syedzayyan/paper_mill_benchmark huggingface dataset:
The effect of hospital-physician integration on hospital costs.

This study evaluates whether hospital costs are lower when hospitals integrate with physician practices.It addresses a common element in policy attempts to contain healthcare costs, which is to encourage greater coordination in healthcare delivery.Despite a clear trend toward greater hospital-physician integration, there is little direct evidence about whether integration lowers hospital costs.The results in this paper show that hospital costs increase by one to three percent after hospital-physician integration.We also do not find consistent evidence that hospital-physician integration is associated with higher quality but potentially more costly hospital care.The modest increase in hospital costs appears to derive from an increase in outpatient visits, rather than from higher costs of inpatient care.These findings do not support the hypothesis that increased coordination between hospitals and physicians has led to lower hospital costs.

Journal: Health economics (2022)
Publication types: Journal Article
Rational Promoter Engineering Enables Robust Terpene Production in Microalgae.

Microalgal biotechnology promises sustainable light-driven production of valuable bioproducts and addresses urgent demands to attain a sustainable economy.However, to unfold its full potential as a platform for biotechnology, new and powerful tools for nuclear engineering need to be established.chlamydomonas reinhardtii, the model for microalgal synthetic biology and genetic engineering has already been used to produce various bioproducts.Nevertheless, low transgene titers, the lack of potent expression elements, and sparse comparative evaluation prevents further development of c.Reinhardtiias a biotechnological host.By systematically evaluating existing expression elements combined with rational promoter engineering, we established novel synthetic expression elements, improved the standardized application of synthetic biology tools, and unveiled an existing synergism between the psad 5' utr and its corresponding chloroplast targeting peptide.Promoter engineering strategies, implemented in a newly designed synthetic algal promoter, increased the production of the sesquiterpene (e)-α-bisabolene by 18-fold compared to its native version and 4-fold to commonly used expression elements.Our results improve the application of synthetic biology in microalgae and display a significant step toward establishing c.Reinhardtiias a sustainable green cell-factory.

Journal: ACS synthetic biology (2021)
Publication types: Journal Article;Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Evaluation of Quality Parameters of Seven Processing Type Potato (Solanum tuberosumL.) Cultivars in the Eastern Sub-Himalayan Plains.

The eastern sub-himalayan plain of india is a popular potato growing belt in which vast scope exists to introduce processing grade cultivars.The selection and introduction of a better quality processing grade cultivar in this region may pave the way for the processing industries.Keeping these in the backdrop, this study was conducted at instructional farm of uttar banga krishi viswavidyalaya (ubkv), pundibari, cooch behar, west bengal, india under eastern sub-himalayan plains during winter seasons of 2016-17 and 2017-18 in which seven processing type potato cultivars (kufri chipsona-1, kufri chipsona-3, kufri chipsona-4, kufri frysona, kufri himsona, kufri surya and kufri chandramukhi) were evaluated in terms of different quality parameters pre-requisite for chips processing viz., dry matter content, specific gravity, starch content, chips colour score, crispiness and hardness of chips through randomised complete block design (rcbd).The study revealed wide variation in all quality parameters amongst the cultivars.Cultivar 'kufri frysona' showed the highest specific gravity (1.121) as well as dry matter content (23.35%) followed by 'kufri chipsona-3'.The cultivar 'kufri frysona' showed the highest starch content (28.52%) too.Chips prepared from 'kufri chipsona-1' were recorded to be crispier with a relatively lower value of deformation before the first break and less hardness value.All processing type potato cultivar reflected the chips colour score <3 (evaluated, based on 1-10 scale, 10 being the darkest and least desirable) though 'kufri frysona' had the lowest chips colour score (1.50) signifying its superiority for the region.'kufri frysona' cultivation could be recommended in this agro-climatic region particularly for chips manufacturing potato industries.

Journal: Foods (Basel, Switzerland) (2021)
Publication types: Journal Article
Combined effects of intermittent hyperoxia and intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia on respiratory control in neonatal rats.

Chronic exposure to intermittent hyperoxia causes abnormal carotid body development and attenuates the hypoxic ventilatory response (hvr) in neonatal rats.We hypothesized that concurrent exposure to intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia would influence this plasticity.Newborn rats were exposed to alternating bouts of hypercapnic hypoxia (10% o2/6% co2) and hyperoxia (30-40% o2) (5 cycles h-1, 24 h d-1) through 13-14 days of age; the experiment was run twice, once in a background of 21% o2and once in a background of 30% o2(i.e., "relative hyperoxia").Hyperoxia had only small effects on carotid body development when combined with intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia: the carotid chemoafferent response to hypoxia was reduced, but this did not affect the hvr.In contrast, sustained exposure to 30% o2reduced carotid chemoafferent activity and carotid body size which resulted in a blunted hvr.When given alone, chronic intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia increased carotid body size and reduced the hypercapnic ventilatory response but did not affect the hvr.Overall, it appears that intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia counteracted the effects of hyperoxia on the carotid body and prevented developmental plasticity of the hvr.

Journal: Respiratory physiology & neurobiology (2019)
Publication types: Journal Article;Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural;Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
hERG block potencies for 5 positive control drugs obtained per ICH E14/S7B Q&As best practices: Impact of recording temperature and drug loss.

According to the ich s7b guideline, drug candidates are screened for h erg block prior to first-in-human testing to predict the likelihood of delayed repolarization associated with a rare, but life-threatening, ventricular tachyarrhythmia.The new ich e14 q&as guideline allows h erg results to be used in later clinical development for decision-making (q&as 5.1 and 6.1).To pursue this path, the h erg assay should be conducted following the new ich s7b q&a 2.1 guideline, which calls for best practice considerations of the recording temperature, voltage protocol, stimulation frequency, recording/data quality, and concentration verification.This study investigated h erg block by cisapride, dofetilide, terfenadine, sotalol, and e-4031 - positive controls commonly used to demonstrate assay sensitivity - using the manual whole cell patch clamp method and an action potential-like voltage protocol presented at 0.2 hz.Recordings were conducted at room and near physiological temperature.Drug concentrations were measured using samples collected during real patch clamp experiments and satellite experiments.Results showed temperature effects for e-4031, terfenadine, and sotalol, but not cisapride and dofetilide.Cisapride and terfenadine showed substantial concentration losses, largely due to nonspecific binding to the perfusion apparatus.Using concentrations measured from the real and satellite experiments to assess block potencies yielded comparable results, indicating that satellite sample collection may be viable for drugs with nonspecific binding concerns only.In summary, this study provides block potencies for 5 h erg positive controls, and serves as a case study for h erg assays conducted, and results illustrated in accordance with the new ich e14/s7b q&as.

Journal: Journal of pharmacological and toxicological methods (2022)
Publication types: Journal Article
Maternal Treatment with Metformin Persistently Ameliorates High-Fat Diet-Induced Metabolic Symptoms and Modulates Gut Microbiota in Rat Offspring.

A maternal high-fat (hf) diet has long-term deleterious effect on offspring.This study aims to evaluate whether maternal metformin (mt) treatment ameliorates the adverse effects of maternal hf diet on offspring and the role of gut microbiota in it.Pregnant sprague-dawley rats were randomly assigned to a hf diet (60% fat) or a standard chow diet (11.8% fat) group, and part of the hf diet group rats were co-treated with mt via drinking water (300 mg/kg/day), resulting in three groups according to maternal diet and mt treatment during gestation and lactation.All offspring were weaned on a chow diet.A maternal hf diet showed a significant deleterious effect on offspring's metabolic phenotype and induced colonic inflammation and gut-barrier disruption through the reshaped gut microbiota.The daily oral administration of mt to hf-fed dams during gestation and lactation reversed the dysbiosis of gut microbiota in both dams and adult offspring.The hypothalamic tgr5 expression and plasma bile acids composition in adult male offspring was restored by maternal mt treatment, which could regulate hypothalamic appetite-related peptides expression and alleviate inflammation, thereby improving male offspring's metabolic phenotype.The present study indicates that targeting the gut-brain axis through the mother may be an effective strategy to control the metabolic phenotype of offspring.

Journal: Nutrients (2022)
Publication types: Journal Article
Pelvic and neonatal size correlations in light of evolutionary hypotheses.

This study aimed to analyze the correlations between maternal size, neonatal size, and gestational variables.Methods our sample comprises 131 mother-infant dyads.We investigated correlations between five neonatal traits (gestational age, birthweight, head, suboccipito-brematic, and abdominal girths), three maternal traits (height, bmi, and uterus height), and three pelvic variables (conjugate, inter-spinous diameters, and sub-pubic angle) using computed tomography pelvimetry.Results we found that the five neonatal traits were significantly intercorrelated.Bmi was not correlated with neonatal traits while maternal height was correlated with birthweight, suboccipito-brematic, and abdominal girth.In the multiple regression models, gestational age was correlated with birthweight, head, and abdominal girth.Among the neonatal and pelvimetry correlations, conjugate diameter was slightly correlated with suboccipito-bregmatic girth, but inter-spinous and sub-pubic angle were not correlated with neonatal traits.Uterus height predicted all neonatal variables, but it was not correlated with gestational age.Discussion our results suggest that fetal growth is shaped by maternal phenotype rather than external ecological factors.The association of the inlet size with suboccipito-bregmatic girth reflects the tight fit between the neonatal brain and the maternal pelvis dimensions, an adaptation that would reduce the risk of cephalo-pelvic disproportion, while the absence of tight fit at the midplane and outlet could be due to the effect of the pelvic relaxation.Uterus distention is not the only mechanism involved in the initiation of parturition.Birth and pregnancy are complex processes and we suggest that maternal-neonatal associations are the result of a combination of multiple obstetric tradeoffs.

Journal: American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council (2022)
Publication types: Journal Article;Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Psychotic experiences are associated with health anxiety and functional somatic symptoms in preadolescence.

Health anxiety (ha) is an increasing public health problem related to increased health service costs, and associated with functional somatic symptoms (fss) and considerable personal suffering.Abnormal bodily experiences which may resemble ha and fss are common in psychotic disorders, but a potential link between ha and psychosis vulnerability in childhood is largely unexplored.The current study estimates the association between subclinical psychotic experiences (pe) and ha and fss in a general population cohort of preadolescents.Methods the study population consisted of 1,572 11-12-year-old children from the copenhagen child cohort 2000.Pe were comprehensibly assessed as either present or not present using the kiddie schedule of affective disorders and schizophrenia psychosis section.Ha and fss were assessed by self-report on validated questionnaires.Additional variables on general psychopathology, puberty, and chronic somatic illness were also obtained.Results psychotic experiences were associated with the top 10% high scores of ha (odds ratio (or) 3.2; 95% ci: 2.1-4.8) and fss (or 4.6; 95% ci: 3.1-6.9) in univariate analyses.After mutual adjustment, the association was reduced to (ha: or 2.3; 95% ci: 1.5-3.5; fss: or 3.7; 95% ci: 2.4-4.7), suggesting interdependence.Further adjustment for potential confounders and general psychopathology only reduced the associations slightly: ha or 2.2 (95% ci: 1.4-3.4); fss or 3.3 (95% ci: 2.1-5.2).Secondary analyses of subdimensions of ha showed that pe were associated with fears (or 3.0; 95% ci: 2.0-4.6) and daily impact of ha symptoms (or 5.0; 95% ci: 3.4-7.5), but not help seeking (or 1.2; 95% ci: 0.7-2.1).Conclusions this is the first study to investigate the associations between pe and ha and fss, respectively.Pe were significantly associated with ha and fss over and above general psychopathology in preadolescence.Individuals with pe expressed high levels of health-related fears and daily impact, but no corresponding help-seeking behavior.

Journal: Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines (2019)
Publication types: Journal Article;Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
A biomimetic multilayered polymeric material designed for heart valve repair and replacement.

Materials currently used to repair or replace a heart valve are not durable.Their limited durability related to structural degeneration or thrombus formation is attributed to their inadequate mechanical properties and biocompatibility profiles.Our hypothesis is that a biostable material that mimics the structure, mechanical and biological properties of native tissue will improve the durability of these leaflets substitutes and in fine improve the patient outcome.Here, we report the development, optimization, and testing of a biomimetic, multilayered material (bmm), designed to replicate the native valve leaflets.Polycarbonate urethane and polycaprolactone have been processed as film, foam, and aligned fibers to replicate the leaflet's architecture and anisotropy, through solution casting, lyophilization, and electrospinning.Compared to the commercialized materials, our bmms exhibited an anisotropic behavior and a closer mechanical performance to the aortic leaflets.The material exhibited superior biostability in an accelerated oxidization environment.It also displayed better resistance to protein adsorption and calcification in vitro and in vivo.These results will pave the way for a new class of advanced synthetic material with long-term durability for surgical valve repair or replacement.

Journal: Biomaterials (2022)
Publication types: Journal Article;Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural;Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Effects of maternal docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on brain development and neurodevelopmental outcomes of breastfed preterm neonates: protocol for a follow-up at preschool age of a randomised clinical trial (MOBYDIckPS).

Introduction docosahexaenoic acid (dha), an omega-3 fatty acid, is important for brain development with possible implications in neurodevelopmental outcomes.In the two-arm, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled maternal omega-3 supplementation to reduce bronchopulmonary dysplasia in very preterm infants trial, very preterm infants (<29 weeks' gestation) were supplemented in high doses of dha or placebo until they reached 36 weeks' postmenstrual age.We propose a long-term neurodevelopmental follow-up of these children.This protocol details the follow-up at 5 years of age, which aims to (1) confirm our long-term recruitment capacity and (2) determine the spectrum of neurodevelopmental outcomes at preschool age following neonatal dha supplementation.Methods and analysis this long-term follow-up involves children (n=194) born to mothers (n=170) randomised to dha (n=85) or placebo (n=85) from the five sites in quebec when they will be 5 years' corrected age.The primary outcome measure is related to the long-term recruitment capacity, which we determined as successful if 75% (±10%, 95% ci) of the eligible children consent to the 5-year follow-up study.Interviews with mothers will be conducted to assess various aspects of neurodevelopment at preschool age (executive functions, behavioural problems, global development and health-related quality of life), evaluated with standardised neurodevelopmental questionnaires.In addition, a semistructured interview conducted in a subset of the mothers will be used to determine their acceptability and identify barriers and enablers to their eventual participation to the next phase of the trial.This follow-up study will require approximately 22 months to be completed.Ethics and dissemination this study was approved by the chu de québec-université laval research ethics board (mp-20-2022-5926).Mothers will provide informed consent before participating in this study.Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.Trial registration number nct02371460.

Journal: BMJ open (2022)
Publication types: Clinical Trial Protocol;Journal Article;Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons by vermicomposting process bioaugmentated with indigenous bacterial consortium isolated from petroleum oily sludge.

Finding a sound ecological-based approach for the removal of petroleum hydrocarbons (phcs) from petroleum oily sludge (pos) generated in oil refinery plants is still a challenge.This study investigated the removal of total petroleum hydrocarbons (tphs) using bioaugmentated composting (bc) by hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria (hdb) and vermicomposting (vc) by eisenia fetida, individually and in combination (bcvc).After isolating two native bacterial strains from pos prepared from an oil refinery plant in iran, the degradation capability of their consortium was initially assessed in mineral bushnell-haas medium (mbhm).Then, the biodegradation rates of pos in the bc, vc, and bcvc treatments containing different concentrations of tphs (5, 10, and 20 g/kg) were determined by measuring tphs before and after the biodegradation.The results showed that the consortium degraded 20-62% of tphs contents of kerosene (1-5%) in the mbhm after 7 days.After 12 weeks, the tphs removal percentages in the bc, vc, and bcvc treatments were respectively found to be 81-83, 31-49, and 85-91 indicating the synergistic effect of bacteria and worms in bioremediation of pos.The phcs biodegradation in the bc, vc, and bcvc experiments was fitted to 1st order model kinetics.The results of toxicity tests indicated that the values of the no observed lethal concentration (nolc) and median lethal concentration (lc50) of tphs were 2-5 and 14.64 g/kg, respectively after 28 days of earthworm exposure.Morphological impairments such as swelling, coiling, and curling were observed when tphs concentration was even lower than nolc.The study verified the effectiveness of vermicomposting bioaugmentated with the indigenous bacterial consortium for pos bioremediation.

Journal: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety (2020)
Publication types: Journal Article
Understanding family-based health insurance enrolment among informal sector workers in a rural district of Vietnam: Adverse selection and key determinants.

Challenges remain in the implementation of family-based health insurance (fhi) - the key strategy for achieving universal health coverage in vietnam.objectives: to explore the experiences of and factors influencing enrolment in fhi among informal sector workers (isw) in a rural district in vietnam.methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted from january to june 2016 in tien du, a rural district in bac ninh province.Secondary data were extracted from provincial social insurance databases to identify the rate of fhi among isw in the district.Qualitative data were collected from 55 participants: 20 semi-structured in-depth interviews (idi) and 6 focus group discussions (fgd).Data were transcribed verbatim.Thematic analysis was conducted.results: only 25.1% of isw had fhi.Those individuals with fhi tended to be older or already experiencing health problems or have 'risky' jobs.The key determinants of adverse selection from different levels included: individual, family and health system.conclusions: low health insurance uptake remains an issue for isw.Policy makers should consider raising awareness of fhi and improve the quality of primary health services, simplify the procedures of enrolment and claim for isw.Additional government premium subsidy is required to increase fhi enrolment among isw.

Journal: Global public health (2022)
Publication types: Journal Article
Morphological control enables nanometer-scale dissection of cell-cell signaling complexes.

Protein micropatterning enables robust control of cell positioning on electron-microscopy substrates for cryogenic electron tomography (cryo-et).However, the combination of regulated cell boundaries and the underlying electron-microscopy substrate (em-grids) provides a poorly understood microenvironment for cell biology.Because substrate stiffness and morphology affect cellular behavior, we devised protocols to characterize the nanometer-scale details of the protein micropatterns on em-grids by combining cryo-et, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy.Measuring force displacement characteristics of holey carbon em-grids, we found that their effective spring constant is similar to physiological values expected from skin tissues.Despite their apparent smoothness at light-microscopy resolution, spatial boundaries of the protein micropatterns are irregular at nanometer scale.Our protein micropatterning workflow provides the means to steer both positioning and morphology of cell doublets to determine nanometer details of punctate adherens junctions.Our workflow serves as the foundation for studying the fundamental structural changes governing cell-cell signaling.

Journal: Nature communications (2022)
Publication types: Journal Article;Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural;Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't