Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Building a continuous multicenter infection surveillance system in the intensive care unit: Findings from the initial data set of 9,493 patients from 71 Italian intensive care units

Objective:To describe the epidemiology of infections in intensive care units (ICUs), whether present at admission or acquired during the stay. Methods:Prospective data collection lasting 6 months in 71 Italian adult ICUs. Patients were screened for infections and risk factors at ICU admission and daily during their stay. Main Results:Out of 9,493 consecutive patients admitted to the 71 ICUs, 11.6% had a community-acquired infection, 7.4% a hospital-acquired infection, and 11.4% an ICU-acquired infection. The risk curve of acquiring infection in the ICU was higher in patients who entered without infection than in those already infected (log-rank test, p < .0001; at 15 days, 44.0% vs. 34.6%). Hospital mortality (27.8% overall) was higher in patients admitted with infection than in those who acquired infection in the ICU (45.0% vs. 32.4%, p < .0001). Although the presence of infection per se did not influence mortality, the conditions of severe sepsis and septic shock were strong prognostic factors (odds ratio, 2.3 and 4.8, respectively). Apart from ICU-acquired peritonitis, no other site of infection reached statistical significance as an independent prognostic factor for hospital mortality. Conclusions:Adding specific data on infections and risk factors to a well-established electronic data collection system is a reliable basis for a continuous multicenter infection surveillance program in the ICU. Given the well-established importance of infection prevention programs, our data suggest that the improvement of the treatment of severe sepsis and septic shock is the key to lower infection-related mortality in the ICU. This calls for closer attention to severe infections in surveillance programs.
The Relationship between Field Dependent-Independent Cognitive Style and Understanding of English Text Reading and Academic Success

Background: The learning styles are the distinctive learners’ strategies for information processing and discovering new concepts. One of the most important kinds of learning styles is the Witkin’s theory of field dependence-independence cognitive style. Objective: This study seeks to find the relationship between field dependence –independence cognitive style and English text reading comprehension, learning English as a foreign language, academic achievement and the choice of academic courses. Methods: In this study, 305 students (both girls and boys) studying at the junior level at high school in Sari were randomly selected through multistage selection who responded to Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT). Results: The data analysis was conducted by using regression analysis which showed that FDI cognitive styles determined the changes in dependant variables of reading comprehension score, learning English and the total average with the respective values of %8.8, %9.2 and %11.6 (p <0.05). Conclusion: Regarding the findings, it can be concluded that the more field independent, the higher the reading comprehension skills and learning English and the more academic achievement will result. The results of this study can help in selecting students’ courses and also better directing the learners to improve their learning.
IMPLEMENTASI MODEL PEMBELAJARAN PROCESS ORIENTED GUIDED INQUIRY LEARNING (POGIL) UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KEMAMPUAN BERPIKIR KRITIS SISWA

Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) is an active learning model that uses learning in teams, guided inquiry activities to develop knowledge, questions to enhance critical thinking and analytical skills, problem solving, report, metacognition, and individual responsibility. The purpose of this study was to determine the increases of students' critical thinking skills through implementation of the model POGIL on the subject of heat. The study design using the Control Group Pre Test-Post Test. Samples were taken by simple random sampling technique. The results are POGIL can enhance students' critical thinking skills, with a value of 0.69 gain. Aspects of critical thinking that could be improved is aspects hypothesize, analyze and conclude. Based on the obtained test 75.00% of students categorized as very critical, critical category 18.75% and 6.25% of students categorized as critical enough. While the results based on observations obtained 18,75 % of students categorized as critical, and 81,25 % categorized as enough critical. The average value of the students psychomotor 90.89 and affective 87.11. The conclusions of this study is POGIL can enhance students' critical thinking skills in the subject of heat.
cAMP Stimulates Apical Exocytosis of the Renal Na+-K+-2Cl− Cotransporter NKCC2 in the Thick Ascending Limb

The apical renal Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter NKCC2 mediates NaCl absorption by the thick ascending limb (TAL) of Henle's loop. cAMP stimulates NKCC2 by enhancing steady-state apical membrane levels of this protein; however, the trafficking and signaling mechanisms by which this occurs have not been studied. Here, we report that stimulation of endogenous cAMP levels with either forskolin/3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) or the V2 receptor agonist [deamino-Cys1,d-Arg8]vasopressin increases steady-state surface NKCC2 and that the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor H-89 blocks this effect. Confocal imaging of apical surface NKCC2 in isolated perfused TALs confirmed a stimulatory effect of cAMP on apical trafficking that was blocked by PKA inhibition. Selective stimulation of PKA with the agonist N6-benzoyl-cAMP (500 μm) stimulated steady-state surface NKCC2, whereas the Epac-selective agonist 8-p-chlorophenylthio-2′-O-methyl-cAMP (100 and 250 μm) had no effect. To explore the trafficking mechanism by which cAMP increases apical NKCC2, we measured cumulative apical membrane exocytosis and NKCC2 exocytic insertion in TALs. By monitoring apical FM1–43 fluorescence, we observed rapid stimulation of apical exocytosis (2 min) by forskolin/IBMX. We also found constitutive exocytic insertion of NKCC2 in TALs over time, which was increased by 3-fold in the presence of forskolin/IBMX. PKA inhibition blunted cAMP-stimulated exocytic insertion but did not affect the rate of constitutive exocytosis. We conclude that cAMP stimulates steady-state apical surface NKCC2 by stimulating exocytic insertion and that this process is highly dependent on PKA but not Epac.
Mujer y voluntariado: motivaciones para la participacion

En este articulo se define el voluntariado como una conducta de ayuda planificada, relativamente importante y mantenida en el tiempo: diferenciable de las conductas de ayuda espontaneas. Se presenta una revision de las diferencias de genero en las conductas de ayuda y de las teorias explicativas . Para comprobar si existen diferencias en motivaciones autocentradas y heterocentradas se aplico el cuestionario de motivaciones de Omoto y Snyder a una muestra de 112 voluntarios de la comunidad de Madrid. Se comprobo que no existen diferencias en las motivaciones por genero; sin embargo, se encuentran diferencias segun la edad.
Handbook of Research in International Human Resource Management

Contents: Part I: The Role of International Human Resource Management Part II: Research on Global Staffing, Performance Management and Leadership Development Part III: Research on International Assignments Part IV: Research on International Teams, Alliances, and Mergers and Acquisitions Part V: Theoretical Perspectives on International Human Resource Management Index Contributors: A. Bird, I. Bjorkman, J. Bonache, C. Brewster, P. Caligiuri, S. Canney Davison, W.F. Cascio, D. Collings, H. de Cieri, J. Dietz, P.J. Dowling, E. Farndale, M. Festing, J.L. Gibbs, P.K. Goulet, H. Harris, M. Harvey, J. Hearn, K. Jonsen, M.B. Lazarova, C.A. Lengnick-Hall, M.L. Lengnick-Hall, M. Maznevski, M. Mendenhall, B.D. Metcalfe, S.S. Morris, M.M. Novicevic, A. Osland, J.S. Osland, J. Paauwe, T. Peltonen, L. -E. Petersen, R. Piekkari, P. Rosenzweig, R. Schuler, D.M. Schweiger, H. Scullion, S.A. Snell, P. Sparrow, G. Stahl, P. Stiles, I. Tarique, D.C. Thomas, D.E. Welch, E. Whitener, V. Worm, P.M. Wright
The Flatworm Planaria as a Toxicology and Behavioral Pharmacology Animal Model in Undergraduate Research Experiences

In this work we describe a series of simple protocols using planaria as an animal model in toxicology and behavioral pharmacology. These procedures have proven useful to provide significant research experience to undergraduate students, including coauthorship in peer-reviewed publications. The methods described in this work have proven useful to allow students to visualize concepts related to concentration-effect curves for toxicity and behavioral experiments, without the need to consider factors that must be taken into account when working with vertebrate animals.
Association between licensure examination scores and practice in primary care.

CONTEXT Standards for licensure are designed to provide assurance to the public of a physician's competence to practice. However, there has been little assessment of the relationship between examination scores and subsequent practice performance. OBJECTIVE To determine if there is a sustained relationship between certification examination scores and practice performance and if licensing examinations taken at the end of medical school are predictive of future practice in primary care. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A total of 912 family physicians, who passed the Québec family medicine certification examination (QLEX) between 1990 and 1993 and entered practice. Linked databases were used to assess physicians' practice performance for 3.4 million patients in the universal health care system in Québec, Canada. Patients were seen during the follow-up period for the first 4 years (1993 cohort of physicians) to 7 years (1990 cohort of physicians) of practice from July 1 of the certification examination to December 31, 1996. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Mammography screening rate, continuity of care index, disease-specific and symptom-relief prescribing rate, contraindicated prescribing rate, and consultation rate. RESULTS Physicians achieving higher scores on both examinations had higher rates (rate increase per SD increase in score per 1000 persons per year) of mammography screening (beta for QLEX, 16.8 [95% confidence interval [CI], 8.7-24.9]; beta for Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination [MCCQE], 17.4 [95% CI, 10.6-24.1]) and consultation (beta for QLEX, 4.9 [95% CI, 2.1-7.8]; beta for MCCQE, 2.9 [95% CI, 0.4-5.4]). Higher subscores in diagnosis were predictive of higher rates in the difference between disease-specific and symptom-relief prescribing (beta for QLEX, 3.9 [95% CI, 0.9-7.0]; beta for MCCQE, 3.8 [95% CI, 0.3-7.3]). Higher scores of drug knowledge were predictive of a lower rate (relative risk per SD increase in score) of contraindicated prescribing for MCCQE (relative risk, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.77-1.00). Relationships between examination scores and practice performance were sustained through the first 4 to 7 years in practice. CONCLUSION Scores achieved on certification examinations and licensure examinations taken at the end of medical school show a sustained relationship, over 4 to 7 years, with indices of preventive care and acute and chronic disease management in primary care practice.
Response to activewear apparel advertisements by US baby boomers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of cognitive‐ versus chronological‐age factors in activewear apparel advertisements targeting female baby boomers in the USA.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 50 female participants aged 41‐65 were asked to view two print advertisements: one showing activewear apparel worn by a cognitive‐age model and the other by a chronological‐age model. Participants then responded to a four‐part questionnaire that included a measurement of cognitive age, physical activity, response to the advertisements, and purchase intent.Findings – The responses indicated that the participants view themselves as younger than their chronological age and were more inclined to respond favorably toward the advertisement using the cognitive age model.Research limitations/implications – Although this study focuses on only one consumer group – US baby boomers – it reveals their current attitudes toward advertisements of activewear apparel as well as their motivations .
Short-term outcomes of a program developed to inculcate research essentials in undergraduate medical students

Background: Participation in research during undergraduate studies may increase students′ interest in research and inculcate research essentials in them. Aims: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the mentored student project (MSP) program. Settings and Design: In the MSP program, students in groups (n = 3 to 5) undertook a research project, wrote a scholarly report, and presented the work as a poster presentation with the help of a faculty mentor. To begin with, the logic model of the program was developed to identify short-term outcomes of the program on students, mentors, and the institution. A quasi-experimental design was used to measure the outcomes. Materials and Methods: A mixed method evaluation was done using a newly-developed questionnaire to assess the impact of the MSP on students′ attitude, a multiple-choice question (MCQs) test to find out the impact on students′ knowledge and grading of students′ project reports and posters along with a survey to check the impact on skills. Students′ satisfaction regarding the program and mentors′ perceptions were collected using questionnaires. Evidence for validity was collected for all the instruments used for the evaluation. Statistical Analysis: Non-parametric tests were used to analyze data. Based on the scores, project reports and posters were graded into A (>70% marks), B (60-69% marks), and C (<59% marks) categories. The number of MSPs that resulted in publications, conference presentation and departmental collaborations were taken as impact on the institution. Results: Students′ response rate was 91.5%. The students′ attitudes regarding research changed positively (P = 0.036) and score in the MCQ test improved (P < 0.001) after undertaking MSP. Majority of project reports and posters were of grade A category. The majority of the items related to skills gained and satisfaction had a median score of 4. The MSPs resulted in inter-departmental and inter-institutional collaborations, 14 publications and 15 conference presentations. An area for improvement noted was to have the MSP implemented in the curriculum without increasing students′ overall workload and stress. Conclusion: The study identified strengths and weaknesses of the MSP program. Our model of undergraduate research project may be incorporated in undergraduate medical programs to foster positive attitude and knowledge base about scientific research and to instil research skills among students.
The Effects of Age-Mixing on Peer Cooperation and Competition

This study may be the first to directly test the hypothesis that mixed-age interaction can increase cooperation and reduce competition among peers. Twenty pairs of preschoolers (ages 4-6) were observed twice in same-gender triads in a play situation involving a limited-resource: once in a same-age triad of preschoolers and once in a mixed-age triad that included a child approximately 5 years older. Children in mixed-age groups spent more time playing, were more equitable in sharing the resource, better organized and more cooperative, with smoother turn-taking and higher performance scores in the game. Children in same-age groups spent more time interfering with the game or disengaged. These findings demonstrate the potential benefits of mixed-age interaction in school settings.
Mixed H2/H∞ gain scheduled state feedback control for an airborne dispenser pitch-axis autopilot

This paper presents a mixed H2/H∞, state feedback control and its application to airborne dispenser pitch-axis autopilot design. Linear matrix inequality conditions that depend only on the vertices of polytope are given for existence of a stabilizing gain scheduled state feedback for linear parameter-varying system in convex polytopic domain, and the solution of the controller is given. The proposed method has the potential to yield less conservative results where the parameters involved can be measured or estimated online because some additional free variables are introduced to LMIs. The augmented system of airborne dispenser pitch-axis is modeled with mixed sensitivity method, applying the proposed method, good transient performance, good steady performance and good capability of disturbance rejection are readily achieved.
Children as Consumers: A Psychological Analysis of the Young People's Market

Preface 1. The Importance of the Children's Market 2. Socialization of Child Consumers 3. What Do Children Consume? 4. Children's Use and Understanding of Money 5. Advertising and Children: Attention, Awareness and Understanding 6. Advertising and Children: Influences and Effects 7. Reaching Child Consumers 8. Protecting Child Consumers [References / Author Index / Subject Index]
Tumor rejection by gene transfer of the MHC class II transactivator in murine mammary adenocarcinoma cells

The murine mammary adenocarcinoma cell line TS/A is a highly malignant MHC class II‐negative tumor. We show that transfection of TS/A cells with the MHC class II transactivator CIITA renders them MHC class II‐positive and highly immunogenic in vivo. These cells were fully rejected by 51% of syngeneic recipients and had a significantly lower growth rate in the remaining 49% of animals. This directly correlated to the amount of MHC class II molecules expressed in the transfected tumor. Tumor rejecting animals were protected against rechallenge with the parental TS/A tumor. The rejection required CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. CD4+ T cells were fundamental in the priming phase of the antitumor response. CTL‐specific for a peptide of the envelope gp70 of an endogenous ecotropic retrovirus were identified and explained the specificity of the effector mechanism of rejection against the TS/A and the antigenically related C26 carcinoma cells but not against the unrelated gp70‐negative syngeneic fibrosarcoma F1F cells. This is the first example of successful tumor vaccination by genetic transfer of CIITA. These results open the way to a possible use of CIITA for increasing both the inducing and the effector phase of the antitumor immune response.
Understanding the complexity of #SAT using knowledge compilation

Two main techniques have been used so far to solve the #P-hard problem #SAT. The first one, used in practice, is based on an extension of DPLL for model counting called exhaustive DPLL. The second approach, more theoretical, exploits the structure of the input to compute the number of satisfying assignments by usually using a dynamic programming scheme on a decomposition of the formula. In this paper, we make a first step toward the separation of these two techniques by exhibiting a family of formulas that can be solved in polynomial time with the first technique but needs an exponential time with the second one. We show this by observing that both techniques implicitly construct a very specific Boolean circuit equivalent to the input formula. We then show that every β-acyclic formula can be represented by a polynomial size circuit corresponding to the first method and exhibit a family of β-acyclic formulas which cannot be represented by polynomial size circuits corresponding to the second method. This result sheds a new light on the complexity of #SAT and related problems on β-acyclic formulas. As a byproduct, we give new handy tools to design algorithms on β-acyclic hypergraphs.
Measurement Error Obfuscates Scientific Knowledge: Path to Cumulative Knowledge Requires Corrections for Unreliability and Psychometric Meta-Analyses

All measurements must contend with unreliability. No measure is free of measurement error. More attention must be paid to measurement error in all psychological research. The problem of reliability is more severe when rating scales are involved. Many of the constructs in industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology and organizational behavior/human resource management research are assessed using ratings. Most notably the organizationally central construct of job performance is often assessed using ratings (Austin & Villanova, 1992; Borman & Brush, 1993; Campbell, Gasser, & Oswald, 1996; Viswesvaran, Ones, & Schmidt, 1996; Viswesvaran, Schmidt, & Ones, 2005). The reliability of its assessment is a critical issue with consequences for (a) validation and (b) decision making. For over a century now, it has been known that measurement error obfuscates relationships among variables that scientists assess. Again for over a century, it has been known that statistical corrections for unreliability can help reveal the true magnitudes of relationships being examined. However, until mid-1970s, corrections for attenuation were hampered by the fact that the effect of sampling error is magnified in corrected correlations (Schmidt & Hunter, 1977). Only with the advent of psychometric meta-analysis was, it possible to fully reap the benefits of corrections for attenuation because the problem of sampling error was diminished by averaging across many samples and thereby increasing sample sizes. Since the advent of psychometric meta-analysis 38 years ago, scientific knowledge in the field of I-O psychology has greatly increased. Hundreds of meta-analyses have established basic scientific principles and tested theories.Against this backdrop, LeBreton, Scherer, and James (2014) have written a focal article that distrusts corrections for unreliability in psychometric meta-analyses. They question the appropriateness of using interrater reliabilities of job performance ratings for corrections for attenuation in validity generalization studies. Because of length limitations on comments in this journal, we will address only major errors, not all errors in LeBreton et al.'s strident article. The focal article is unfortunately more emotional than rational in tone and conceptually and statistically confused. In our comment, we address only the two latter problems.We have organized our comment in five major sections: (a) purpose of validation and logic of correction for attenuation, (b) reliability of overall job performance ratings, (c) validity estimation versus administrative decision use of criteria, (d) accurate validity estimates for predictors used in employee selection, and (e) correct modeling of job performance determinants.
T-Cell Vaccine Strategies for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the Virus with a Thousand Faces

An effective AIDS vaccine must control highly diverse circulating strains of HIV-1. Among HIV -I gene products, the envelope (Env) protein contains variable as well as conserved regions. In this report, an informatic approach to the design of T-cell vaccines directed to HIV -I Env M group global sequences was tested. Synthetic Env antigens were designed to express mosaics that maximize the inclusion of common potential Tcell epitope (PTE) 9-mers and minimize the inclusion of rare epitopes likely to elicit strain-specific responses. DNA vaccines were evaluated using intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) in inbred mice with a standardized panel of highly conserved 15-mer PTE peptides. I, 2 and 3 mosaic sets were developed that increased theoretical epitope coverage. The breadth and magnitude ofT-cell immunity stimulated by these vaccines were compared to natural strain Env's; additional comparisons were performed on mutant Env's, including gpl60 or gpl45 with or without V regions and gp41 deletions. Among them, the 2 or 3 mosaic Env sets elicited the optimal CD4 and CD8 responses. These responses were most evident in CD8 T cells; the 3 mosaic set elicited responses to an average of 8 peptide pools compared to 2 pools for a set of3 natural Env's. Synthetic mosaic HIV -I antigens can therefore induce T-cell responses with expanded breadth and may facilitate the development of effective T -cell-based HIV -1 vaccines.