Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bacteriology of war wounds at the time of injury.

Bacterial contamination of war wounds occurs either at the time of injury or during the course of therapy. Characterization of the bacteria recovered at the time of initial trauma could influence the selection of empiric antimicrobial agents used to prevent infection. In the spring of 2004, U.S. military casualties who presented to the 31st Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, with acute traumatic injuries resulting in open wounds underwent aerobic culture of their wounds to identify the bacteria colonizing the wounds. Forty-nine casualties with 61 separate wounds were evaluated. Wounds were located predominantly in the upper and lower extremities and were primarily from improvised explosive devices or mortars. Thirty wounds (49%) had bacteria recovered on culture, with 40 bacteria identified. Eighteen casualties (20 wounds) had undergone field medical therapy (irrigation and/or antimicrobial treatment); six of these had nine bacterial isolates on culture. Of the 41 wounds from 31 patients who had received no previous therapy, 24 grew 31 bacteria. Gram-positive bacteria (93%), mostly skin-commensal bacteria, were the predominant organisms identified. Only three Gram-negative bacteria were detected, none of which were characterized as broadly resistant to antimicrobial agents. The only resistant bacteria recovered were two isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Our assessment of war wound bacterioly soon after injury reveals a predominance of Gram-positive organisms of low virulence and pathogenicity. The presence of MRSA in wounds likely reflects the increasing incidence of community-acquired MRSA bacteria. These data suggest that the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics with efficacy against more resistant, Gram-negative bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. , is unnecessary in early wound management.
Duration-Dependent Unemployment Insurance Payments and Equilibrium Unemployment

This paper develops a model of equilibrium unemployment with duration-dependent unemployment insurance (UI) payments. As the government does not observe job offers, there is a moral hazard problem because the option of receiving further UI payments raises the job-seeker's value of remaining unemployment. Extending the duration of UI payments while reducing the level of payments, to hold total generosity constant, results in higher negotiated wages. Simulations suggest that a generosity neutral switch from a six-month UI scheme to a one-year scheme has small effects, but a switch to an indefinite scheme has a large impact on wages and unemployment.
Reconstructing the origin and dispersal patterns of village chickens across East Africa: insights from autosomal markers

Unravelling the genetic history of any livestock species is central to understanding the origin, development and expansion of agricultural societies and economies. Domestic village chickens are widespread in Africa. Their close association with, and reliance on, humans for long‐range dispersal makes the species an important biological marker in tracking cultural and trading contacts between human societies and civilizations across time. Archaezoological and linguistic evidence suggest a complex history of arrival and dispersion of the species on the continent, with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D‐loop analysis revealing the presence of five distinct haplogroups in East African village chickens. It supports the importance of the region in understanding the history of the species and indirectly of human interactions. Here, through a detailed analysis of 30 autosomal microsatellite markers genotyped in 657 village chickens from four East African countries (Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and Sudan), we identify three distinct autosomal gene pools (I, II and III). Gene pool I is predominantly found in Ethiopia and Sudan, while II and III occur in both Kenya and Uganda. A gradient of admixture for gene pools II and III between the Kenyan coast and Uganda's hinterland (P = 0.001) is observed, while gene pool I is clearly separated from the other two. We propose that these three gene pools represent genetic signatures of separate events in the history of the continent that relate to the arrival and dispersal of village chickens and humans across the region. Our results provide new insights on the history of chicken husbandry which has been shaped by terrestrial and maritime contacts between ancient and modern civilizations in Asia and East Africa.
DNA Vaccination of the American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) Provides Partial Protection Against Lethal Challenge with West Nile Virus

Abstract The New York 1999 strain of West Nile virus (WNV) is nearly 100% fatal in the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos). We evaluated four WNV vaccine formulations in American crows, including intramuscular (i.m.) DNA vaccine, i.m. DNA vaccine with adjuvant, orally administered microencapsulated DNA vaccine, and i.m. killed vaccine. Neutralizing antibodies developed in approximately 80% of crows that received the DNA vaccine i.m. (with or without adjuvant), and in 44% that received the killed vaccine. However, no crows that received the oral microencapsulated DNA vaccine or the placebo developed WNV antibodies. All crows were challenged 10 wk after initial vaccination. No unvaccinated crows survived challenge, and survival rates were 44% (i.m. DNA vaccine), 60% (i.m. DNA vaccine with adjuvant), 0% (oral microencapsulated DNA vaccine), and 11% (killed vaccine). Peak viremia titers in the birds that survived were significantly lower as compared to titers in birds that died. Parenteral administration of a WNV DNA vaccine was associated with reduced mortality but did not provide sterile immunity.
Arbitrage and Valuation in the Market for Standard and Poor's Depositary Receipts

This paper examines pricing in the market for depositary receipts, securities designed to track the performance of a stock index that trade like shares of stock. Arbitrage costs are low because these assets have low fundamental risk, low transactions costs, and high dividend yields. We find that Standard and Poor’s Depositary Receipts (SPDRs), or spiders, do not trade at economically significant discounts, unlike closed-end mutual fund shares. Although individual investors invest much more heavily in SPDRs than in S&P500 stock, investor sentiment is not an important determinant of the discount. The SPDRs redemption feature facilitates arbitrage so that sophisticated traders can take advantage of and eliminate mispricing. However, we also report a larger, economically significant discount for MidCap SPDRs. MidCap SPDRs are designed to track the performance of the S&P MidCap 400 index, an index of moderate capitalization firms, and are expected to have higher arbitrage costs. Finally, we find that SPDRs and MidCap SPDRs returns are not excessively volatile, also unlike closed-end funds.
Estimating the Effect of Air Quality: Spatial versus Traditional Hedonic Price Models

Empirical studies of hedonic housing prices show that the spatial maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method is preferable to the traditional ordinary least squares (OLS) hedonic method. Current computing capabilities restrict the MLE method to relatively small data sets. This paper circumvents this limitation by coupling the spatial MLE method with block bootstrapping, a form of Monte Carlo simulation that accounts for spatially dependent data. Blocks are created based on monthly and census tract information for resampling. For each month, we obtained 50 resamples of 750 observations from a data set of 15,727 residential properties to compare OLS and MLE empirical results. We find that the spatial MLE method consistently outperforms the traditional OLS method under these simulated conditions and that air quality matters irrespective of the method used.
Atrial Pacing in the Prevention of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: First Results of a New Combined Algorithm

Pacing algorithms for prevention of atrial tachyarrhythmia (AT) are under clinical evaluation. The present study prospectively evaluated the efficacy of three simultaneously active algorithms for AT prevention and aimed at identifying patients in whom atrial preventive pacing (APP) may be particularly successful. Methods: In 31 patients with conventional pacing indications and paroxysmal AT, a DDDRP pacing system was implanted, which stores 35 AT episodes with atrial electrograms and marker annotations. Counters and stored AT episodes were retrieved 30 days after implant. APP algorithms (atrial preference pacing, atrial rate stabilization, postmode switching overdrive) were activated. Counters and stored AT episodes were again retrieved 60 days later. The number and duration of AT episodes was measured. Several clinical variables were examined with respect to their ability to identify candidates for APP. Results: During APP, the mean number of AT episodes/patient/day decreased from 7.67 to 1.68 (P = 0.04). However, time in AT was not significantly reduced (9.45% versus 10.41%). APP decreased the number of episodes/day in 11 patients and increased it in 9 patients. No clinical parameters predicting APP success was identified. Conclusions: APP using three algorithms significantly reduced the mean number of AT episodes/patient/day. However, the time during which patients were in AT was not reduced. No clinical variable predicted the success or failure of APP.
Effects of perceived interactivity and web organization on user attitudes

Research question This study sought to answer the following research question: What are the significant determinants influencing online users’ attitudes to sports websites? Specifically, this investigation examined (1) the direct and indirect effects of web content and perceived interactivity and (2) the moderating effect of web organization on attitudes. Research methods Respondents (N = 329) from a large university in the USA were utilized to test a conceptual model in this study. Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis was used to test four research hypotheses. Results and findings The results showed that two web content components, entertainment (β = .31, p < .01) and information (β = .22, p < .01), directly influenced the users’ attitude toward sport websites, while perceived interactivity directly (β = .28, p < .01) and indirectly (perceived interactivity → entertainment; β = .28, p < .01; perceived interactivity → information; β = .30, p < .01) affected to the attitudes. In addition, web organization played a moderate role between perceived interactivity and users’ attitude toward sport websites. Implications The findings of this study suggest that sport marketers need to place more emphasis on perceived interactivity and web organization, which significantly affect overall attitudes toward their affiliated websites. It would be particularly beneficial for sport marketers to use the interactive content of sport websites to reach current and potential users, but it is important to note that for the interactivity functions to be effective they should be well organized.
High thoracic epidural anesthesia in patients with synchronous carotid endarterectomy and off-pump coronary artery revascularization.

BACKGROUND/AIM In order to reduce the risk of cerebrovascular insults (CVI), the latest recommendations suggest that carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is strongly indicated in patients scheduled for coronary surgery when significant carotid artery stenosis is symptomatic and/or bilateral. The best results are obtained in small studies with CEA performed immediately prior to off-pump coronary bypass (OPCAB). We present 16 consecutive patients who underwent synchronous CEA and OPCAB under general anesthesia combined with high thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA) in order to evaluate the safety and potential benefits of such anesthetic management. METHODS A total of 16 consecutive patients scheduled for simultaneous CEA and OPCAB with no contraindication for TEA were enrolled in the study. All the patients were anesthetized with TEA combined with general anesthesia. Early extubation was planed in all the patients for early assessment of neurological outcome. Demographics, comorbidity, quality of postoperative recovery, duration of mechanical ventilation, successful early extubation, outcome, length of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and hospital stay were recorded. RESULTS Only two patients did not fulfill the criteria for early extubation. The average duration of mechanical ventilation for patients who fulfilled criteria for early extubation was 87.9 +/- 85.0 (0-255) min. Five (31.25%) patients were extubated in the operating theater at the end of surgery. There were no deaths, nor neurological complications of TEA. Seven (43.7%) patients had at least one of the postoperative complications considered significant. None of them had CVI. None of the early extubated patients was reintubated or had postoperative respiratory failure. CONCLUSION Our study revealed that a combination of general anesthesia with TEA appears to be good choice in synchronous CEA and OPCAB due to advantages of early extubation and early neurological assessment. Larger studies are necessary to determine real benefits on both short and long-term outcomes of such anesthetic management in synchronous CEA and OPCAB.
Grateful slaves and self-made women: fact and fantasy in women's work orientations

Although job segregation concentrates women in the lowest status and lowest paid jobs in the workforce, women are disproportionately satisfied with their jobs. This paper assesses the strength of women's work commitment in Western industrial societies, and finds it to be markedly lower than men's work commitment. Work commitment is also found to be a powerful predictor of women's work decisions and job choices. The majority of women aim for a homemaker career in which paid work is of secondary or peripheral importance, with strong support from their husbands for this strategy. A minority of women are committed to work as a central life goal, achieving jobs at higher levels of status and earnings. The existence of these two discrete groups within the female workforce explains the paradox of women's high satisfaction with poor jobs, and helps explain the persistence of job segregation. We conclude that more refined and sociological indicators of workforce participation must be developed to replace the standard measures used by labour economists.
Polyphenol rich oil palm leaves extract reduce hyperglycaemia and lipid oxidation in STZ-rats

Diabetes mellitus is a degenerative disease affecting about 25% of people over 40 years and is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The oil palm (Elaies guineensis) leaf is a major waste of the palm oil industry, which is among the top vegetable oil industry in the world. This study aims to evaluate the potential anti-diabetic effects of Oil palm leaves (OPL) ethanolic extract on normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced hyperglycaemic rats. OPL were administered orally at 50, 100 and 200mg per kg body weight/day) to Sprague Dawley rats and monitored for its glycaemic, lipidemic and antioxidant modulating effects. The Oil palm leaves (OPL) ethanolic extract treatment dose-dependently reduced blood glucose and oxidation in the STZ rats, and restored antioxidants enzymes levels. The optimum dose was 100mg/kg, which effectively reduced liver and kidney damage to the level of normal rats. This is the first study on dietary OPL ethanolic extract ability to modulate physiological responses and show organ protective effects against tissue damage in STZ-induced chronic hyperglycaemic rats. At the doses used OPL showed no adverse or chronic toxicity effects in these rats, indicating its potential use as a new functional food ingredient.
The Case for Non-Cohesive Packages

While the lack of cohesiveness of modules in procedural languages is a good way to identify modules with potential quality problems, we doubt that it is an adequate measure for packages in object-oriented systems. Indeed, mapping procedural metrics to object-oriented systems should take into account the building principles of object-oriented programming: inheritance and late binding. Inheritance offers the possibility to create packages by just extending classes with the necessary increment of behavior. Late binding coupled to the " Hollywood Principle " are a key to build frameworks and let the users branch their extensions in the framework. Therefore, a package extending a framework does not have to be cohesive, since it inherits the framework logic, which is encapsulated in framework packages. In such a case, the correct modularization of an extender application may imply low cohesion for some of the packages. In this paper we confirm these conjectures on various real systems (JHotdraw, Eclipse, JEdit, JFace) using or extending OO frameworks. We carry out a dependency analysis of packages to measure their relation with their framework. The results show that framework dependencies form a considerable portion of the overall package dependencies. This means that non-cohesive packages should not be considered systematically as packages of low quality.
ABC transporter AtABCG25 is involved in abscisic acid transport and responses

Abscisic acid (ABA) is one of the most important phytohormones involved in abiotic stress responses, seed maturation, germination, and senescence. ABA is predominantly produced in vascular tissues and exerts hormonal responses in various cells, including guard cells. Although ABA responses require extrusion of ABA from ABA-producing cells in an intercellular ABA signaling pathway, the transport mechanisms of ABA through the plasma membrane remain unknown. Here we isolated an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter gene, AtABCG25, from Arabidopsis by genetically screening for ABA sensitivity. AtABCG25 was expressed mainly in vascular tissues. The fluorescent protein-fused AtABCG25 was localized at the plasma membrane in plant cells. In membrane vesicles derived from AtABCG25-expressing insect cells, AtABCG25 exhibited ATP-dependent ABA transport. The AtABCG25-overexpressing plants showed higher leaf temperatures, implying an influence on stomatal regulation. These results strongly suggest that AtABCG25 is an exporter of ABA and is involved in the intercellular ABA signaling pathway. The presence of the ABA transport mechanism sheds light on the active control of multicellular ABA responses to environmental stresses among plant cells.
A Comparison of Pacific, Māori, and European Violent Youth Offenders in New Zealand

Pacific Island and Māori youth are disproportionately overrepresented in Aotearoa/New Zealand in violent offending. To date, research has not examined Pacific Island violent youth offenders in comparison with other ethnic populations. This study compared Pacific Island violent youth offenders with Māori and European violent youth offenders to determine whether similarities or differences existed in their offending, social, and demographic characteristics. Findings showed that Pacific Island violent youth offenders, in comparison with Māori and European violent youth offenders, were more likely to have grown up in the lowest socioeconomic deprivation areas in New Zealand, were more likely to be older when they first started offending, and their first offence was more likely to be of a serious, violent nature. Family violence was present among all three ethnic groups highlighting the ongoing importance of intervention in this area. The findings of the current study are likely to have implications for government department policy makers, along with program providers and practitioners. Recommendations are made regarding clinical implications and future research on this population.
Desirability rating analysis for debt financing of public–private partnership road projects

Public–private partnership (PPP) road projects are highly leveraged capital‐intensive projects. Lenders, which provide the major portion of financing in the form of debt instruments, undertake loan approval processes to examine the various aspects of the projects that could influence the debt servicing capability while making credit decisions. In view of this, project sponsors could also assess beforehand how desirable is the project from the debt financing perspective in order to facilitate timely arrangement of debt financing and avoid funding problems. The Desirability Rating Analytical Tool (DRAT) has been developed in order to enable the project sponsor to assess how desirable the project is from a debt financing perspective. DRAT uses the aggregation operator Choquet fuzzy integral to aggregate the information relating to the various aspects of PPP road projects that lenders take into account while making credit decisions. The application of DRAT is illustrated with an example of a PPP road project from a National Highways Development Programme undertaken by the National Highway Authority of India, Government of India. DRAT expressed the result of the information aggregation in the form of a desirability rating profile indicating the degrees of membership to different levels of desirability. The desirability rating profiles of the project provide valuable information for decision making and can help in formulating strategies on improving the performance of the project where it is not performing satisfactorily.
More Jobs? A Panel Analysis of the Lisbon Strategy

We assess the impact on employment growth of the Lisbon Strategy, examining long-run trends in total, female and old-age employment rates from 1994 to 2009. We find that the Strategy had some favourable (but weak) impact, especially for old-age workers. However, no improvement ensued from its mid-term reassessment.