Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Oral ciprofloxacin versus intravenous cefotaxime and ceftriaxone in the treatment of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Cefotaxime or ceftriaxone were considered the first-choice antibiotic for empirical treatment in cirrhotic patients developing spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. It has been suggested that ciprofloxacin could be an alternative to cefotaxime or ceftriaxone in cirrhotic patients developing spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. The aim of the present study was to compare oral ciprofloxacin with cefotaxime and ceftriaxone in the treatment of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhotic patients. METHODOLOGY Fifty-three hospitalized cirrhotic patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis were prospectively included and randomized into three groups: group A (n = 16); received orally 500 mg ciprofloxacin every 12 h, group B (n = 18); received intravenous cefotaxime 2 g every 8 h and group C (n = 19) received intravenous ceftriaxone 2 g every 24 h. RESULTS 15 patients from the ciprofloxacin group, 17 from the cefotaxime group and 17 patients from the ceftriaxone group were finally analyzed. Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis resolution in three groups was found to be 80%, 76%, and 83%, respectively (p = NS). Incidence of complications and hospital mortality was similar in the three groups. No adverse events were observed in any of the three groups. The cost of the treatment was statistically lower in the ciprofloxacin group than in the cefotaxime group and ceftriaxone group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that orally ciprofloxacin is as effective as cefotaxime and ceftriaxone in the empirical treatment of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhotic patients, and is also less expensive and can be administered orally.
Severe familial HDL deficiency in French-Canadian kindreds. Clinical, biochemical, and molecular characterization.

A decreased level of HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) is the most common lipoprotein abnormality seen in people with premature coronary artery disease (CAD). In many cases, HDL-C reduction in patients with CAD may be the result of increased apo B-containing lipoprotein production by the liver with secondary hypoalphalipoproteinemia. Primary hypoalphalipoproteinemia is seen in approximately 4% of people with CAD. We report findings in four subjects with severe familial HDL deficiency (HDL-C << 5th percentile for age and sex; 0.08 to 0.38 mmol/L) in three French-Canadian kindreds with autosomal codominant inheritance. By inclusion criteria, all four subjects had normal fasting triglycerides and none were diabetic. HDL particle size by gradient gel electrophoresis revealed small HDL particles (estimated Stokes' diameter, 8.14 to 8.30 nm). Apo AI analysis by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and use of isoelectrofocusing gels in affected subjects revealed normal molecular weight (28.3 kD) and normal isoelectrofocusing point but a relative increase in proapoliprotein AI, with near-normal levels of proapolipoprotein AI in plasma, suggesting normal secretion of apo AI. Quantitative Southern blot analysis of the apo AI-CIII-AIV gene cluster reveals no gene rearrangements or allele deletion. Haplotypes of the apo AI gene, determined by use of the restriction enzymes Pst I, Xmn I, and Sst I and of the apo AII gene by use of the enzyme Msp I, did not reveal segregation of the low HDL-C trait with either the apo AI or the AII gene. Sequence analysis of the promoter region of the apo AI gene reveals heterozygosity for guanine-to-adenine substitution at position 76 in two kindreds with no evidence of segregation with the low HDL trait. None of the patients had mutations of the lipoprotein lipase gene common in subjects of French-Canadian descent. Haplotype analysis of the lipoprotein lipase gene did not show segregation with the low HDL trait. Plasma lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity was found to be within normal levels in affected subjects and in nonaffected first-degree relatives. None of the affected subjects had clinical manifestations of Tangier disease. Two of the four cases examined, both men, had severe CAD and had undergone revascularization procedures. The third is a younger brother of one of these probands and the fourth is a 30-year-old woman, and both were free of clinical CAD. However, in none of the families did the low HDL trait unequivocally cosegregate with CAD. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Public Service Motivation and Commitment

This special edition of Public Policy and Administration emanates from the work of the Personnel Policies Study Group of EGPA (European Group of Public Administration). The group consists of academics and practitioners who collaborate in the study of a selected topic over a three-year period. Their work is published in interim symposia and contributes towards the production of a research monograph. Their past publications can be found on their website(http:I/soc.kuleuven.be/io/egpa/HRM). In 2004 the group embarked upon a study of public service motivation and the articles in this edition are based upon papers presented by international scholars at the EGPA Conference in Berne in September 2005.
Attitudes of Undergraduate Students

Resume On a determine au moyen des Echelles des Attitudes de Thurstone les attitudes de 215 etudiants de derniere annee a l'Universite de Chicago a l'egard de la prohibition des liqueurs, de Dieu, du pacifisme, du communisme, et de la limitation de la natalite. Les etudiants se montrent opposes a la prohibition, favorablement disposes envers le pacifisme et la limitation de la natalite, et neutres a l'egard du communisme et de la realite de Dieu. Les etudiantes sont plus favorables a la prohibition, et croient plus fortement a la realite de Dieu que les etudiants. Les etudiants des sciences sociales favorisent un peu plus le communisme et le pacifisme que les etudiants des sciences physiques. Les etudiants juifs ont les attitudes les plus liberales a l'egard de ces questions sociales; les etudiants catholiques sont les moins liberaux, sauf a l'egard de la prohibition, a l'egard de laquelle les etudiants protestants sont les moins liberaux. L'intelligence ne montre aucune correlation avec l'attitude a l'eg.
Affective influences on individual and group judgments

Do emotional states influence the social judgments made by groups and individuals? Based on affect-cognition theories and research on group judgmental shifts, we predicted that group discussion will enhance positive mood effects on judgments, but inhibit affectively-based distortions in dysphoric moods. Positive, neutral and negative moods were induced using audiovisual presentations. Individual and group consensus judgments of nine person categories on three judgmental dimensions (evaluation, competence and self-confidence) were obtained in two experimental sessions separated by a two-week interval. Results showed that individuals made more positive judgments when happy, and more negative judgments when sad than did controls. Group discussion resulted in a further polarization of positive judgments, and the attenuation of negative judgments. The findings are interpreted as evidence for the important role affect plays in mediating both individual cognitive processes and interactive social behaviours. The implications of the results for contemporary affect-cognition theories and models of group behaviour are considered.
Promoting phonological awareness in nursery‐aged children through a Sure Start Early Listening programme

There is a growing recognition of the importance of pre‐literacy skills among pre‐school children. Evidence that children from relatively deprived backgrounds face poorer outcomes in speech and language development and educational achievement has led to an assertive attempt to lessen social inequalities at the earliest opportunity. The UK government‐funded Sure Start initiative aims to provide services to promote play and learning opportunities for such children under the age of four. This paper describes the background and method of setting up an Early Listening programme in a deprived, multicultural and multilingual area of North London. We also present findings on the effect of the programme on children's phonological awareness. The results indicated improvement in rhyme awareness following direct input, with more tentative signs of positive trends in phonemic awareness and visual memory. We suggest that this programme may have considerable value in a wider local educational context. The information gathered from this pilot work will assist the development of more definitive research.
The components of student–university identification and their impacts on the behavioural intentions of prospective students

The purpose of this research is to discover the extent to which prospective higher education students still in secondary education might identify with international branch campuses and the extent to which organisational identification and its individual components might influence students’ behavioural intentions towards these institutions. The study involved 407 students studying at nine international schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). By developing and testing a regression model, it was found that individuals are indeed able to identify with universities with which they have had no or minimal previous interaction or experience and that student–university identification can lead to positive behavioural intentions. The findings suggest that institutions would benefit from articulating and communicating their identities clearly, coherently and in a persuasive manner, and emphasising those aspects of the university’s identity that prospective students will perceive as prestigious and similar to their own identities.
Deconvolution problems in time series

The problem of estimating the density function and the regression function involving errors-in-variables in time series is considered. Under appropriate conditions, it is shown that the rates obtained in Fan (1991), Fan and Truong (1990) are also achievable in the context of dependent observations. Consequently, the results presented here extend our previous results for cross-sectional data to the longitudinal ones. oAbbreviated title. Measurement Errors in Time Series AMS 1980 subject classification. Primary 62G20. Secondary 62G05, 62J99.
Self-regulation of goal setting: turning free fantasies about the future into binding goals.

Fantasy realization theory states that when people contrast their fantasies about a desired future with reflections on present reality, a necessity to act is induced that leads to the activation and use of relevant expectations. Strong goal commitment arises in light of favorable expectations, and weak goal commitment arises in light of unfavorable expectations. To the contrary, when people only fantasize about a desired future or only reflect on present reality, expectancy-independent moderate goal commitment emerges. Four experiments pertaining to various life domains supported these hypotheses. Strength of goal commitment was assessed in cognitive (e.g., making plans), affective (e.g., felt attachment), and behavioral terms (e.g., effort expenditure, quality of performance). Implications for theories on goal setting and goal striving are discussed.
A Memristor SPICE Implementation and a New Approach for Magnetic Flux-Controlled Memristor Modeling

This paper introduces a behavior model of a memristive soild-state device for simulation with a simulation program for integrated circuits emphasis (SPICE) compatible circuit simulator. After showing the underlying functional mechanics and model equations of a memristor the SPICE equivalent circuit based on a charge controlled memristor is presented and discussed. Hereafter, a magnetic flux controlled memristor model is introduced including technical description and SPICE implementation. It is shown that the presented SPICE models meet the requirements for simulations of multi memristor circuits.
A Multidimensional Model of Organizational Legitimacy: Hospital Survival in Changing Institutional Environments

Using data on 143 hospital organizations, this article examines the antecedents and effects of two forms of organizational legitimacy (managerial and technical) over a 46-year period. Results show that both the managerial and technical forms provide notable improvements in organizational survival chances but that the strength of each effect varies over time depending on the nature of the institutional environment. Variation also appears in the antecedents of legitimacy - for example, the ability of a hospital to secure approval for its managerial practices depends on the correspondence between its mission and the logic of the surrounding institutional environment. The results suggest that a multidimensional model can reveal nuances of organizational legitimacy that are missed by more unitary conceptions.
Back Illuminated Drift Silicon Photomultiplier as Novel Detector for Single Photon Counting

Single photon counting plays an essential role for a wide variety of applications, ranging from biomedical research to astronomy. In gamma-ray astronomy, the Cherenkov telescope MAGIC is used to detect Cherenkov photons generated in atmospheric air showers. Since the flux of Cherenkov photons from air showers is low, the development of new single photon detectors with high quantum efficiency is necessary. The concept of the Back Illuminated Drift Silicon Photomultiplier (BID SiPM) is a novel detector design for single photon counting. It combines the principles of a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) and a drift diode. The back illuminated drift silicon photomultiplier is operated as back illuminated detector thus providing a fill factor of 100%. A high quantum efficiency of about 80% in a wavelength region of 300 - 1000 nm can be achieved. The drift region is used to focus electrons from the back through the depleted bulk to the small point-like avalanche region. The time jitter of the electrons limits the time resolution of the detector to about 1 ns as simulation results show. A prototype of an avalanche region which can be combined with a drift structure was produced at the MPI Semiconductor Laboratory as proof of principle. The detector concept and results of measurements of dark rate and leakage current are presented.
Developing emotional literacy through individual Dance Movement Therapy: a pilot study

This paper reports a pragmatic mixed methods pilot study of teacher perceptions regarding a school‐based Dance Movement therapy (DMT) service for six children aged four to seven in a North of England primary school. No previous studies have systematically evaluated DMT in terms of the development of Emotional Literacy (EL), though theoretical support exists in the formation of a non‐verbally mediated empathic, attuned therapeutic relationship, and there is limited evidence linking arts education with EL. Data were collected on teacher perceptions relating to teacher‐identified goals, and on movement metaphors reported in therapist notes. Results suggest a link between metaphors identified and positive teacher‐rated outcomes in the following areas relating to EL: self‐esteem; emotional expression and regulation; and social function. Causal links cannot be identified with certainty due to the pragmatic uncontrolled design, but are inferred through qualitative teacher feedback. Recommendations for further research are made.
‘I'm the Slice of Pie that's Ostracised …’. Foucault's Technologies, and Personal Agency, in the Voice of Women who are Homeless, Adelaide, South Australia

In contrast to the international research (particularly in the United Kingdom and North America), much of the Australian literature regarding homelessness to date omits the perspective of people who are homeless. In contributing to the fledgling Australian literature in the field, the following article adopts a secondary approach to the data analysis of original research. When analysed, the voices of homeless women from an agency in Adelaide, South Australia exhibit elements of both Foucault's technologies of domination and the self. While the results show that the women do have a powerful sense of the broader external issues exerted on them (reflecting both technologies of domination and the self), the analysis also reveals ambiguities in their responses. Apparent in the voice of homeless women is a sense of personal agency which appears to be absent in Foucault's technologies. By considering the viewpoints of homeless women, various policy implications can also be drawn. Indeed, this is one of the motivations of the article, namely to inject into policy debate and development the voices of the people most adversely affected by it. The policy implications of the women's voices centre around the desire to be included rather than remain on the margins, the need for supportive relationships, the necessity to take small steps to independent living, and the need for more affordable, independent housing.
Induction of PPM1D following DNA-damaging treatments through a conserved p53 response element coincides with a shift in the use of transcription initiation sites

PPM1D (Wip1), a type PP2C phosphatase, is expressed at low levels in most normal tissues but is overexpressed in several types of cancers. In cells containing wild-type p53, the levels of PPM1D mRNA and protein increase following exposure to genotoxic stress, but the mechanism of regulation by p53 was unknown. PPM1D also has been identified as a CREB-regulated gene due to the presence of a cyclic AMP response element (CRE) in the promoter. Transient transfection and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments in HCT116 cells were used to characterize a conserved p53 response element located in the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of the PPM1D gene that is required for the p53-dependent induction of transcription from the human PPM1D promoter. CREB binding to the CRE contributes to the regulation of basal expression of PPM1D and directs transcription initiation at upstream sites. Following exposure to ultraviolet (UV) or ionizing radiation, the abundance of transcripts with short 5′ UTRs increased in cells containing wild-type p53, indicating increased utilization of downstream transcription initiation sites. In cells containing wild-type p53, exposure to UV resulted in increased PPM1D protein levels even when PPM1D mRNA levels remained constant, indicating post-transcriptional regulation of PPM1D protein levels.
The antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity methanol extracts from cranberry plants

The purpose of this study was to determine the total phenol content, antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity of methanol extracts from cranberry plants. The highest total phenol content of 17.1 mg/100 g, and antioxidant activity with IC50 = 23.8 mg/100 g. This situation shows that the total content of phenolic plant extracts examined correlated with DPPH activity. IC50 cytotoxicity of methanol extracts of each 75.11 μg/mL against Calu-6 cells, 177.53 from μg/mL against MCF-cells and 54.87 μg/mL against HCT116 cells. From the data obtained we can conclude that this plant has a quite high of total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Correlation between total phenolics increased DPPH free radical scavenging and cytotoxic activities are quite good. The results of this study showed that cranberry plants can be used as the basis for the treatment of some diseases.
Dynamical predictions of insular hubs for social cognition and their application to stroke

The insular cortex (IC) is considered a rich hub for context-sensitive emotions/social cognition. Patients with focal IC stroke provide unique opportunities to study socio-emotional processes. Nevertheless, Couto et al. (2013b) have recently reported controversial results regarding IC involvement in emotion and social cognition. Similarly, patients with similar lesions show high functional variability, ranging from almost totally preserved to strongly impaired behavior. Critical evidence suggests that the variability of these patients in the above domains can be explained by enhanced neuroplasticity, compensatory processes, and functional remapping after stroke. Therefore, socio-emotional processes would depend on long-distance connections between the IC and frontotemporal regions. We propose that predictive coding and effective connectivity represent a novel approach to explore functional connectivity and assess compensatory, contralateral, and subsidiary network differences among focal stroke patients. This approach would help explain why socio-emotional performance is so variable within this population.
AudioScope: Smartphones as Directional Microphones in Mobile Audio Augmented Reality Systems

Mobile audio augmented reality systems (MAARS) provide a new and engaging modality to present information or to create playful experiences. Using special filters, spatial audio rendering creates the impression that the sound of a virtual source emanates from a certain position in the physical space. So far, most of the implementations of such systems rely on head tracking to create a realistic effect, which requires additional hardware. Recent results indicate that the built-in sensors of a smartphone can be used as source for orientation measurement, reducing deployment to a simple app download. AudioScope presents an alternative interaction technique to create such an experience, using the metaphor of pointing a directional microphone at the environment. In an experiment with 20 users, we compared the time to locate a proximate audio source and the perceived presence in the virtual environment. Results show that there is no significant difference between head-orientation measurement and AudioScope regarding accuracy and perceived presence. This means that MAARS, such as audio guides for museums, do not require special hardware but can run on the visitor's smartphones with standard headphones.
Increased hepatic and renal expressions of multidrug resistance‐associated protein 3 in Eisai hyperbilirubinuria rats

Background and Aim: Eisai hyperbilirubinuria rats (EHBR) are animal models of Dubin–Johnson syndrome, which suffer from jaundice due to impaired biliary excretion of bilirubin glucuronides. In EHBR, deficiency of multidrug resistance‐associated protein 2 (mrp2) causes defective biliary excretion of numerous organic anions. However, little is known about the expression of other organic anion transporters in this mrp2‐deficient model. The aim of the present study was to investigate adaptive expressions of mrp1, mrp3, mrp6, organic anion transporting polypeptide 1 (oatp1) and oatp2 in liver and kidney of EHBR.
The Influence of Perceptions of Organizational Structure & Culture on Leadership Role Requirements: The Moderating Impact of Locus of Control & Self-Monitoring

Kahn, Wolfe, Quinn, and Snoek (1964) and Shivers-Blackwell (2004) asserted that managers' perceptions of organizational context and personality influence their interpretations of leadership role requirements. This follow-up study posited that managers' perceptions of organizational structure and culture influence how they interpret their leadership role requirements. Furthermore, locus of control and self-monitoring are proposed to moderate this relationship. One hundred and eighty-six (186) managers were surveyed. Results indicate that there is a relationship between managers' interpretations of organizational context and their perceived transactional and transformational role requirements. Furthermore, this relationship appears stronger for managers with an external locus of control.