Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of pleural fluid alkaline phosphatase and its ratio to serum levels in distinguishing exudates from transudates

The objective of present study was to evaluate the efficacy of pleural fluid alkaline phosphatase and its ratio to serum levels to classify pleural fluids. A total of 80 patients were divided in transudates and exudates on the basis of extensive clinical, radiological and biochemical evaluation. The efficacy of pleural fluid alkaline phosphatase (P ALP) and pleural fluid / serum alkaline phosphatase ratio (P/S ALP) assessment along with that of Light's criteria to accurately classify transudates and exudates were analyzed. Up to 89% transudates misclassified by Light's criteria were correctly classified by pleural fluid alkaline phosphatase (P ALP) and pleural fluid/serum alkaline phosphatase ratio (P/S ALP) evaluation. Similarly 92% exudates misclassified by Light's criteria were correctly classified by pleural fluid alkaline phosphatase (P ALP) and pleural fluid/serum alkaline phosphatase ratio (P/S ALP) evaluation. By applying a cut off value of 40.0 IU for P ALP, a sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 75% was found. For P/S ALP, applying a cut off value of 0.25 a sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 80% was found. Both P ALP and P/S ALP had a PPV of 92%. However, their respective NPV were 63% and 70%.
Personnel Preparation and Service Delivery Issues in Rural Areas: The State of the Art

Preparation of high quality personnel to provide educational services to students with disabilities living in rural areas is, at best, challenging. Findings from a comprehensive study concerning the status of the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in rural settings and the issues such implementation presents to teacher education programs in these areas are discussed. Members of the American Council on Rural Special Education (ACRES) participated in the study. Results indicated that strategies for enhancing personnel preparation, recruitment, and retention of individuals to institutions of higher education and K-12 schools in rural settings include distance learning, on-site professional development opportunities, salary incentives/increments, and benefits. Linking evaluation data to the general education curriculum and determining how the student's disabilities affect his/her progress in general education are issues for practitioners implementing IDEA in rural settings. Recommendations are provided for enhancing personnel preparation and service delivery based on the results.
Study on the Different Factors Affecting Mortality Pattern of Rabbit in India

Around 374 data on different mortality cases recorded from New Zealand White and Soviet Chinchilla breed of rabbit in three seasons i e summer, rainy and winter over a period of four years in Rabbit Research Farm of the institute under Animal Production Division were analyzed statistically. Rabbits were housed in indoor cage system and 50 % mash feeding and 50 % roughage feeding was practiced. It was found that highest mortality was in I st generation crops. Breed wise higher mortality was observed in New Zealand White breed of rabbit (22.12%). Sex wise higher mortality was in female (20.48 %). Age wise mortality revealed that highest mortality was in finisher (21.49 %). Season wise highest mortality was in summer (17.90 %). Etiology of disease indicated that highest mortality was due to coccidiosis (5.62 %) followed by deficiency disorder (5.50 %). In 1 st and 2 nd year there was significant differences (P < 0.05) in mortality among grower, finisher and adult rabbits. There were also significant (P < 0.05) differences in mortality between different seasons in 1 st year. There was significant difference of mortality between the generations in 1 st year. In 2 nd year breed difference was observed to be significant.
An International Comparison of Corporate Governance Models: a study on the formal independence and governance of one-tier and two-tier corporate boards of directors in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands

textabstractAccording to Cochran and Wartick (1988), corporate governance is an umbrella term that covers many aspects related to concepts, theories and practices of boards of directors and their executive and non-executive directors. It is a field that concentrates on the relationship between boards, stockholders, top management, regulators, auditors and other stakeholders. A related definition of corporate governance comes from Monks and Minow (1995). These authors state: “What is corporate governance? It is the relationship among various participants in determining the direction and performance of corporations” (Monks and Minow, 1995:1). In this definition, the group of participants includes shareholders, management, members of board of directors, employees, customers, suppliers, creditors and other interest groups. The World Bank states: “Corporate governance refers to that blend of law, regulation and appropriate voluntary private sector practices which enable the corporation to attract financial and human capital, perform efficiently, and thereby perpetuate itself by generating long-term economic value for its shareholders, while respecting the interests of stakeholders and society as a whole. The principal characteristics of effective corporate governance are: transparency (disclosure of relevant financial and operational information and internal processes of management oversight and control); protection and enforceability of the rights and prerogatives of all shareholders; and, directors capable of independently approving the corporation's strategy and major business plans and decisions, and of independently hiring management, monitoring management's performance and integrity, and replacing management when necessary” (www.worldbank.org, Jan 1999). Sheridan and Kendall (1992), suggest that “ . different countries have different ideas as to what constitutes good corporate governance [ . ] nowhere does anyone appear to have defined corporate governance per se. ” These and other definitions indicate that the field of corporate governance is a rich one. As stated by Tricker (1993:2), “ . corporate governance can mean many things to those concerned. Institutional investors have a different perspective from corporate regulators, board members from researchers. Insights can be drawn from the professional and theoretical worlds of organisational behavior, jurisprudence, financial economics, accountancy and auditing, as well as from the experiential worlds of director behaviour and board practices. ” See also Moerland (1997) for an overview of corporate governance definitions.
Population groups at risk of zinc deficiency in Australia and New Zealand

Aim: Although the adverse health consequences of zinc deficiency are becoming increasingly well known internationally, few studies have investigated zinc status in Australia and New Zealand. The aim of this review was to identify which population groups, if any, in Australia and New Zealand are likely to be at risk of zinc deficiency. Methods: A literature review was conducted to identify papers on zinc status in Australasia using electronic databases (MEDLINE, BIOSIS Previews, CINAHL, EMBASE, Web of Knowledge, ProQuest and Cochrane Library). Government databases and reference lists from peer-reviewed journal articles were also accessed. Results: Thirty-one Australasian studies that measured dietary zinc intake and/or serum zinc were identified. Many were based on a small number of self-selected subjects, and did not use the recommended procedures for evaluating the prevalence of inadequate zinc intakes and low serum zinc concentrations. Existing data suggest that at-risk groups in Australasia are toddlers, adolescents (especially those of Pacific and Aboriginal ethnicities), institutionalised elderly and possibly people with diabetes. Conclusions: Data on the zinc status of selected population groups in Australasia are limited. Randomised controlled zinc supplementation trials that include the recommended indicators and other clinical outcomes are needed to confirm the existence of zinc-related health outcomes among the at-risk groups identified.
Greater Co-morbidity Burden is Associated with Greater Pain and Disability at Time of Total Knee Replacement Among African American Patients

Repository Citation Porter A, Harrold LR, Chen L, Allison JJ, Noble P, Ayers DC, Franklin PD. (2013). Greater Co-morbidity Burden is Associated with Greater Pain and Disability at Time of Total Knee Replacement Among African American Patients. UMass Center for Clinical and Translational Science Research Retreat. https://doi.org/ 10.13028/a2de-t522. Retrieved from https://escholarship.umassmed. edu/cts_retreat/2013/posters/19
Practice nurses and hepatitis B : Preventative actions and their relationship to health beliefs

Hepatitis B is a major, largely undiagnosed disease in the community and nurses working in doctors' surgeries (practice nurses) undertake many clinical tssks which may expose them to the Hepatitis B virus. Using the Health BeliefModel as the theoretical framework, the purpose of this correlational-descriptive study was to determine what actions are taker, by practice nurses in Western Australia to protect themselves against Hepatitis B, and to what extent their health beliefs contribute to t! J.ose actions. A response rate of 59% (118) was obtained from an anonymous, confidential questionnaire sent to a random sample of 200 practice nurses in Western Australia. Data were analyse<] using descriptive analysis, t-tests, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Correlations using Pearson's correlation coefficient were done to discover relationships between components of the Health Belief Model. Results showed the rate of vaccination against Hepatitis B was high (80.5%), but compliance with universal precautions, measured in this study by glove usage, appears to be based on a subjective decision and needs improvement. A high proportion ofpracuce nurses (61.9%) had sustained occupational exposure by needlestick or splash injury, but only 54.2% of the total sample were able to nominate appropriate post;. ex;>osure actions. Although 50% of respondents reported involvement in teaching about and/or administration of the vaccine, knowledge about transmission of the Hepatitis B virus was inadequate, and specific education was not associated with higher knowledge scores. These practice nurses believed there was only a low chance they would catch Hepatitis B, and that the disease, if caught, was moderately severe. Vaccinstion was significantly related (n < .05) to teaching about and/or administering the vaccine to others, knowledge of appropriate
Pain Medicine: A Comprehensive Review

This is the first review book in pain management specifically oriented to the format of the new exams offered by the American Board of Anesthesiology and the American Pain Society. Edited by well-known authors in the field, it stresses key concepts and essential information on pain. Questions and answers throughout enhance the reader's retention of important concepts.
New perspectives on Chinese immigrants’ experiences under the New Zealand Healthcare System: a qualitative descriptive study

This research sought to explore the life experiences of Chinese immigrants interacting with the New Zealand healthcare systems; in particular identifying potential difficulties and barriers in accessing and utilising local healthcare services. A qualitative descriptive methodology was employed. Data was collected via surveys, of 38 Chinese immigrants, aged 30 to 55 years who originated from Mainland China, and semi-structured in-depth interviews with 7 survey participants. Based on data generated from Chinese immigrants‟ personal encounters in the process of receiving healthcare services and making healthcare-related decisions, a systematic comparative analysis revealed three core findings. The first major barrier identified towards the effective access and utilisation of New Zealand healthcare services by Chinese immigrants‟ lies with the differences that exist between healthcare systems in New Zealand and China. Distinctive disparities between the healthcare system structure and standards of healthcare practice caused misalignment between immigrants‟ expectations in the process of receiving healthcare services and the outcomes of such process. The second barrier arose from communication difficulties between Chinese immigrants and New Zealand healthcare practitioners due to language proficiency, and more importantly, conceptual misunderstandings. In this aspect, New Zealand healthcare practitioners do not seem to fully appreciate the Chinese immigrants‟ philosophy of health and their healthcare needs; nor do the Chinese immigrants adequately understand how New Zealand healthcare practitioners are trained to provide appropriate care to patients. The third major barrier stems from the lack of Chinese cultural understanding by the New Zealand healthcare industry. While the New Zealand healthcare system is devoted to the recognition and assurance of cultural sensitivity in policy, it appears that such vision has not been effectively translated into cultural understanding at an operational level. With a rapidly growing Chinese immigrant population in New Zealand and around the world, this study has highlighted the importance of understanding the characteristics of Chinese immigrants in terms of healthcare awareness, attitudes and decision-making process; along with implications for effectively engaging the Chinese immigrant population in the healthcare systems at their destinations of migration.
Bioscience knowledge and the registered nurse : an exploratory study of nurses starting a Nurse Prescriber programme

Registered nurses entering a Nurse Prescriber programme participated in a mixed methods case study to explore the extent of their bioscience knowledge and the confidence with which that knowledge was held. Forty two Nurse Prescriber students, aged 26 – 55 years, from a range of job roles were recruited. Using questionnaires and interviews, both quantitative and qualitative data were obtained. An examination of the Nurse Prescribers’ views of pre-registration nursing demonstrated that the knowledge gained had been related to practice but had been both superficial and lacking in breadth. The bioscience in pre-registration programmes had not sufficiently prepared the participants for their roles as registered nurses. The importance of experiences gained as a registered nurse in the practice setting in the learning of bioscience was strongly emphasised. Participants reported greater learning of bioscience by informal methods such as work experience, use of books and the Internet and discussion with colleagues than from experiences in the classroom. Interviewees placed particularly strong emphasis on the importance of learning from medical colleagues. The role of post-registration programmes emerged as important in learning bioscience because it related to the job role. Post-registration courses also emerged as significant in giving confidence to the registered nurse. Confidence increased not just in terms of the knowledge held, but also in terms of nurses’ ability to communicate with patients, relatives, and doctors, their ability to understand nursing skills, and their willingness to admit when something was not known.
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia: The Challenges of Management in a Developing Country

Objective: The management of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is challenging, particularly in developing countries. The objective of this study is to report the challenges and outcome of management of this pathology at an institution in Nigeria. Patients and Methods: All the children that were diagnosed with CAH at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria, between January 2002 and December 2007 were included in this retrospective study. The parameters studied were: age, sex, mode of presentation, family history of similar lesions, fi ndings on examinations and investigations, treatment given, challenges and outcome. The available parents/caregivers were interviewed in order to document their socioeconomic status, place of residence, level of education and level of awareness about CAH. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS and presented as count, frequency and percentage, while continuous data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Results: In total, 27 children aged between 2 and 15 (mean 8 ± 2.4) years were treated. Twentyfour of them were females and 3 males with a male-to-female ratio of 1:8. Delayed presentation, which was infl uenced by cultural beliefs and lack of awareness, was very common and none of the cases was diagnosed under 2 years of age. Genital manifestation was the reason for seeking medical consultation in 23 (85%) patients, while the 3 males (11%) and one female (4%) presented due to precocious puberty. All the females were mistakenly raised as males despite obvious deformity of the phallus. Establishing an accurate diagnosis was a major challenge due to the lack of facilities and manpower required, and a combination of clinical, radiological and biochemical laboratory investigations plus/minus mini-laparotomy was used. Although surgical and steroid replacement therapy was satisfactory, gender re-assignment was very challenging and required a multidisciplinary approach, counseling and relocation of the affected families. Conclusion: Management was diffi cult mainly due to late presentation, and there is an obvious need for a public information campaign in our country in order to increase the awareness of CAH in order to avoid wrong gender assignment in neonates. Keywords : Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, management, gender African Journal Of Urology Vol.14 (3) 2007: pp. 138-142
Laparoscopic Ventral and Incisional Hernia Repair

Ventral and incisional hernia repair is one of the most frequently performed operations in daily surgical practice. Laparoscopic ventral and incisional hernia repair (LVIHR) is gaining increasing adoption in surgical practice. It has theoretical advantages but improvements in technique can still be made. The aim of this thesis is to study complications and techniques of LVIHR. Questions that we try to answer are: — What causes recurrence after LVIHR? — How can we treat chronic post-operative pain? — How should the mesh be fixated? — What are the clinical consequences of intra-abdominal mesh placement? In Chapter 2 all nine recurrences in a series of 505 LVIHRs were studied. We conclude that a risk factor for the development of recurrence in repair of an incisional hernia appears to be an incomplete coverage of the whole original incision by mesh. Chapter 3 describes a fatal case of intestinal ischemia after LVIHR. Intestinal ischemia therefore seems to be more related to laparoscopy in patients at risk for cardiovascular complications in general than to LVIHR specifically. In Chapter 4 we analyzed the effect of suture removal in 6 patients with persistent post-operative pain following LVIHR. We conclude that up to now there is no one single treatment option for chronic post-operative pain after LVIHR. In selected cases removal of transabdominal sutures can be beneficial. In Chapter 5 the results of a randomized study on mesh-fixation technique and pain and quality of life after LVIHR in 199 patients are presented. We conclude that there appear to be no significant differences in post-operative pain and quality of life between the three studied mesh-fixation techniques. In Chapter 6 a study investigating the impact of mesh-fixation technique on operative time in laparoscopic umbilical hernia repair in 138 patients is presented. We found a small but significant time advantage for the technique using only tacks. On the basis of these last two studies we cannot advise the use of one of the studied mesh-fixation techniques over the other. In Chapter 7 seventy-two reoperations after LVIHR are described. Three specific observations can be made: (1) no relaparoscopies had to be converted, (2) no inadvertent bowel lesions were encountered during adhesiolysis, and (3) SAOs were practically devoid of peri- and postoperative complications. We therefore conclude that the clinical consequences of intra-abdominal mesh placement during LVIHR seem insignificant. Final conclusions: What causes recurrence after LVIHR? An incomplete coverage of the whole original incision by mesh is a risk factor for developing a recurrence after incisional hernia repair. How can we treat chronic post-operative pain? There is no single treatment option for chronic pain after LVIHR. How should the mesh be fixated? Presently we cannot advise on what method of mesh fixation to use in LVIHR. What are the clinical consequences of intra-abdominal mesh placement? The clinical consequences of intra-abdominal mesh placement during LVIHR seem insignificant.
The effects of stress urinary incontinence on the quality of life of Turkish women in the reproductive age group

This study was performed in order to evaluate the effect of urinary incontinence (UI) on the quality of life of women in the reproductive age group. Materials and methods: Included in the study were 150 women with UI [stress urinary incontinence (SUI) or mixed urinary incontinence (MUI)] and 150 healthy women, ranging in age between 15 and 49 years. Short Form 36 (SF-36) and the Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) were filled in by the women in both groups and the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7) was filled in only by the women in the UI group. Unpaired t-tests and the general linear model (GLM) were used for statistical analyses. Results: It was determined that the quality of life scores for all of the domains were significantly lower and the UDI-6 scores were significantly higher in the UI group than in the controls. The physical functioning, vitality, and social functioning scores of the women with MUI were lower than those of the women with pure SUI. Conclusion: The quality of life of women with SUI and MUI was significantly lower than the women without UI. For this reason, UI should be treated adequately.
Classification of radial non-radiative solutions to the 5D nonlinear wave equations

In this work we classify all radial non-radiative solutions to the 5D nonlinear wave equations with a wide range of energy critical nonlinearity. We show that such a solution always comes with two characteristic numbers. These characteristic numbers can be determined by either the radiation proﬁle of the initial data or the asymptotic behaviour of the solution. In addition, two radial weakly non-radiative solutions with the same characteristic numbers must coincide with each other in the overlap part of their exterior regions. Finally we give a few applications of our theory on the global behaviours of solutions to the nonlinear wave equations
Too Much Data: Prices and Inefficiencies in Data Markets

When a user shares her data with online platforms, she reveals information about others. In such a setting, externalities depress the price of data because once a user's information is leaked by others, she has less reason to protect her data and privacy. These depressed prices lead to excessive data sharing. We characterize conditions under which shutting down data markets improves welfare. Platform competition does not redress the problem of excessively low data prices and too much data sharing and may further reduce welfare. We propose a scheme based on mediated data sharing that improves efficiency. (JEL D62, D83, H23, L51, L86, L88)