‐2. It is concluded that Kv1.3 is downregulated by Nedd4‐2 and stimulates by SGK1, SGK2, and SGK3. The data thus disclose a novel mechanism of Kv1.3 channel regulation. J. Cell. Physiol. 199: 194–199, 2004© 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Continuous-time batch trajectory estimation using temporal basis functions

Roboticists often formulate estimation problems in discrete time for the practical reason of keeping the state size tractable; however, the discrete-time approach does not scale well for use with high-rate sensors, such as inertial measurement units, rolling-shutter cameras, or sweeping laser imaging sensors. The difficulty lies in the fact that a pose variable is typically included for every time at which a measurement is acquired, rendering the dimension of the state impractically large for large numbers of measurements. This issue is exacerbated for the simultaneous localization and mapping problem, which further augments the state to include landmark variables. To address this tractability issue, we propose to move the full Maximum-a-Posteriori estimation problem into continuous time and use temporal basis functions to keep the state size manageable. We present a full probabilistic derivation of the continuous-time estimation problem, derive an estimator based on the assumption that the densities and processes involved are Gaussian and show how the coefficients of a relatively small number of basis functions can form the state to be estimated, making the solution efficient. Our derivation is presented in steps of increasingly specific assumptions, opening the door to the development of other novel continuous-time estimation algorithms through the application of different assumptions at any point. We use the simultaneous localization and mapping problem as our motivation throughout the paper, although the approach is not specific to this application. Results from two experiments are provided to validate the approach: (i) self-calibration involving a camera and a high-rate inertial measurement unit, and (ii) perspective localization with a rolling-shutter camera.
Does Leverage Constrain Real and AEM Around IPO Corporate Event? Evidence from the Emerging Market

The article investigates whether Malaysian initial public offering (IPO) firms engage in real and accrual earnings management (AEM) and examines the impact of leverage on the earnings management’s discretionary behaviour of the firms for the period of 2003–2013. The Dechow, Sloan, and Sweeney (1995, The Accounting Review, 70[2], 193–225) cross-sectional modified Jones model was used to estimate discretionary accruals, while Roychowdhury’s (2006, Journal of Accounting and Economics, 42[3]), 335–370) cross-sectional models were used to investigate abnormal real activity discretionary behaviour. The results indicate Malaysian IPO firms engage in real and accrual discretionary behaviour. The graphical presentations of the earnings’ management proxies indicate higher real and AEM for high-leverage firms. Similarly, the multivariate analysis indicates a positive relationship between leverage and earnings management, which is in tandem with the agency cost of free cash flow theory and debt hypothesis. It is also consistent with the pecking-order theory of capital structure. This study suggests that regulatory agencies and standard setters should continue to improve quality of accounting reports in order to protect investors’ invested capital.
First proof of pharmacology in humans of a novel glucagon receptor antisense drug

Fasting and postprandial hyperglucagonemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients cause excessive hepatic glucose production (HGP), suggesting that attenuation of hepatic glucagon action could be a therapeutic strategy for T2DM. In this study we evaluated the safety, tolerability, PK, and pharmacodynamics in healthy human volunteers of single and multiple doses (50–400 mg) ISIS 325568, a 2′‐O‐MOE antisense (ASO) developed to reduce hepatic glucagon receptor (GCGR) mRNA expression. In the multiple dose cohorts, treatment consisted of eight doses of ISIS 325568 or placebo over 6‐weeks. Drug effects were assessed using serial fasting glucagon measurements and the glycemic response to a glucagon challenge at baseline and at the end of 6‐week treatment. ISIS 325568 was not associated with clinically relevant changes. Dose‐dependent predominantly mild injection site reactions were the most common side‐effect. Active treatment caused a gradual increase in fasting glucagon levels and, compared to placebo, a significantly blunted glucagon‐induced increase in plasma glucose AUC (24%, P < 0.0001) and HGP (13%, P = 0.007) at the 400 mg/week dose. Six weeks treatment with ISIS 325568 in healthy volunteers attenuated glucagon‐stimulated HGP and glucose excursions, supporting further evaluation of the GCGR antisense approach in patients with T2DM.
USABILITY EVALUATION FRAMEWORKS OF MOBILE APPLICATION: A MINI-SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Usability Evaluation (UE) is defined as the process of measuring usability and recognizing explicit usability problems. UE in mobile application aims to identify the main issues in the user interface that may lead to human error, terminate the user interaction with the mobile application and cause user frustration. UE frameworks are considered as major success factor and led to higher acceptance for the mobile application since the usability testing is basic of software application development. Objective: The objective o this study is to conduct a systematic review on the published scientific literature to provide the usability attributes and guidelines reviewing the previous work. Method: The following selection criteria were used to perform a systematic search of the literature: research studies published in English language between 2012 and 2014, targeted frameworks are commercial including Android and IOS guidelines framework. The outcome of the study is Usability Evaluation Metrics frameworks. The following databases were searched: ACM and Google scholar. The included search terms were: Usability Evaluation, Usability metrics, Usability Framework, UE and Mobile Application. The criteria to select articles were limited to peer-reviewed scientific publications and review articles also included. Results: Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, screening was done to the 24 articles. 13 articles were found eligible to be included while 11 studies were excluded. The included studies consisted of 7 exploration tasks and visualization of interface (criteria-oriented), 6 goal-oriented approaches, and 1 non-moderated usability study. Discussion : in general, (7) of proposed usability evaluation metrics frameworks are focusing on interface visualization and graph representation, this reflected directly on developer and designer to cope within mobile application development process. On the other side, (6) studies focusing on developing conceptual usability framework. (1) Study investigates completely on automated usability framework. Conclusion: UE Framework of user interaction acts as a structured and general methodology for designing and evaluating mobile application by collecting usability information among user interaction with mobile applications. UE framework is consider a theory for describing, explaining, and predicting usability differences; (2) a method for defining, evaluating, and measuring usability objectively; (3) a process for designing built-in good usability.
Customer experience, well-being, and loyalty in the spa hotel context: integrating the top-down & bottom-up theories of well-being

ABSTRACT This study attempts to incorporate the top-down and bottom-up theories of well-being in a spa hotel context. Derived from a sample of 357 spa hotel guests in Taiwan, the results show that a person’s internal disposition as well as his or her spa experience both have positive effects on subjective well-being regardless of the duration of the stay. It is also found that travel experience and well-being have positive effects on customer loyalty. These findings have important theoretical and practical implications.
Elevated mtDNA diversity in introduced populations of Cynotilapia afra ( Günther 1894 ) in Lake Malawi National Park is evidence for multiple source populations and hybridization

Genetic variation in many invasive species shows little or no signs of a founder event, suggesting that high genetic diversity may facilitate establishment success. The rocky‐shore, plankton‐feeding cichlid fish Cynotilapia afra is endemic to Lake Malawi, but naturally absent from many suitable sites. In the 1960s, this species was introduced to the southern areas of the lake, presumably as a result of the aquarium fish trade. It has now become established on a number of rocky areas within the Lake Malawi National Park. Here, we analysed DNA sequence variation in the mitochondrial control region of six native and four introduced populations of C. afra, and three populations of the closely‐related and hybridizing Pseudotropheus zebra. In contrast to previous studies of Lake Malawi rock dwelling cichlids, network analyses suggested that native populations of C. afra showed high levels of lineage sorting in mtDNA. Introduced populations showed higher sequence and haplotype diversity than their native counterparts. Our analyses suggested that the elevated gene diversity was largely attributed to the fact that the introduced C. afra populations were derived from several genetically distinct and geographically separate populations, and to a lesser extent because of introgressive hybridization with native P. zebra. The establishment and spread of C. afra may be partly because of its ability to occupy a vacant ecological niche, but it may also have been facilitated by its enhanced genetic diversity.
Discharge and Plasma Bullet Formation in a Capillary DBD Atmospheric-Pressure Microplasma Jet

Time-resolved ICCD images of discharge and plasma bullet formation in a capillary dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure have been obtained across the whole period in the voltage cycle. The images clearly show that the capillary discharge ignites at the inner edges of both electrodes, when each electrode is working as a cathode, and this leads to the formation of afterglow plasma bullets traveling upstream and downstream.
A Multispectral Image Segmentation Method Using Size-Weighted Fuzzy Clustering and Membership Connectedness

Clustering-based image segmentation is a well-known multispectral image segmentation method. However, as it inherently does not account for the spatial relation among image pixels, it often results in inhomogeneous segmented regions. The recently proposed membership-connectedness (MC)-based segmentation method considers the local and global spatial relations besides the fuzzy clustering stage to improve segmentation accuracy. However, the inherent spatial and intraclass redundancies in multispectral images might decrease the accuracy and efficiency of the method. This letter addresses these two problems and proposes a segmentation method that is based on the MC method, watershed transform, and the proposed size-weighted fuzzy clustering method. The conducted experiments demonstrate the strength of the proposed algorithm in segmenting small objects, which plays an important role in remote-sensing image segmentation applications.
Ultrasound Identification and Lysis of Clots

Poor recovery after systemic tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) therapy could result from the initial severity of ischemic insult and slow and incomplete thrombolysis. Persisting arterial occlusions can be identified at bedside using portable diagnostic ultrasound by detecting residual flow signals around the thrombus (thrombolysis in brain ischemia [TIBI] flow grades). A narrow pulsed ultrasound beam can be steadily aimed at the thrombus/residual flow interface, exposing more thrombus surface and structures to tPA, and tPA activity can be enhanced with 2 MHz transcranial Doppler (TCD). A randomized, multicenter, clinical trial called CLOTBUST (Combined Lysis of Thrombus in Brain ischemia using transcranial Ultrasound and Systemic tPA) trial showed a 49% rate of complete recanalization or dramatic clinical recovery from stroke within 2 hours after tPA bolus when tPA infusion was continuously monitored with TCD, compared with 30% among patients who received tPA without ultrasound monitoring (P=0.03, number needed to treat, 5). Early complete recanalization was sustained at 2 hours by 38% of monitored patients compared with 12.7% controls. The CLOTBUST Trial showed a trend toward sustaining complete recovery at 3 months (41.5% versus 28%, modified Rankin Scale scores 0 to 1), subject for a pivotal phase III trial. Ultrasound is an inexpensive, noninvasive, real-time monitoring tool to identify nonresponders to systemic tPA and select patients with persisting occlusions for intraarterial interventions. Early brain perfusion augmentation, complete recanalization, and dramatic clinical recovery are feasible goals for ultrasound-enhanced thrombolysis.
Identification of the Amino Acid Residues Essential for Proteolytic Activity in an Archaeal Signal Peptide Peptidase*

Signal peptide peptidases (SPPs) are enzymes involved in the initial degradation of signal peptides after they are released from the precursor proteins by signal peptidases. In contrast to the eukaryotic enzymes that are aspartate peptidases, the catalytic mechanisms of prokaryotic SPPs had not been known. In this study on the SPP from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakaraensis (SppATk), we have identified amino acid residues that are essential for the peptidase activity of the enzyme. ΔN54SppATk, a truncated protein without the N-terminal 54 residues and putative transmembrane domain, exhibits high peptidase activity, and was used as the wild-type protein. Sixteen residues, highly conserved among archaeal SPP homologue sequences, were selected and replaced by alanine residues. The mutations S162A and K214A were found to abolish peptidase activity of the protein, whereas all other mutant proteins displayed activity to various extents. The results indicated the function of Ser162 as the nucleophilic serine and that of Lys214 as the general base, comprising a Ser/Lys catalytic dyad in SppATk. Kinetic analyses indicated that Ser184, His191 Lys209, Asp215, and Arg221 supported peptidase activity. Intriguingly, a large number of mutations led to an increase in activity levels of the enzyme. In particular, mutations in Ser128 and Tyr165 not only increased activity levels but also broadened the substrate specificity of SppATk, suggesting that these residues may be present to prevent the enzyme from cleaving unintended peptide/protein substrates in the cell. A detailed alignment of prokaryotic SPP sequences strongly suggested that the majority of archaeal enzymes, along with the bacterial enzyme from Bacillus subtilis, adopt the same catalytic mechanism for peptide hydrolysis.
Inversely correlated expression of p16 and Rb protein in non‐small cell lung cancers: An immunohistochemical study

Cdk4‐mediated phosphorylation of Rb protein is inhibited by p16, a product of a possible tumor suppressor gene. We examined the expression of p16 and Rb protein by means of immunohistochemistry in 61 non‐small cell lung cancers and have demonstrated an inverse relationship between the expression of p16 and Rb protein: 28/30 specimens that did not stain for p16 stained for Rb and 21/31 p16‐positive specimens did not stain for Rb. Only 1 of the p16‐negative specimens had a mutation of exon 2 of the CDKN2 gene. Our results indirectly support the theory that p16 expression is negatively regulated by the functional Rb protein. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Chemical crosslinking of urokinase to pulmonary surfactant protein B for targeting alveolar fibrin

Summary Intraalveolar fibrin formation is a consistent finding in acute inflammatory and chronic interstitial lung disease. Polymerization of fibrin in the presence of pulmonary surfactant results in far-reaching incorporation of the hydrophobic surfactant compounds into the growing fibrin matrix, with loss of surface activity, altered fibrin structure and reduced susceptibility of the clot to fibrinolysis. For specific targeting of such alveolar fibrin, we designed a hybrid molecule consisting of the catalytic domain of urokinase (B-chain) and the hydrophobic surfactant protein B (SP-B), termed SPUC. The urokinase B-chain, obtained by limited reduction of human two-chain-urokinase (u-PA) and subsequent affinity purification, was chemically coupled to SP-B in a semi-organic solvent system using a hetero-bifunctional crosslinker. Purification of the chimeric proteins included reversed phase and cation exchange chromatography. SDS-PAGE and Western Blotting with immunostaining were employed for biochemical characterization of the conjugate. Chromogenic substrate assays, 125I-based fibrin plate assays, active site titration and surface tension measurements (pulsating bubble surfactometer) were performed to analyze the specific fibrinolytic activity of the conjugate and its surface activity. SPUC was found i) to be assembled stoichiometrically in a 1:1 fashion (SP-B:u-PA), ii) to fully retain the biophysical activity as compared to native SP-B and iii) to also retain the fibrinolytic activity. SPUC was 2-3 fold more effective in lysis of surfactant containing clots and 5-fold more resistant against plasminogen activator 1 (PAI-1) as compared to the native u-PA. We conclude that urokinase and SP-B can be chemically crosslinked, thereby yielding a fibrinolytic enzyme suitable for targeting alveolar fibrin.
Meiotic Expression of the Cyclin H/Cdk7 Complex in Male Germ Cells of the Mouse1

Abstract Cell division requires that cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) be activated by phosphorylation. In mitotic cells, this is accomplished by the Cdk-activating-kinase (CAK), which is a complex of cyclin H and Cdk7. There are currently no data on the role of CAK in meiotic cells. Previously, we have shown that cyclin A1 is meiosis-specific and forms an active kinase with Cdk2. Because cyclin A1 is required for meiosis, and its associated kinase must be phosphorylated (activated), we propose that cyclin H/Cdk7 function to activate cyclin A1/Cdk2 in meiotic cells. Here, we show that cyclin H and Cdk7 are present during meiosis. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization, we show that the mRNAs encoding cyclin H and Cdk7 are abundant in spermatocytes. Immunohistochemistry localized cyclin H and Cdk7 to the nucleus of spermatocytes in stages IV to XII of the spermatogenic cycle, overlapping the same stages that express cyclin A1-associated kinases. Finally, immunoprecipitation and histone H1-kinase assays of cyclin H and Cdk7 from testicular extracts show that these proteins interact to form an active kinase. We conclude that cyclin H/Cdk7 complexes are present and during meiosis, form active complexes in testicular cells and are strong candidates for the activating kinase for cyclin A1-associated kinase.
Association of Different Human Rhinovirus Species with Asthma in Children: A Preliminary Study

Background:Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) are divided into three genetic species: HRV-A, HRV-B, and HRV-C. The association of different HRV species with asthma in children in China has not yet been evaluated. This preliminary study aimed to assess the associations between different HRV species, particularly HRV-C, and asthma in young children in China. Methods:A total of 702 nasopharyngeal aspirates were obtained from 155 children with asthma (asthma group), 461 children with acute respiratory infection (ARI) without asthma (nonasthma ARI group), and 86 children from the control group. Semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect HRVs, and PCR products were sequenced for species identification. Epidemiological characteristics of HRV-positive cases were analyzed. Results:HRVs were the most common pathogen (15.4%; 108/702) in the patients in this study. The prevalence of HRV was significantly different (F = 20.633, P = 0.000) between the asthma (25.8%) and nonasthma ARI groups (11.1%). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that in the 108 cases positive for HRVs, 41 were identified as HRV-A, 8 as HRV-B, and 56 as HRV-C. Comparing the asthma with the nonasthma ARI group, Spearman's rank correlation analysis revealed an association between HRV-A (P < 0.05) and C (P < 0.01) and asthma, confirmed by regression analysis, with odds ratios of 2.2 (HRV-A) and 4.2 (HRV-C). Conclusions:Our data revealed a high prevalence of HRVs in children in China, regardless of clinical status. HRV-C was the dominant species and may be one of the key factors in the association of HRVs with asthma.